Baby Pig. Now What?

[Carl_NH]

Actually when food is available at any time animals will eat when they need or want to. When one tries to provide food at intervals on a schedule will they become accustomed to a daily regimine and feeding leading to over eating and over weight. We would let our dogs and cats have "open bag" and once they know its there all day they self regulate.

I think Oscar is comfortable in his own skin and environs, maturing and eating and doinig what he needs to be comfortable.

 

[Gunny]

Like Bird, I grew up on a farm where we raised registered Berkshires for breeding sales, we also raised a cross of Tamworths/Hampshires for feeder pigs. My brothers and I always took the runts out of the litter after they were weaned and raised them pretty much as pets. When you've got a pet pig, then you've definitely got a fencing problem, they'll do whatever they have to to get out of the fence and come find you. They're a pretty smart animal. I had one of my runts mature at a little over 600 pounds. You think you've got problems with Oscar right now, wait until you've got a 600 pound boar that thinks he's a dog following you around, or leans against you so you can scratch him behind the ears!

Pigs are also pretty smart about feeding themselves. cattle and horses will founder themselves if given an unlimited amount of feed, a pig will eat what it requires. We raised and ground corn on the farm and there were many times when all the pigs would eat, then walk away from the troughs with feed left in them. We never had horses, but I never saw any of our cattle walk away from the trough until it was licked clean, not matter how much you put in it.

Pigs are also very respective of electric fences. We always used electric fence to keep the different ages of feeder pigs separated and once they've hit it once or twice, they stay away for the most part, but they do keep checking to see if it will shock them. You'll see three or four crowd up close to the fence, then one gets pushed into it, if he gets shocked, then they all stay away until its time to check it out again.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I think Oscar is comfortable in his own skin and environs, maturing and eating and doinig what he needs to be comfortable.

Just like me!

 

[joshuabardwell]

Pigs are also pretty smart about feeding themselves. cattle and horses will founder themselves if given an unlimited amount of feed, a pig will eat what it requires. We raised and ground corn on the farm and there were many times when all the pigs would eat, then walk away from the troughs with feed left in them. We never had horses, but I never saw any of our cattle walk away from the trough until it was licked clean, not matter how much you put in it.

I've seen this too. I think pigs get a bad rap on the whole "gluttony" thing. People say, "he eats like a pig," and yeah, they will tussle over the food when they're hungry, but they're not gluttons. They eat just exactly as much as they want and no more. When we free-feed, even the tussling mostly goes away. They wander up to the feeder, have a few bites, then wander away.

 

[EddieWalker]

Oscar has a new friend. Her name is Athena. They kind of get along, until Athena gets a burst of energy and freaks Oscar out. He then runs away and she wants to chase after him. We wont let her chase him, so that's where it ends. Lately we've been leaving Athena on a long leash out in the yard and Oscar will come visit her for a little bit. Not sure what they are thinking, but it seems like curiosity on his part and wanting to play on hers.



Eddie

 

[jinman]

I've seen this too. I think pigs get a bad rap on the whole "gluttony" thing. People say, "he eats like a pig," and yeah, they will tussle over the food when they're hungry, but they're not gluttons. They eat just exactly as much as they want and no more. When we free-feed, even the tussling mostly goes away. They wander up to the feeder, have a few bites, then wander away.

I always thought that "eats like a pig" was a description of how a person eats rather than how much. People who eat fast, sloppy, and make grunting noises are eating like pigs. It just means they have no manners. Being a pig means eating too much or more than your share, or at least that's how I always used those terms.

As a kid, we raised hogs and fed them slop/table scraps from a university's cafeteria. When you went to dump the barrel into the trough, the hogs would stick their faces right in the stream coming from the barrel. They would have slop splashed all over their faces and seemed to love it. That's what I think of when somebody says, ". . . eats like a pig."

 

[EddieWalker]

Karen and I try to go for a walk down to the pond every evening to take pictures of the sunset and see what's out and about. Oscar loves to join us. If we leave without him, he will run all the way down there to catch up with us. He knows when we've left without him and with his great tracking skills, he can always find us!!

Eddie

 

[MacLawn]

Eddie, how much old Oscar weigh?

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Man, I look at Oscar and I immediately think Oscar Mayer, and then I think bacon, sausages, pork chops, ribs.

My mother in law raised pigs one year. She got too attached and thought they were too cute to butcher. Until one Sunday they jumped up and made her spill a bucket of slops all over her church dress. Then it was, "Bill, you take those two pigs to the butcher!"

 

[J F]

Man, I look at Oscar and I immediately think Oscar Mayer, and then I think bacon, sausages, pork chops, ribs.

You should be ashamed.


.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.



:laughing: