Weight gain

[Pitterpat]

Hello, I obtained a retired sow on 25th April. She is 18 months old. Since I've had her she has gone from 971g to 1128g. I'm worried I'm over feeding her. She lives with 6 other girls - four of the girls are approx 1 year old and have quite steady weights, the other 2 are younger (currently weighing 891g and 790g) and they have a small weight gain each week. They have constant access to hay, get veggies every day and selective naturals grain free pellets (3 scoops, approx over 2 table spoon each scoop) scattered through their hay to forage. They also get readi grass. Should I cut down their food?

 

[Wiebke]

Hello, I obtained a retired sow on 25th April. She is 18 months old. Since I've had her she has gone from 971g to 1128g. I'm worried I'm over feeding her. She lives with 6 other girls - four of the girls are approx 1 year old and have quite steady weights, the other 2 are younger (currently weighing 891g and 790g) and they have a small weight gain each week. They have constant access to hay, get veggies every day and selective naturals grain free pellets (3 scoops, approx over 2 table spoon each scoop) scattered through their hay to forage. They also get readi grass. Should I cut down their food?

Hi

You check the individual 'heft' (or BMI if you wish) around the ribcage at any point and size in their lives. In a healthy piggy you can just feel the ribs. In an overweight guina pig you cannot feel the ribs at all. In an underweight guinea pig you can feel every single rib. Only once you know where your girls' weight actually sits can you then interpret any weight changes correctly. Individual size and weight can vary enormously.
I have had small piggies who were feeling stout when creeping just over 800g in prime of their life and a big boar who was borderline underweight at 1500g. Both piggies cited lived to 8 years; just to show that 'average weight' is a very arbitrary human way at looking at weight that is declaring half of all piggies outside the norm by mathematical definition - but it doesn't say anything about whether the piggies inside or outside the norm are actually a fgood weight for their size or not.

Please take the time to read our very helpful Weight guide, which deals with all aspects of weight monitoring and how to best manage any underweight or overweight once you have established whether that is necessary. Weight also changes naturally over a lifetime; it is at its peak around 2-3 years when a piggy is naturally at their heaviest.
Here is he link: Weight - Monitoring and Management

If you are finding that your sows are on the overweigh side, please cut on firstly on the readigrass. It is very rich and should be ideally only used as a treat in small amounts when fresh growing grass is not available. Reducing the pellets to 1 tablespoon per piggy per day is another measure to minimise the risk of overweight. Stay off any high sugar/fattening veg nd use them only in a small amount as an occasionally special treat. You find useful tips on that at end of the weight guide.

Generally the weight regulates itself on a balanced long term diet with mainly hay and - when in season and accessible - fresh growing grass that is dog pee and pesticide free and has been carefully introduced.

 

[Pitterpat]

Thank you