General Camping for the Weekend...

[Lasinalia]

Sadness... Going camping for the weekend and leaving my piggies home. Don't worry though! My brother-in-law is going to take care of them. I taught him all there is to know (that I know, anyway) about feeding and poop-scooping.

The most worrisome about these gals is that they won't eat veggies! Gack! They nibbled a carrot once, an apple once, won't touch cucumbers, green peppers, oranges. They ate fresh grass, eat hay by the ton (yay!) and polish off their pellet ration. They won't eat from my hand yet and just don't eat veg. I put chunks in their pellet bowl and they won't touch the pellets until I take the veg out. I haven't tried other fruit/veg because I feel like they won't eat it anyway. It's been 3 weeks and I'm getting discouraged over their diet.

 

[bpatters]

How big are the chunks you're putting in their pellet bowl? They need to be TINY, TINY. Think of a pencil eraser in 10-12 pieces, or even smaller.

I think the best veg to start with is bell peppers, because you get the most vitamin C in them. Put them in every day for a week, and then offer a bigger piece. If they eat it, then feed it in larger pieces and start dicing a new one.

Also, catch them daily and offer them yummies while they're in your lap. Not store-bought yummies, but things they'll like to eat. Parsley and cilantro are good ones to start with. Also pieces of tomato.

They're like kids -- you have to teach them to eat their veggies.

 

[Lasinalia]

So once they're hooked on veg I can just cut up cukes into slices and feed like I've seen on vids?

Good to know!

"Catch them"... they run in terror. I should corner them anyway? Won't that break down what I've already (meagerly) worked up to?

 

[bpatters]

I'd shoo them into a box or cuddle cup and pick them up. The way to a pig's heart is through it's stomach -- once they figure out that you're feeding them yummy things while you're holding them, it will get easier to catch them.

 

[Lasinalia]

Know of anywhere I can get a pattern for a Cuddle Cup?