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Post by bazookagoof on Apr 27, 2016 2:38:41 GMT
Got them out again a few days ago and they did their own thing separately. I think Theodore even took a nap in one of the boxes! However, I do want to make another observation- When Oscar is brought out for grazing, he cannot wait until he is placed on the ground so he usually leaps free from our hands the last six inches or so. Theodore tends to wait until the ride is over- he doesn't squirm. However, Deo did something entirely different which still makes me smile when I think about it: When I would gently lower him down for grazing, he would extend all his feet out as far as they would go, ready to brace himself for solid ground. He reminded me of a plane lowering its landing gear for the runway! It was always funny, simply because you usually don't see them stretching their legs out like that. Deo was quite a character.
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Post by 3piggles on Apr 27, 2016 12:33:48 GMT
That is so cute Almost like sticking a toe in the water to see if it's not too cold They are all so different, it makes having a group so interesting
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Post by jolovespiggies on Apr 27, 2016 19:30:46 GMT
I love their little leggies, they are so cute.
Hugs Jo xx
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Post by bazookagoof on May 12, 2016 0:26:09 GMT
Noticed something this morning, I hope it's not anything bad- Theodore normally is silent, and Oscar is the designated noisemaker. However, this morning when I fed Theodore his breakfast he was very quietly wheeking as he ate his pellets. Didn't sound like discomfort, but this was something new, as I've never heard him be this way during feeding time.
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Post by 3piggles on May 12, 2016 12:59:56 GMT
I'm not trying to scare you, but noticeable changes in behavior are cause for concern. It could just be that he's found a peace he didn't have before, or it could be that he's sick and doing everything to cover it up. As prey animals, they do their best to not appear to be weak, sick of disabled, as those are the first ones picked off by the predators. Keep an eye on him, but if he's still doing it tonight, take him out of the cage and try gently feeling him all over. If he has a problem, he may show a reaction to being prodded, even gently, in a certain place. Best to get him to a vet sooner than later, if that's the case. If it seems to just go away, it could just be that he wasn't completely awake, or he was mentally elsewhere, and you jerked him back to reality with food. It could also be that he was thinking happy thoughts about something, and the food just fit in perfectly So if it persists, get him to the vet. If it stops, just watch for it to happen again, or for anything else out of character. So much of piggy parenting is just getting to know all of their ways.
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Post by bazookagoof on May 13, 2016 2:31:37 GMT
I'm not trying to scare you, but noticeable changes in behavior are cause for concern. It could just be that he's found a peace he didn't have before, or it could be that he's sick and doing everything to cover it up. As prey animals, they do their best to not appear to be weak, sick of disabled, as those are the first ones picked off by the predators. Keep an eye on him, but if he's still doing it tonight, take him out of the cage and try gently feeling him all over. If he has a problem, he may show a reaction to being prodded, even gently, in a certain place. Best to get him to a vet sooner than later, if that's the case. If it seems to just go away, it could just be that he wasn't completely awake, or he was mentally elsewhere, and you jerked him back to reality with food. It could also be that he was thinking happy thoughts about something, and the food just fit in perfectly So if it persists, get him to the vet. If it stops, just watch for it to happen again, or for anything else out of character. So much of piggy parenting is just getting to know all of their ways. I had my daughter pick him up twice today, once for cage cleaning/grazing and another just as a precaution. He did not whine or squirm, aside from a surprised "Wheek!" when she first scooped him up from grazing. I told her to see if he acts uncomfortable at any point, and after about ten minutes we found nothing conclusive. In any case, we will still keep an eye on him. He's fallen back into silent mode when he eats, these past few days.
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Post by 3piggles on May 13, 2016 15:26:29 GMT
He may have just been complaining about some injustice I had one pig who used to mumble, or grumble, long after being picked up or disturbed
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Post by shades on May 14, 2016 9:31:49 GMT
Don't really feel it's worthy of a thread on its own, so I'll add it here.
Long time ago with my first pigs, I used wood chips and hay in the cage. This time round I've used fleeces. But I've switched to wood chip and hay. Why?
A combination of things. One: too much hair and stuff in the washing machine. Two: pigs seemingly not really enjoying the warm underfoot feeling.
Since I switched, I've noticed that the pigs are more active and love to forage around in the hay. It seems like a more natural thing for them to do.
Sure, it's more expensive, but the cleaning work isn't really more and I can get some helpers to break up the compacted chips if I'm lucky. I understand why people use fleeces but I'm moving towards the more natural cage set up. Certainly it's more suitable for my pigs.
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Post by 3piggles on May 14, 2016 17:06:01 GMT
I removed my fleece pads, since all the wood pellets have turned to granules, and have been letting them live on the granules with hay on top. They are loving it. However, I have them in a place where, if I make a mess, it's okay. I don't know if that will be the case at our next house, or if I will have to use fleece to keep the place neater. I'm hoping not to have to use the fleece, because in the summer, the granules are definitely cooler. I've noticed the girls are much more active in the hay and on the pellets, too.
My only issue with wood shavings is that they get caught in the boars anal sack, can cause health problems if not cleaned out regularly, and stink! Also, they aren't absorbent. If you can find a medium that is cool under piggy feet, packs down hard enough to be a good surface, is very absorbent and neutralizes odor. I don't know what might be available in China.
Any paper pulp product would probably do the job for absorbency, it will pack down reasonably well, and is okay for odor absorbency. Just make sure it doesn't have any perfumes, dyes or essential oils in it.
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Post by Bean on May 15, 2016 18:21:54 GMT
Hope Theodore continues to behave normally, and that there's nothing else to be concerned about. It's good to be vigilant, and often we find that just as with ourselves, we sometimes get the odd symptom that clears up as quick as it starts.
I've not heard of pigs not liking fleece before - most of them seem to love the feel of it underfoot. Seems like yours do have a real preference though, Shades, and I agree that giving them mounds of hay to play in is somewhat easier with disposable bedding. It does bore me brushing the fleece down to a point where I'm happy to put it in the machine, and I never quite get all the hay and hair off.
I use half and half - alternating between washable and disposable. I like elements of both, so it's a good balance - the pigs don't seem to have a preference although they always get excited about a change!
In relation to stuff getting stuck in boars' bums - I've found that once boars have been been neutered I've not had a problem with impaction or gunky bums. Cadders used to get a bit rank on disposable bedding (but not on fleece) and need keeping an eye on, but since the snip he's fine on either.
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Post by 3piggles on May 15, 2016 18:59:08 GMT
I hadn't heard of pigs not like fleece, either. I know people who didn't like putting it in the same washer/dryer with human clothes, though once something is washed clean, I'm not sure what the problem is. It is known to plug up washers that don't have a drain that catches all the junk, and can be cleaned out. When we bought the LG washer/dryer, I specifically got one with an easy clean drain on the front of the machine. However, I don't live where it's regularly extremely hot and humid, so I don't know what fleece gets to be like in those conditions.
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Post by bazookagoof on May 16, 2016 2:27:22 GMT
He may have just been complaining about some injustice I had one pig who used to mumble, or grumble, long after being picked up or disturbed I couldn't help but giggle when I read the word "injustice", when referring to a guinea pig. When I think of that word, I think of war-torn countries or places in desperate need of humanitarian aid, so when my daughter scooped up Theodore I guess he was concerned about Bangladesh!
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Post by 3piggles on May 16, 2016 17:12:30 GMT
Lol! His version of Bangladesh, at least
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Post by bazookagoof on May 26, 2016 2:22:17 GMT
I just realized that we've had Theodore for about six months now, and we only had Deo for about five. Yet, it seems like we had Deo for a long time. It's hard to recall the era when we just had Oscar, even.
One minor gripe- one of the plastic brackets on Theo's cage has become weakened, and for safety reasons I had to replace it... by buying an entire new cage, complete with food I can't use and bedding (I can still use that). The whole thing came to about $40, all for a measly little plastic piece.
I'll just keep everything else for spare parts in case I need them down the road. The food can go in the composter (it's all alfalfa hay pellets)
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Post by Bean on May 26, 2016 8:11:11 GMT
That is a bit ridiculous you had to buy a whole bundle. But yes, at least you have spares now!
If they're a decent quality pellet, maybe you could donate them to the rescue (unless it's so far away you'd spend more on petrol than the pellets would cost!)?
I've got my pet supply delivery coming today - 5 bales of hay and bedding (plus some compost to take me into the free delivery band - I did need it). The shed's a tip (nowhere to put it yet) so I need to sort that out, plus I'm going to be out when it arrives so need to clear a covered space for them to leave it. When I get back I'll then have the fun of lugging it all down to the shed. That should be it for a couple of months though and we save so much doing it this way compared to picking stuff up at a local pet shop.
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Post by 3piggles on May 26, 2016 13:53:51 GMT
What plastic piece broke? I looked back through your thread at the different cage pictures, but the only obvious plastic pieces were the ones that held the top onto the base. I was just wondering if zip ties would have sufficed, instead of a whole new cage? Obviously not, if it's that plastic clip. There are pigs who just have a really strong impact on your life, and you had one Deo He may only have been with you for 5 months, but his impact was much larger and longer than that
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sadyandmrsk
Tin Member
2 Rescue Piggies On a better road to a better life with me :)
Posts: 67
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Post by sadyandmrsk on May 26, 2016 17:38:11 GMT
Sady likes to stick her nose it the air and sniff around when i come in the room. Its so cute!
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Post by bazookagoof on May 27, 2016 2:01:02 GMT
If they're a decent quality pellet, maybe you could donate them to the rescue (unless it's so far away you'd spend more on petrol than the pellets would cost!)? I'm thinking about that, but the bag is fairly small and I don't know offhand if the closest shelter has any cavys. I'll keep the bag around for awhile (it's sealed) and if I get a chance I can drive over and offer it. It is the pieces that hold the base to the cage. If I wanted to use zipties, I'd have to drill a hole in the base (which could work, but I'd have to cut the ziptie every time I needed to clean the cage out) It's no big deal, really. Now I have spare parts in case I need them. I still have a small handful of Deo pics; I need to get around to finishing posting them.
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Post by Bean on May 27, 2016 8:18:27 GMT
I temporarily lost one of those clips too - I was pondering if I could drill the side and use carabiner clips. But ours stack on top of one another and it wouldn't be anywhere near as sturdy when lifting (the tops of ours can be folded down and are only strong when slotted snugly into the base). We found it though - I'll be in touch with you for your spare if we lose another!
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Post by 3piggles on May 27, 2016 12:13:06 GMT
Ah, yes. The one cage part I can't think of a good way to replace! I never had that part break, so never had to put much thought into it. Since the heat arrived (supposed to reach 95F/35C tomorrow) we've been watching TV in the basement family room, and the girls are loving it. If anyone ever had a doubt that piggies really enjoy being part of the family, just install piggy cam, and see how active they are when there are no people around, versus how active they are when they are included. They've even started wheeking for treats, though not as much as some pigs. I was working at the computer for a few hours the other day, and part way through, I was loudly informed that it was way past treats time
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