# I got piggies! Now what??



## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

I got these two piglets to raise for the freezer.. These are my first pigs ever, just brought them home today. So now what do I do?? They were dewormed two weeks ago with safe guard. They are about 10 weeks old. And they prefer to eat the grass and weeds over the pig grain.. Is that ok? I left the grain out but they are just chowing on grass..

Also the boy has diarrhea, the seller said its just from stress but should I do anything about it and what?

TIA!








Meet Skillet...







And Kevin Bacon!!


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## PurpleToad (Feb 14, 2016)

Ok so my husband works on the family hog farm. They are a breeding and farrowing operation. The pigs are in buildings now but used to be outside. I showed him your post and here's what he said:

Chances are the babies are just rooting and there's nothing you can do about it. Make sure you keep offering them the grain though. 

As for the diarrhea he said to keep an eye on it and note the color. Piggies can get scours and cocci like the goats can. He also suggested spectum (check the spelling on that, he's a horrible speller and couldn't tell me how to spell it).

Hope that helps a bit also remember that hogs are susceptible to the bird flu so keep an eye for that, and about a billion other things it seems like.


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

They are cuties. They are fine eating grass and rooting. They may noy be used to grain yet. A couple spoonfuls of canned pumpkin (just plain not pie mix) should help with diahrea issues. Keeps them regular. Oats are good too. You can feed them table scraps too. About to expire dairy products. Mine love eggs from my chickens. I give them raw with the shell on. They might eat hay too. Don't get too attached though because of where they are headed.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Thank you both! I'm trying not to get attached


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## KristiStone (Apr 29, 2015)

OHHHH---Kevin Bacon is one of your pigs! Cute name! Hope his diarrhea clears up soon!


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Thank you Kristi  me too!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Awesome! Love pasture raised pig meat!


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

As long as they can't get through my goat fences they will be pasture raised. Right now while we're getting to know each other they are in a 10x10 dog kennel. They have almost every eaten al, the grass/ weeds from there already lol


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## margaret (Aug 30, 2013)

They're cute little things
Ours are always on pasture, or in the woods and we supplement them a with mix of soaked corn, wheat, oats and barley. 

Also, for fencing, it's really hard to keep them contained with a regular fence, our goat fence wouldn't last long once they get big. They are really strong and can go through pretty much anything so electric fence works a lot better. 
We keep them in with one or two electric wires, the top one maybe 6-7 inches off the ground. If it's low enough that they can't go under it keeps them in, they can't jump!


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

My piglets look about your pigs' size and they are in the goat pen, with no escapes so far. Funny, even when the goats learned how to open the gate, the piglets stayed in. (I fixed the gate situation) But my grown pigs are a different story and like to escape. Electric wire definitely works to keep them in. We only have one strand like 5-6 inches off the ground and they stay in. It probably depends on how big of a pen you have. The bigger it is, the less likely they'll want to get out.

I'm growing out two of my boys too. It'll be our first time raising animals for meat, so we'll see how it goes. So far, I'm not attached. But I do get sad about any animal getting killed, so I don't know how I'll feel when it's time to take them in. I'm making my husband do that part. I don't eat meat myself, so it's for him and the kids. I do have a pet piglet though, so I can put all my affection on him. ;-)


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

They are really handsome and their names are just hilarious! They will have lived happy and low-stress lives until serving their purpose. Congrats!


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Thanx everyone!  skillet is a girl


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

Just curious, is your boy neutered? I just got my three done a couple weeks ago at my school (for free, yay!).


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Ya, he neutered the boy at two weeks


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

The vet at the school was telling me how I was supposed to get it done at two weeks. They were three months old. I had heard from other people to wait until they were older. They anesthetized them because of their age, but they don't if they are younger, so it's supposed to be safer. I'll know for next time.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

Ya know...I castrate mine at around 5-6 weeks cause it's hard for me to locate and hold the testes on these little guys!(AGH). Also, I'm not sure mom would let me get away with it earlier


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Ok so since I have never had pigs before I may ask some "dumb" questions but please understand I just want the best for these little ones... So here goes...

I have heard Kevin cough three times and Skillet has a little excess eye discharge, I had to clear her eyes this morning.. Is this the beginning of URI? Or just a little something from the change? Kevin also still has diarrhea... He didn't want anything to do with the canned pumpkin but his sister loved it lol!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Go buy him some yellow summer squash, he should eat that :lol: 

If they aren't used to rooting they are probably snuffling and getting dirt everywhere in every orifice.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Ok, I'll get summer squash tomorrow.. He said they have been rooting, but I don't junk what type of pen they were in or what ground cover there was.. They definitely love the fresh grass.. And in case you are wondering Kevin had diarrhea when I got him so not from the grass.. Although it is more green today than it was yesterday..


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

You might have to give him a dose of Scourhalt. It's a red liquid in a pump bottle, same thing we use when day old goat kids have scours. Also called Spectrum or something like that.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

To I get it from TSC?? Do you know what is in it?


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

I looked it up, I don't think I have ever seen that at TSC.. Do I really want (need) to put him on antibiotics?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

It's Specomycin. Looks like it's a restricted drug in CA... Never mind.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Should I just give him kaopectate?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

The squash might work. Yogurt would be good for him.


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

I used some pepto for my guy at the advice of my vet. My runt had a lot of tummy troubles. Baby rice cereal also firms it up. But not too much because it ended up stopping my guy up and I had to do an enema. That was after giving him some every day for a week though. If you mix the pumpkin with something they like (milk, eggs, some oatmeal) they'll scarf it down. Yeah, I spoiled my little guy.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Ok thanx, but now they both have thickish white snot from their right nostril... Combine this with Skillets eye discharge and Kevin's occasional cough... I think they both have URI


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

Oh that stinks. You can't get antibiotics at tractor supply?


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

I'm sure I can but idk what to give for this....


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

I found this interesting article: https://www.zoetisus.com/conditions/pork/swine-respiratory-disease-_srd_.aspx

Can you go to a vet or have a vet come out? I mean, if you can't, I'd probably just get pen g and give it the dose recommended for pigs their size. But I tend to just treat my own animals unless it's very serious and I don't necessarily recommend doing that.

http://www.drugs.com/vet/pen-g.html


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

Also, I'd wait on doing anything (other than going to a vet) until you hear a few more opinions.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

I might just be overreacting... They seem fine during the day, just a little mucousy when they wake up... I guess it could just be stress from the move..


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Also I think the dust from the shavings can be a problem for them since they try to root in the shavings... I should get them straw..


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

I hope they feel better soon, whatever is causing the problem.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

I think they are feeling better, other than Kevin's diarrhea.. I was going to give them Ivomec today but realized I only have enough for one piggie and I have plus but plus isn't for pigs.. So I guess I'll give it to Kevin then get more when I can..


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Hope they improve...don't know a thing about pigs, sorry...


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Ok so the problem pig (the one with diarrhea, yes still ) now has bumps behind his ears... I noticed them yesterday.. On Monday I treated him and his sister with lice dust labeled for pigs because he is still itchy after his shot of Ivomec... TSC is out of Ivomec till tomorrow or Friday and I didn't have enough to treat the sister... What the heck could this be behind his ears??















I also think they are allergic to shavings because after I moved them out of the pen with shavings, wit respiratory problems went away


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

That looks like a reaction to something. Maybe it was the shavings. I don't think rubbing some hydrocortisone cream on it would hurt any.


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

Diatematious earth rubbed all over works for lice too.


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

You know what, I'd probably go ahead and do the pen g. You never know what's going on and that'll at least cover your bases and it won't hurt them. Give them some probiotics too. Probios powder is good. Or some live culture plain yogurt.

Look up fungal infections as well and see if that might be what it looks like. I still think it's a reaction to something, but it doesn't hurt to look around. My guinea pigs (the little guys!) have a fungal infection right now. I just have to bathe them once a week for a couple weeks and it should clear up. So if it is fungal, it shouldn't be too hard to get rid of.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Hmm, I guess I could put nu stock on his ears, that would take care of fungal or bacterial or mites!.. Poor little Kevin.. He's been through so much! Good thing he's a happy little piggie!

I will give them probios too! Thanx for the ideas!


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

Sometimes animals just like to be a pain. My two new guinea pigs are giving me a run for my money. I had to bring one to the vet because she had an upper respiratory infection. And now they have a fungal infection.  Most of my goats have needed some TLC when I brought them home too.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

The boy still has diarrhea.. Still acting normal.. Anyone ever had a pig with diarrhea this long? He's had it since the day I brought him home 2/24


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Sometimes the piggies get lost in the mallow/foxtail forest


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## gegegoatgirl2698 (Feb 1, 2014)

Lol. I'm surprised they haven't destroyed all they vegetation yet!


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

No, I haven't had one with diarrhea that long. Hopefully his gut just needs to mature a bit and get back to normal.

They sure are cuties! I'll hopefully be having more piglets born in April. I love it when they are teenie tiny.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

gegegoatgirl2698 said:


> Lol. I'm surprised they haven't destroyed all they vegetation yet!


They are working on it! It's almost all gone, I'll have to move them again soon.


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