Young GP

[kennethlhm]

I have 2 aldult sows which are about 1 year old & 1 young sow about 2 months old. Currently I keep the young sow in a separate cage. I let 3 of them together during floor time everyday.

During floor time I feed them vege also. The young sow likes to join them eating on the same dish but will scare & run away when she saw the 2 aldults come nearby.

When can I put 3 of them together in same cage? Is 2 months old still abit too young & small size to put in same cage? Because I afraid the young sow not able to "compete" for food.

 

[kennethlhm]

Today I put the small cage inside the C&C cage so that they can see each other all day long & not just only during floor time.

 

[LiciaMommycott]

My baby was probably about that age when I put him in the cage with the older pig. One big thing to watch out for is him getting through the grid.

My other concern when they were together was that the big one would herd him around and sit watch over him. We weren't sure if he was letting the little guy get food and water. To make sure that he was eating I put a separator grid across the cage so the baby could have some alone time with the food. I was also weighing him daily with a food scale to make sure he was gaining. Every day however, my wiley older pig would get the separator open to get to the baby. Every day I'd try to come up with a better way to secure it with no success. Finally, after about a week and consistent weight gain, I gave up and let them live together.

 

[kennethlhm]

Currently I have 1 dish for pellet, 1 dish for vege/fruit, sharing by 2 older GP. In future, do I need to add in additional dishes or 3 of them can share?

 

[mncavylover]

Cavies are usually quite good at sharing their food. For veggies, you can probably just set them right on the bedding, or else you can put them on a napkin or paper towel. They just may not all be able to rech into the bowl at once. For their water, you will need at least two bottles, not because they won't share, but because there may not be enough in just one bottle. If you put them all together, just make sure to watch them carefully for any signs of aggression, and make sure to add some more coroplast or double-grid so the small pigs are safe. Good luck! =)

 

[kennethlhm]

I let them eat vege on the same bowl during floor time. They seems ok. Just that the young 1 eat not as fast as the 2 older 1. I have 2 water bottles in the cage. I think of take away the small cage, and let 3 of them together in the C&C cage.

 

[mncavylover]

Ok, great! Good luck on that! =)