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Weight for my 2 boars

CodiDevo

New Born Pup
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Hiya. So my 2 boars estimated between 6 & 8 weeks old (unsure of their exact ages, as they are from pets at home).

Wondering if anyone can give me the age they’d be closest to in regards to weight?

Bear weighs 381g. And Mocha weighs 307g.

They are brothers (for some reason can’t upload photo)
 
Hello and welcome.

As there is no set weight per age, it’s not an exact science. For example, my boys were 451g and 501g at around 11 weeks.

The important thing is to weigh them once weekly at the same time to keep an eye on their health. At that age they should be gaining every week.

How long have you had them? I would suggest you double check that they’re both boars. It’s also suggested to book them in for a general vet check a week after they’ve been home - if they’re not from a rescue that has already carried out a vet check before they’re taken.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

PS you have to see the words ‘new born pup’ before you can post photos.
 
Hiya. So my 2 boars estimated between 6 & 8 weeks old (unsure of their exact ages, as they are from pets at home).

Wondering if anyone can give me the age they’d be closest to in regards to weight?

Bear weighs 381g. And Mocha weighs 307g.

They are brothers (for some reason can’t upload photo)

Hi and welcome

Babies can weigh between 40g-120g at birth - that is a weight/size difference of three times, which generally carries on through life. Please be aware that 'average weight' is a human concept that by its arbitrarily mathematical definition only includes half of the numbers involved - what it does NOT tell you is whether any piggy inside the 'average' cluster group or outside of it is healthy or not as an individual. Any attempts of doctoring the weight to comply with the 'average' cluster by overfeeding will however lead to bad health and a shortened life span in the long term.

What really counts for long term health and longevity is to concentrate on a good normal hay based diet (should make at least three quarters of the daily food intake) with veg, a reduced amount of pellets and any occasional treats together replacing the supplementary role that wild forage used to have. As long as your piggies are healthy in themselves and a good weight/size ratio, they have every chance of maximising their genetically determined optimum by the time they reach adulthood at around 15 months just on a normal good diet.

Please take the time to read our comprehensive diet guide and our very helpful weight guide links. What counts is not whether your boys fall into the average weight category but that they are a good 'heft' or BMI at any age. A good diet can add as much as 1-2 years of life to a normal healthy life span, irrespective of whether you have a small, an 'average' or a large piggy, as long as they are not overweight at their individual size - which the heft/BMI hands-on check is for; it works for any age and size.

The weekly weigh-in is not for checking whether your piggies are 'average' or not but to monitor their food intake and development once you have established their individual ideal BMI. A small guinea pig can be overweight and a large piggy underweight in the 'average weight' range - just going by weight alone without checking for over/underweight can be very deceptive.
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

If it helps you, the piggy I have had longest and who has celebrated her 8th adoption anniversary with me last year before passing away from old age was just 40g at birth and needed a helping hand in her first days, having been born to a newly rescued sow in bad state coming out of a true hellhole. She was always smaller than 'average', yet she has outlived both her bigger litter sisters (although one of them only died just days before her own 8th birthday). I've had also sadly average-sized piggies lost at a young age from a medical problem or an unfortunate genetic disposition. All you can do is boost their chances by focusing on their health and not on pushing them into categories that are ultimately irrelevant or potentially damaging.

Your boys are fine as they are and will have plenty of time to become healthy adults in their own ideal weight range in their own time. ;)

PS: We have a very helpful practical tips and information starter bundle for new owners, which you may find useful. You may want to bookmark the link, browse, read and re-read at need. With several of the information guides you will pick up on different aspects at various levels of experience. Both the diet and the weight guide are part of it.
Here is the link: Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners
 
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Hello and welcome.

As there is no set weight per age, it’s not an exact science. For example, my boys were 451g and 501g at around 11 weeks.

The important thing is to weigh them once weekly at the same time to keep an eye on their health. At that age they should be gaining every week.

How long have you had them? I would suggest you double check that they’re both boars. It’s also suggested to book them in for a general vet check a week after they’ve been home - if they’re not from a rescue that has already carried out a vet check before they’re taken.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

PS you have to see the words ‘new born pup’ before you can post photos.
Hiya. I’ve had them 2 days (I actually got them from my friend who only had them 3 days before she realised she was allergic to them so I’ve taken them both in). I used to own guinea pigs growing up and I own 2 17 week old sows (whom I got from pets at home when they were 10 weeks old). But my girls were twice the size that they are when I got them (which I know is normal as they were slightly older).

I weigh my girls weekly, so I shall be weighing the boys the same time I weigh the girls :) they are smaller than the size of my palm (in which I have quite small hands aha!). Mocha, doesn’t really seem keen on the pellets I put down for them - Bear eats the pellets. They have unlimited hay, which they both LOVE, I’ve been trying them with veg etc daily (they get fed their veg the same time as the girls do), but they don’t seem interested in it whatsoever (I have cameras set up when I’m not in the room with them - they are kept in my spare room that is now made into the Guinea pig room), but they won’t touch it at all (despite me leaving it overnight etc). But I’m going to keep trying :)

Thankyou! :)
 
Hi and welcome

Babies can weigh between 40g-120g at birth - that is a weight/size difference of three times, which generally carries on through life. Please be aware that 'average weight' is a human concept that by its arbitrarily mathematical definition only includes half of the numbers involved - what it does NOT tell you is whether any piggy inside the 'average' cluster group or outside of it is healthy or not as an individual. Any attempts of doctoring the weight to comply with the 'average' cluster by overfeeding will however lead to bad health and a shortened life span in the long term.

What really counts for long term health and longevity is to concentrate on a good normal hay based diet (should make at least three quarters of the daily food intake) with veg, a reduced amount of pellets and any occasional treats together replacing the supplementary role that wild forage used to have. As long as your piggies are healthy in themselves and a good weight/size ratio, they have every chance of maximising their genetically determined optimum by the time they reach adulthood at around 15 months just on a normal good diet.

Please take the time to read our comprehensive diet guide and our very helpful weight guide links. What counts is not whether your boys fall into the average weight category but that they are a good 'heft' or BMI at any age. A good diet can add as much as 1-2 years of life to a normal healthy life span, irrespective of whether you have a small, an 'average' or a large piggy, as long as they are not overweight at their individual size - which the heft/BMI hands-on check is for; it works for any age and size.

The weekly weigh-in is not for checking whether your piggies are 'average' or not but to monitor their food intake and development once you have established their individual ideal BMI. A small guinea pig can be overweight and a large piggy underweight in the 'average weight' range - just going by weight alone without checking for over/underweight can be very deceptive.
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

If it helps you, the piggy I have had longest and who has celebrated her 8th adoption anniversary with me last year before passing away from old age was just 40g at birth and needed a helping hand in her first days, having been born to a newly rescued sow in bad state coming out of a true hellhole. She was always smaller than 'average', yet she has outlived both her bigger litter sisters (although one of them only died just days before her own 8th birthday). I've had also sadly average-sized piggies lost at a young age from a medical problem or an unfortunate genetic disposition. All you can do is boost their chances by focusing on their health and not on pushing them into categories that are ultimately irrelevant or potentially damaging.

Your boys are fine as they are and will have plenty of time to become healthy adults in their own ideal weight range in their own time. ;)

PS: We have a very helpful practical tips and information starter bundle for new owners, which you may find useful. You may want to bookmark the link, browse, read and re-read at need. With several of the information guides you will pick up on different aspects at various levels of experience. Both the diet and the weight guide are part of it.
Here is the link: Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners
Hiya. I’ve had them 2 days (I actually got them from my friend who only had them 3 days before she realised she was allergic to them so I’ve taken them both in). I used to own guinea pigs growing up and I own 2 17 week old sows (whom I got from pets at home when they were 10 weeks old). But my girls were twice the size that they are when I got them (which I know is normal as they were slightly older).

I weigh my girls weekly, so I shall be weighing the boys the same time I weigh the girls :) they are smaller than the size of my palm (in which I have quite small hands aha!). Mocha, doesn’t really seem keen on the pellets I put down for them - Bear eats the pellets. They have unlimited hay, which they both LOVE, I’ve been trying them with veg etc daily (they get fed their veg the same time as the girls do), but they don’t seem interested in it whatsoever (I have cameras set up when I’m not in the room with them - they are kept in my spare room that is now made into the Guinea pig room), but they won’t touch it at all (despite me leaving it overnight etc). But I’m going to keep trying :)

They’re definitely in their forever home :) they are absolutely beautiful and both active and seem healthy.
 
Hello and welcome.

As there is no set weight per age, it’s not an exact science. For example, my boys were 451g and 501g at around 11 weeks.

The important thing is to weigh them once weekly at the same time to keep an eye on their health. At that age they should be gaining every week.

How long have you had them? I would suggest you double check that they’re both boars. It’s also suggested to book them in for a general vet check a week after they’ve been home - if they’re not from a rescue that has already carried out a vet check before they’re taken.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

PS you have to see the words ‘new born pup’ before you can post photos.
I have double checked both of them, and both definitely board :)

Bear (brown/ginger with white on back) and Mocha (with white face/head). - they were in a pets at home cage but are now in a 2x6 c&c cage (my girls have a 2x6 c&c cage also). So I have 2 lots of these c&c cages now :)
 

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You still have a long time until your piggies reach adulthood and their full genetically determined size. I have had piggies of all sizes and from all kinds of backgrounds live to a good old age.

Babies grow pretty quickly! ;)

Just trust in your good diet; keep the veg preferably green and keep the pellets to 1 tablespoon per piggy per day (you can feed 2 tablespoons to youngster under 4 months) or replace the pellets altogether with fresh or dried forage.
Our diet guide looks at diet as a whole (including treats and water) and at each food group in detail.

Checking your diet and regular health monitoring/body checks are the two most important things you can do.
 
You still have a long time until your piggies reach adulthood and their full genetically determined size. I have had piggies of all sizes and from all kinds of backgrounds live to a good old age.

Babies grow pretty quickly! ;)

Just trust in your good diet; keep the veg preferably green and keep the pellets to 1 tablespoon per piggy per day (you can feed 2 tablespoons to youngster under 4 months) or replace the pellets altogether with fresh or dried forage.
Our diet guide looks at diet as a whole (including treats and water) and at each food group in detail.

Checking your diet and regular health monitoring/body checks are the two most important things you can do.
Thank you :) been trying with veg, but as said, not interested in any of it. They get exactly that for the pellets - which Mocha isn’t interested in anything cept the hay. Bear is okay with both pellets & hay but not interested in the veg offered.
 
PS: Over-fed babies will initially grow more quickly but will also stop their initial fast growth phase sooner and switch to the stop and go growth phase earlier. It doesn't matter because you get their either way on a good diet just the same.

When it becomes problematic is over-feeding in later teenage and adulthood because that is when growth is substituted with building up life-shortening yellow fat reserves around the vital organs. That is when you stop feeling the ribs altogether. The body shape itself is genetically determined, including the bum shape.
 
Thank you :) been trying with veg, but as said, not interested in any of it. They get exactly that for the pellets - which Mocha isn’t interested in anything cept the hay. Bear is okay with both pellets & hay but not interested in the veg offered.

Piggies learn what is safe to eat and what not from their elders, by sniffing their mouths and snatching food from their mouths.

If they are separated to early or their mothers/breeding group is not fed any veg, then they have no idea what is safe to eat and take longer without a 'teacher' piggy. :(
You can learn more about development from birth to death in this article series I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine here. You should find it very interesting: Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs

Could you see whether feeding your boys (with a safe divider they cannot wiggle through) next to your girls can help them to take their cues from them?
 
Piggies learn what is safe to eat and what not from their elders, by sniffing their mouths and snatching food from their mouths.

If they are separated to early or their mothers/breeding group is not fed any veg, then they have no idea what is safe to eat and take longer without a 'teacher' piggy. :(
You can learn more about development from birth to death in this article series I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine here. You should find it very interesting: Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs

Could you see whether feeding your boys (with a safe divider they cannot wiggle through) next to your girls can help them to take their cues from them?
Unfortunately I have no spare grids to split their c&c cages for me to do this. I’m going to keep trying to offer them. I definitely think they were taken from their Mum too young (if they’re for example 6 weeks rather than the 8 weeks). Our pets at home never have bowls in with pellets in the enclosures they are kept in. Which I think that’s wrong in its self.
 
Are their cages stacked or completely separate?

Keep trying. Sometimes it just needs some persistence. Perhaps offer pepper and coriander every day. If they don’t eat it you take it out and repeat the next day. Hopefully they’ll eventually realise it’s safe to eat.
 
Are their cages stacked or completely separate?

Keep trying. Sometimes it just needs some persistence. Perhaps offer pepper and coriander every day. If they don’t eat it you take it out and repeat the next day. Hopefully they’ll eventually realise it’s safe to eat.
Completely separate
 
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