Author Topic: My weaners aren't eating enough... Advice pls (Read 2220 times)

Loumackley · « **on:** February 22, 2016, 09:23:10 am »

My weaners are 8 weeks old and have been with me for 5 nights . They don't seem interested in their food at all. I've seen that they drink ok, and they are happy rooting around the pen and have overturned quite a lot in the short time they've been here. I'm feeding them pig grower pellets , just put out less than 2 lb between three of them, with some chopped up apple and carrot but they go look at it, one of them had a little nibble then go off to root. A couple of mornings they haven't got out of their bed til 10am (it has been rainy and cold). They didn't finish their p.m. feed yesterday so I took that away and will monitor how long it takes them to get though this a.m. meal. I haven't seen them return to it yet. I'm using a shallow bowl , they don't seem to be bullying each other (one female, two males) but have tried tipping food on to the ground but they ignore it. They don't seem I'll, they skip about the pen but I'm worried they aren't going to get enough nutrition...

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2016, 09:36:56 am »

They may still be adjusting to life without Mama if they came straight off her - we always give them a few days to adjust before selling on. Did the owner give you any of the feed they'd been used to? Again, we give half a sack of feed if they're not going straight on to 16% sow & weaner nuts. I wouldn't withold feed at all at this stage, just make a small amount available all day, if you can keep the crows off it. Watch out for signs of pneumonia as that will probably be the main danger with newly weaned piglets. At the weaner stage I feed as much as they can polish off in 20 minutes, but I'm feeding in concrete pens and they don't have the chance to root.

shygirl · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2016, 09:45:00 am »

id guess they are finding food from rooting. if they are lively I wouldn't worry too much right now. but get the same feed as the breeder.
give them a few more days, when they finished all the worms etc they will eat.
my pigs loved a long lie...lol

Loumackley · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2016, 10:43:45 am »

The crows do seem more interested than them ! they had a couple of days away from mum first ...and came with some food, barley, etc.... Perhaps the rooting is too much of a happy distraction for now !

MarthaR · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2016, 10:41:42 pm »

I asked a similar question when my second lot of Weaners went into a field patch in a very wet autumn. Was really worried they were ill but they were bouncy enough, just uninterested in concentrates. Went though all the checklist of symptoms - (which apart from not wanting concentrates and being reluctant to come outside first thing in dire weather) were not there. Concluded they were having too much fun with the digging and ground munching (they had come from indoors). They started eating the concentrates after a week or so.
If they're bouncy and digging that's a good sign. Unwell Weaners are mostly without bounce and enthusiasm for much.

Martha R