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Tabemono posted:Thanks kazmeyer, that's really useful info. I just took pity on the smaller one and gave her a strip of bell pepper in the cage, which she happily started eating (albeit with some nervous-sounding squeaking), until the larger one literally ran over, chased her off, then ate the rest of it. I assume this is also normal and I shouldn't get involved? I just want to make sure they're both getting enough to eat and the bigger one isn't hogging all the goodies. She had a much higher birth weight (something like 140g vs 90) and is visibly bigger than the little one, even though they're from the same litter. Alpha pig always gets dibs on food, water, and hides, and larger pigs are often the dominant ones. The best way to deal with that is to have two water bottles, two pellet bowls, and always put plenty of veggies and hay in the cage -- in two piles on either end, if necessary. Still, even that sometimes doesn't beat the social hierarchy; I've got two water bottles, and I've seen the beta pig sit quietly and wait for her sister to finish drinking, completely ignoring the full water bottle not six inches away. Once their dominance issues settle down, it'll be less of a problem, but you can always provide treats during lap time to make sure each pig gets their share if things continue. Dead Inside Darwin posted:My pigs are sisters and never do a dominance thing but refuse to share the same part of the cage unless they're busy being scared of something. If one gets startled and runs into the igloo usually the one in the igloo will run out a second later with a small rumble. Sometimes one will start sniffing the other one's face and there will be some stressed "no no stop" wheeking but that's as far as it goes. I have a pair of sisters who are about six years old and have been together all their lives, and they only share a pigloo when I'm spot-cleaning the cage or otherwise menacing them. It's all down to individual personalities, pigs bond in different ways. In my original herd, the two sisters who started it were rarely openly affectionate, but when I got more pigs and one was pushed far down on the totem pole, her more dominant sister would often pull down a wad of hay from the rack on top of herself and carry it, looking like a mobile haystack, across the cage to deliver it to her timid sibling. kazmeyer fucked around with this message at 16:47 on Dec 6, 2013 |
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Dec 6, 2013 14:57
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The best way to handle toenail trimming is just to get in there and do it. The first time they'll freak out and act like you're murdering them, and if you do manage to draw blood you'll feel insanely guilty. But as long as you don't do something nuts like shear off an entire toe, that blood will clot, and the next time you go in it'll only be about 90% as bad, then 80%, and so on. Just take it slow, keep the clipping shallow at first until you get a good handle on it, and work through the problem. If you have to, you can do one foot at a time if it's easier on your nerves. A little bit of practice and you'll be able to whip a pig out of the cage and trim all 14 (16+ if you've got polydactyls) toes in a matter of a minute or two. Keep treats on hand for toenail day. Great way to calm a panicked pig or to apologize for hitting the quick is with spring mix.
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Dec 6, 2013 22:18
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