Coat types??

I believe that the piggies with the "silky, shiny" coats are referred to as Satins. So you have Americans and American Satins.

I'm just wondering why you are asking this? Are you planning to breed your pigs?

I was just wondering why they feel different from one another if they are all supposedly the same breed. I love them all the same either way.. I was just curious if they might possibly be something different that what I thought.

They could be mixed or it could be that some of your pigs clean themselves more often then the others. I'd have to see pictures of them.

What kind of treats do you give them?

The piggies are the same breed, just slightly different varieties of that breed. It's similar to the difference between, say, a Jack Russel terrier with smooth fur and a Jack Russel terrier with wiry fur. Same breed, different coat. There are Abyssinian Satins as well. It is possible that somewhere in their lineage there are other breeds, perhaps contributing to the slightly longer coat.

No guinea pig is going to have identical fur to the next one I have three plain old English/American piggies and all three of them have different textures ranging from silky soft to rather coarse.

Just like with the dogs you mentioned.

They get any fruits or veggies that I eat (and nothing that I wouldn't eat; pits, seeds, etc.) Carrots, apples and cucumbers seem to be the norm, but when I buy special fruits & veggies, they get it too. They also like little balls of plain bread.

They also get Living World fruit flavour Sticks, Living World Fieldberry Drops and 8-in-1 Citrus C treats that I get from the store. They always have something in their cages.

Thanks for an interesting question. My piggies are mostly American short hair but my neutered male has fur that is almost prickly & makes me itch. Hope is the softest and has a very fine thin overcoat of longer fur. My Ink Spot is a satin, I believe. She feels smooth and almost slick. I think she is a reject or surplus from a breeding program as she seems to be 100% satin and every hair, whisker, toenail is black as coal. I think Peanut is also a breeder reject as she seems to be all abby and has a very distinct checkerboard pattern.

Please check out GuineaLynx's diet page. Your pigs need unlimited hay 24/7, and daily leafy green vegetables. Carrots, apples, and cucumbers are nice treats, but are too sugary/starchy for daily feeding. Too much sugar and starch can lead to gas, bloat, and obesity. Store-bought treats and bread are also far too sugary and/or starchy for guinea pigs, and don't even have the vitamins of fruits and veggies. Your pigs should get all the vitamin C they need from their daily leafy green veggies.

Your pigs' coats may become softer if they get a diet that's less sugary and more appropriate to their digestive systems.

Also, your pigs with coarser hair may have mites irritating their skin. Have you treated with ivermectin?

Thanks Salana, my boy just has coarse hair, no itchies. My policy with mites is when in doubt, get the ivermectin out but I had no idea mites could change the texture of their hair. Great diet advice, too. I forget which of you Mods suggested a variety pack of hay to Oxbow, but I ordered that so my piggers were trying Oat Hay tonight. They thought it was quite yummy.

Wizkerz, Salana is someone you should listen to. Never give your piggies more than one baby carrot a day max. They will lie and tell you that you forgot but don't listen. There is a great food list under diet & nutrition that will help you a lot. Most people print it & stick it to their refrigerator.

Pumpkin is a Texel mix and her coat is quite course and extremly thick. Miss Piggy is my only short haired piggy and so soft, it actually feels oily when I pet her. I think Lona maybe a pure abby and the rest are Abby mixes with I think silky.

Dawn

Pumpkin is adorable mixed with gorgeous and is moving to Connecticut any day now! :mischievo

My pigger, Lamby is an odd combination of everything. Her fur shows abby swirls but with a mohawk and the texture is a little brillo-y like a teddy. The length of her fur is too long for short-haired but too short for long.

I've been wondering about the fur of my girl, Feria, come to think of it. She looks like an abby from far away, but up close you can see that she doesn't really have rosettes. They are more like patchs of hair that just stick out all weird. She has a permanent bad hair day, it's pretty cute!

seagirl96 said:

Pumpkin is adorable mixed with gorgeous and is moving to Connecticut any day now! :mischievo

My pigger, Lamby is an odd combination of everything. Her fur shows abby swirls but with a mohawk and the texture is a little brillo-y like a teddy. The length of her fur is too long for short-haired but too short for long.

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Pumpkin is 2lbs. of pure joy and just a touch of attitude. I wonder if the Royal Piggy Express to Connecticut is non-stop

I love a piggy who knows how to swagger when it's called for. "This cage just ain't big enough for the both of us pigs." The variety in piggies, both looks and personality, just amazes me. They're like snowflakes; each one is different.