Hi all
My two girls are almost 15 weeks old-
I have been weighing them regularly to keep an eye on their weight;
Izzles was the runt of the litter and came absolutely TINY- she now weighs around 520g.
Her sister Doodles is putting on weight very quickly though, and is over 750g!
I’ve read that they put on weight quickly until they are their adult weight, but just wanted to check if this weight is something I should worry about (ie being overweight) or just to see what happens once she is a bit older?
Hi
Both piggies have a perfectly acceptable weight. The weight difference is however only going to get larger as the proportional difference will remain about the same.
BUT: It does not matter how small or large a piggy is as long as they are a healthy weight/size ratio (BMI) in themselves. The weight difference also doesn't say anything about their long term health or their longevity.
As long as you focus on a healthy balanced long term diet, both your girls will individually realise their optimal physical possibilities. With a healthy, hay based diet you can on average boost a healthy life span another 1-2 years. It is your own long term nurture which will be the ultimate deciding factor, barring a major genetic defect; not their actual individual size.
It is the same in humans - their weight doesn't say anything as to their health when you don't know their body size. Nor would we ever even think about the fact that many women celebrating their centenary birth are below 5ft and more likely to reach it than men over 6 ft? Or whether it actually matters?
I have had several piggies who just about touched the 800g in the prime of their lives live to 8 years, as did my largest boar, who at 1500g was borderline underweight. I currently have two runts who stopped growing at 6 months of age just short of 600g. They are now 3 years but - barring a genetic defect - they have every chance to live a normal life span in good care as long as their size is only the result of the horrible background their (sister) mothers were rescued from; i.e. long term severe neglect and uncontrolled breeding.
The key factor is a healthy weight range in themselves and a good diet; not whether they are 'average' or not.
Please take the time to read this link here. You will find it a bit of an eye opener but that will also help to allay any fears. It does explain some very common and widespread misconceptions and mind traps that sadly many owners fall into but also how BMI and absolute weight relate to each other and why it is important to check for both because it is the correct perspective that is essential. Mere numbers on a scale are meaningless when one piggy turns out to be overweight at what is considered 'average' while the next is underweight - neither of them will be healty even if the numbers make them appear so.
1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI
3 The...
