Six pigs in need of a home in Watertown, MA

[mmeadow]

Baby (the little red and white girl) is on pregnancy watch, based on weight gain. I have no idea of her age, so she might be just filling out, but she's looking a little bulgy rather than bigger all over.

6/16 806
6/27 835
6/29 846
7/10 905

Sh*t.

[Ledasmom]

Oh, shoot. I hope she's just growing and not pregnant (800 grams is on the small side for a pig, isn't it?).
The boys are doing great, eating nearly everything we give them. They have had three types of lettuce, a little chard, parsley, carrot, tomato, pepper (green and red), endive, green bean, summer squash and mint, and tried everything but the mint. They are getting more enthusiastic about their corn husk and hay, though Warrior (TSW guy) believes the best hay is the hay he steals from Burglar. They are still separated, though we have hopes.

[mmeadow]

@#$^$&%*!!

Whiskers' weight is suddenly surging:

6/29 856
7/10 904...moderate weight gain, but then:
7/13 976!!!!!!!!!

And Baby has gained more than an ounce since Tuesday, from 905 to 936. Both have been hitting the water bottle like it's going out of style. (Baby is a clanker, while Whiskers is the delicately sipping type.)

At least the other two girls are stable.

[Ledasmom]

Are Baby and Whiskers the two smaller girls (there were two smaller and two larger girls, weren't there? Or am I thinking of the wrong pigs?)? Are there any charts out there showing average weight gain for guinea pigs during pregnancy?
I'm still crossing my fingers that they're just young pigs who are having a growth spurt.

[mmeadow]

Yep, Baby and Whiskers are the two smaller ones. At 800+ grams they are too old for a growth spurt of this speed and magnitude. It's the acceleration of the weight gain curve that is the real clincher (I think). Although those flank bulges aren't big enough to be sure, I'll be surprised if they are not pregnant.

[mmeadow]

Just to share my worries: No idea just how inbred they are--probably very.

No idea how old they are--the mamas could be +1 year. However, the original six included three who were ~1000 grams and three who were 800-900 grams. Maybe the small ones (including the mamas) are younger--I hope so,

[Talishan]

If I had to guess (and this is truly a guess, we've not yet adopted or fostered a pregnant sow so I have no experience), Baby and Whiskers are under a year and you (and they) will be okay.

Here's hoping all is well, all are well, small litters, and all healthy.

[mmeadow]

Thanks for the good wishes!

[PooksiedAnimals]

They are at least somewhat inbred. From the way it was described to me, they started out with two, of which one or both were pregnant, then had babies, then didn't pull the babies out in time, and at least some of the sows got pregnant and gave birth again. These guys, given that they seem young, must be of the 2nd generation. And given that the first set of mothers were bought pregnant, they were likely to have been inbred as well.

[mmeadow]

I guess we'll never untangle the genetic mess! They are an exceptionally cute bunch--but of course I'm partial to teddies.

Baby and Whiskers are continuing to "burgeon"... Baby seems further along than Whiskers. We're going to Cape Cod in three weeks and will need some major pigsitting help, y'all!

[Ledasmom]

I've seen the lot of them, and they are all cute as heck.
I'd offer to pigsit the pregnant girls, but I'm not sure the car ride out to here would be good for them at however far along they'd be in three weeks. If you're looking for pigsitting help for any of the others, though, I could help.

[mmeadow]

At the rate they are growing--especially Baby--they might pop before we go! A ride to Worcester (less than an hour from here on smooth roads) won't hurt a pregnant cavy, if you are really game for it. Newborn pigs are amazing and would especially thrill your kids. I'll keep posting because we need the moral support, and will have a few more cuties to rehome.