julesjoy
Well-Known Member
Braver, brown faced piggie snatched some veg off me tonight, after zooming around whilst I cleaned out. Yay!
Piggies
- Thread starter julesjoy
- Start date
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
Sorry everyone, I'm sure you'll get bored of updates! They are so cute. Both zooming around whilst I tidied up tonight. Brown faced one taking veg from my hand but they both chomped down on food whilst I sat with them.
Rumtytum
Have Marmite, will travel
Never bored! Keep the pics coming it’s such a cheering up thread ?
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
no not bored. love seeing pics of piggies, what did you call them in the end?
ester
Not slacking multitasking
fabulous you are well ahead of me we had a weigh in and nail trim but hands even on very long leaves are a bit too scary still.
Do we have any name decisions yet?
I may be overly cautious but I am careful once they've started chewing the willow tubes too much that the pointy bits can get a bit too pointy, I worry they might take an eye out so I just keep an eye one them/remove pointy bits and then get a new one once I've not happy with it anymore
we had a weigh in and nail trim but hands even on very long leaves are a bit too scary still.Do we have any name decisions yet?
I may be overly cautious but I am careful once they've started chewing the willow tubes too much that the pointy bits can get a bit too pointy, I worry they might take an eye out so I just keep an eye one them/remove pointy bits and then get a new one once I've not happy with it anymore
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
Still working on names, should be easier now that I can see them both!
Thanks for the tunnel tip. They haven't chewed it much yet and are enjoying zooming through it so will see how long it lasts. I'm enjoying looking for new toys for them so there will probably be a stack of other options when the time comes
Thanks for the tunnel tip. They haven't chewed it much yet and are enjoying zooming through it so will see how long it lasts. I'm enjoying looking for new toys for them so there will probably be a stack of other options when the time comes
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
Made a start on the handling tonight. They ran away initially but were OK once I had hold of them and sat still, if with a worried expression in my arm. Hopefully they'll get used to it soon.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
boggly eyes, I get a lot of boggly eyes!
They are however using the fleece pocket I made for previous pigs that went unused, hurrah!
They are however using the fleece pocket I made for previous pigs that went unused, hurrah!
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
How do you transfer them from safe pickup hold to fleece pocket?
ester
Not slacking multitasking
I have just removed said fleece pocket because the big one trapped the little one in there. . .
It's just on the floor in their run.
It's just on the floor in their run.
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
Having not done much with them for a few days, I had to move them for a full clean out today. Once caught they were both easier to remove from cages, put back and sat for a short cuddle than last time. However, I did notice their nails were getting a bit long. I'm on my own with their care, they are nervous and I'm really not confident I can clip them safely. Are there any other things I could do to keep them short? Surely one doesn't need to go to vets regularly for trimming!
ester
Not slacking multitasking
It can depend, previous pigs never really needed doing current two have been done since babies and ATM do seem to need doing. Even though they are still nervy I have managed nails.
What colour are their nails, whites are very easy definitely not a vet job, I do always make sure I have a stryptic pencil in case though never needed it (or cornflour)
The alternative is turnout on a hard surface.
What colour are their nails, whites are very easy
definitely not a vet job, I do always make sure I have a stryptic pencil in case though never needed it (or cornflour)The alternative is turnout on a hard surface.
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
White. Hated doing the hamsters though when I had them ? still trying to source a run, it's all proving quite difficult in this lock down, maybe the hamster one will do on a temporary basis for some hard surface exercise.
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
Love it! Thanks for sharing Penny Less.
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
if you have something like a paving slab but smaller or a roof tile , and put in their cage so they have to keep walking over it that would help with their claws. failing that a block of wood but not one that will splinter . i used a piece of paving slab for mine as i had a broken one in the garden..
scats
Well-Known Member
If they are clear nails it is easier to see the quick. With black nails, just take a little bit off at a time. The quick grows with the nail, so longer nails require regular trimming to encourage the quick to recede. There are numerous ways to hold the Guineas pig while cutting nails but it largely depends on the piggie. My current boys happily stand and have their feet lifted for a pedicure, but one of my previous pigs was a nightmare and needed to be held in my lap like he was sitting on his bum. This one also used to scream, even if you just touched his nails, so it was a hair raising process!
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
OK on closer inspection we have 7 white sets/feet and 1 black set of nails. Both piggies sat/layed fairly happily (still) kinda as described above sitting on their bottoms on my lap (thanks for the tip!) and had their nails clipped. Only took the tiniest bits of the tips for a first go so as not to traumatise us all! Will try to source some paving slab to put in with them.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
Easy
the girls say hi
Tiffin is hand feeding, just.
Also this got shared on a popular squeaky pig group yesterday, I've been placing them back in a hide to encourage them not to run away but will try this for the week.
the girls say hi
Tiffin is hand feeding, just.
Also this got shared on a popular squeaky pig group yesterday, I've been placing them back in a hide to encourage them not to run away but will try this for the week.
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
How did day 1 go Ester?
More skittish piggie fought worst but learnt quickest on today's 3 goes here. I had already been trying to let them go when calm (I guess I get that from teaching foals) but not to this extent. Even my partner who is adament the piggies are not staying went 'oooh piggies' and watched the video with me!
More skittish piggie fought worst but learnt quickest on today's 3 goes here. I had already been trying to let them go when calm (I guess I get that from teaching foals) but not to this extent. Even my partner who is adament the piggies are not staying went 'oooh piggies' and watched the video with me!
ester
Not slacking multitasking
Sorry JJ I missed your post. I have felt a bit mean on occasions, there was definitely a technique to shoulder supporting (and them not being able to go backwards) but they have definitely improved and although they might not totally walk away they aren't dashing off in a panic. They are struggling to transfer it to the run in the lounge though and it's too big for me to go catch them up again.
Even Millie is ok with me walking past the cage now and we have had epic fridge squeaks.
They will totally change partner's mind.
I checked with their breeder today as couldn't remember ages, they were actually both born in november but little tiffin is 300g behind her bigger sister though they are growing at the same rate. Will be interesting if she stays small, she is the bolder of the two and stands up for herself more now.
I definitely need to make a wider/more fleece pockets as they keep piling on in there together!
We can manage a hands free photo now, just!
Even Millie is ok with me walking past the cage now and we have had epic fridge squeaks.
They will totally change partner's mind.
I checked with their breeder today as couldn't remember ages, they were actually both born in november but little tiffin is 300g behind her bigger sister though they are growing at the same rate. Will be interesting if she stays small, she is the bolder of the two and stands up for herself more now.
I definitely need to make a wider/more fleece pockets as they keep piling on in there together!
We can manage a hands free photo now, just!
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
Aww, love Millie's colouring! Wow that's quite a big weight difference in something so small.
I restarted so I'm on day 4 of taming again - the braver bolder one is definitely slower at getting it - more bravado? And they are still difficult to catch. But, they are getting braver at eating after visitors rather than hiding and both took carrot peelings from my hand today, a first for white faced one.
I restarted so I'm on day 4 of taming again - the braver bolder one is definitely slower at getting it - more bravado? And they are still difficult to catch. But, they are getting braver at eating after visitors rather than hiding and both took carrot peelings from my hand today, a first for white faced one.
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
They've been home from the yard for 2 weeks and have come on in leaps and bounds. They get time in a run on the grass every day at the moment and don't make catching them at either end of the stint too difficult now. They're getting braver about the chaos at home and getting used to their feeding routine. Regressed from hand feeding again but I'm sure that's only temporary. I also bought them a castle and they are much happier each having their own digs at opposite ends of the hutch?
ester
Not slacking multitasking
haha yup multiple digs. Great to have an update as I was wondering about them.
Mine have take to attempting escape missions from the lounge run, where they have lots of lovely things to play with and a tray of freshly grown wheatgrass just for them. I sent them to bed early the other night I will try and get the videos on youtube over the weekend but they (well one really!) are so naughty.
Hopefully able to get them on the grass soon, one side of the lawn looks pretty recovered. My run lid was ermm defunct in that I had run out of non rotten pieces to put the hinges in. . Asked local friend/carpenter if he had any spare bits of wood, took the old one round as template and he has made a beautiful new lid out of tanalised timber to put the rest of the run to shame.
We are at the point that when I open the curtain at the bottom of the stairs in the morning I get yelled at. . Butter wouldn't melt!
Mine have take to attempting escape missions from the lounge run, where they have lots of lovely things to play with and a tray of freshly grown wheatgrass just for them. I sent them to bed early the other night
I will try and get the videos on youtube over the weekend but they (well one really!) are so naughty.Hopefully able to get them on the grass soon, one side of the lawn looks pretty recovered. My run lid was ermm defunct in that I had run out of non rotten pieces to put the hinges in. . Asked local friend/carpenter if he had any spare bits of wood, took the old one round as template and he has made a beautiful new lid out of tanalised timber to put the rest of the run to shame
.We are at the point that when I open the curtain at the bottom of the stairs in the morning I get yelled at. .
Butter wouldn't melt!
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
Aww cute! I need to buy some paint for the castle and run hidey, but I'm not sure I want to brave a DIY store yet.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
re. paint, cuprinol garden shades is non toxic/water based. though that is partly because I usually have some spare as do the outside runs in it.
I also have some thin rubber on top of the castle (and lining my hutch) as just stops pee getting to the wood.
I also have some thin rubber on top of the castle (and lining my hutch) as just stops pee getting to the wood.
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
Thank you, B&q wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Then I went to the factory shop, aiming to get a storage box for the dry pellets, and came out with an armful of toys and chew things for them.
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
They're just too damn cute! 
ester
Not slacking multitasking
yes, yes they are!