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NOTE: If your piglet is having constant diarrhea from the formula
you are using you will want to change it to fix the problem.
Diarrhea in an infant pig is very serious and you will need to
get as much fluid down him as possible and take him to a vet if
necessary (DO NOT LET YOUR PIGLET HAVE DIARRHEA
FOR MORE THAN THREE DAYS BEFORE SEEING
A VETERINARIAN).
Your piglet's feces starting out will be a dark brown to black
and eventually will lighten to yellow. If the feces turn clear
and is more felt than seen take the piglet immediately to the
veterinarian. This could be E. coli, which is very serious and
your pig will need antibiotics immediately to preserve its life.
All piglets are born anemic and, no they don't need an iron shot,
that can cause diarrhea. Piglets naturally get their iron from
rooting in the dirt. If you get a clean pan of clean dirt (dirt
that hasn't had other pigs on it) your piglet will root through
it and get iron from the dirt.
The best way to wean your piglet from milk to solids is to use
baby cereal as its first food. Gerber Rice Cereal is best. Mix it
with the milk starting with a very little so that it is watery
and by the time two weeks is up the consistency should be more of
a paste and you can begin to introduce pureed veggies and soft
peaches.
Don't force feedings; most piglets will eat with no problem. Once
they are eating consistently you can then start them on pellets
which provide iron for them so that they do not have to root in
the dirt for it unless they want to. You can introduce pellets
first by soaking them in water so that they are more pulpy than
hard so that the adjustment to eating pellets is easier.
To properly raise a pig, you need to understand a pig's life
cycle and social structure. In a pig family, if the piglet gets
out of hand the mother will snap at the piglet. This is natural.
If a pig is never punished for bad behavior then it will never
learn its boundaries.
It has been postulated that a hand-raised pig will be more
aggressive once it is grown, but it hasn't been proven. If you
raise your pig properly and understand the need to place
boundaries and punishment for crossing those boundaries usually a
pig will learn to be as docile and happy as is in its nature. You
have to understand that a pig is nearly as intelligent as a four
or five year old child and if you treat them more like a child
than a spoiled pet it is better for them.
Punishment is showing the piglet that what they did was wrong.
I'm not talking about standing them in a corner or time out. You
need to let the piglet know that its action was wrong and it
won't get the message unless you yell at it and show it that you
are upset about what it did. Pigs do not understand withholding
of treats or time outs. A good yelling at them or even, if they
are obstinate, a slap, will show them who is boss and will let
them know that that their behavior is unacceptable. Pigs, like
dogs and children, are happier when they have boundaries and know
exactly where those boundaries are.
If you spoil a pig it will become aggressive, territorial,
demanding and finicky. A correction every now and again will keep
the pig docile, happy and good. Of course I not talking about
abusing an animal, I'm talking about raising an animal. The
moment you start venting your real anger or taking out your own
issues on an animal it becomes abuse. Abuse is very serious and
you can be fined thousands of dollars and have your animal taken
away for it. But healthy discipline helps both us and pigs have
the best life possible, so teach your piglet from its earliest
age how to be a good pig.
All about Farm Animals
Seriously F U N Stuffed Pigs & Animals
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