DragnHeart posted 4/11/2021 18:44 PM

This is Bella. Runt of a litter of four. Now being syringe fed. She has totally taken to WH, loving to snuggle into his beard. She slept snuggled under his beard ALL LAST NIGHT!

Make no mistake she may be tiny but shes got attitude! Lol

Back story:

My BIL has three potbellied pigs. Two sows and one neutered male. He asked wh to take them. Wh said of course lol

So we used part of the old goat house to make a pig house and put up new fence. We had yet to redo the roof.

I had told my friend the farmer who supplies us with feeders for our reptiles that i wanted an intact Male pot belly pig. She said she would keep her eyes open.

Two days ago she messaged me. Said she had news of a sow that just had four babies and asked if there was a boar did i want it. i said yes. She messages again saying they are all girls..
But she has a lead on a boar but if i take him i must take another sow.

Wh said deal. Both free so...

Wh then asks if the four piglet sows are available. Farmer says yes they plus mom, another bred sow and four piglets all need a new home. Wh says he wants them.

Yesterday morning farmer drops off 8, EIGHT, pigs.

Since we cannot get a vehicle back there, ds and i built a temporary pen in our garage with two sections so mom and babies were away from the other three adults.

We are shown the runt who is very tiny. Wh says he wants her in the house and to bottle feed.

Its been difficult. She won't take a bottle at all. I have tried different nipples but she just won't. So we tried a feeding syringe and its working.

Yesterday and today we got the roof done, actually extended the shelter and roof. Not long ago we put the three other adults in. Mom amd her three piglets will stay in the garage until it stops raining.

BIL pigs still need to make it up here but with stay at home order that won't be until May.

I had already ordered in special pig water nipples
but they arent in yet so i bought large short troughs for them.

The pig pen butts up against the goat pen. Goats and geese were all watching intently lol

Oh, baby goats. Not so tiny anymore. Doing great. Farm life rocks!

DragnHeart posted 4/11/2021 19:43 PM

Also, Bella will wake wh up when she wants to eat. She will nibble on his nose, ear or squeal and grunt.

We are trying to train her to pan feed. You pour her milk into a shallow pan and she drinks. She has done it but not consistently. So syringe it is. And once she sees it she goes bananas lol. Gets all excited.

Jeaniegirl posted 4/11/2021 20:04 PM

You need your own TV show. haha! Or at LEASE your own youtube channel.

I have a 2 pound long haired Chihuahua named Bella. SHE has attitude too. That piglet is cute!

DragnHeart posted 4/11/2021 21:08 PM

! Or at LEASE your own youtube channel

LOL. I have been watching various YouTuber channels, a sheep farmer in Ontario, homestead farms in various states. I could spend all day watching.

I once thought it would be cool to have my own channel but....i watch these people and wonder where do you find the time to edit, post etc. I also am in the midst of setting things up to look nice. I know i would get a lot of criticism and harsh responses that i just don't need to deal with. Wh does a good enough job of that. I watched one channel video where she was in tears from the nasty comments.

Wh is sitting on the sofa with a hoodie sweater on, hood on his head. Bella is in the hood beside his neck with her head under his beard.

She is so content. Oh. She just popped out and went after his mouth/nose as an indication she is either hungry or needs to pee. Yep, just peed on her pee towel. Now she is eating.

DragnHeart posted 4/14/2021 07:12 AM

Pig in blanket lol. Oh the cuteness!!!

Jeaniegirl posted 4/14/2021 12:46 PM

What a cute baby! WH is going to have to take that baby to work with him. Tell him he will be like Suzanne on the old "Designing Women" show. She had a pet pig and she'd dress it up and take it everywhere with her.

DragnHeart posted 4/14/2021 14:04 PM

I can see it now. Little Bella in a construction reflective outfit and hard hat lol.

Nope she stays at home. Dd has been taking video and pictures of Bella and sending them to her dad all day.

BraveSirRobin posted 4/14/2021 18:46 PM

How big do potbellied pigs get if properly fed? I wanted one years ago, but I read that they're purposely underfed to stunt their growth. 😥 I know you wouldn't do that, so how many pounds of pig will you be feeding when they all grow up?

DragnHeart posted 4/15/2021 07:16 AM

Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs are typically 70-150lbs. Some as large as 200lbs. My BIL's three are even larger than that, but i suspect he has used them as a dinner scrap disposal which you aren't supposed to do. They will be going on a diet!

The largest of the 8 wh and i were able to put in a crate and carry so i suspect 100lbs.

Yes i have heard of, read about and seen people trying to pass off stunted, underfed or young pigs as "minis". Its sad. Despite potbellied pigs being considered a domestic pet, they get a good size and require unique care.

If kept indoors they MUST have a rooting bin to stop them from uprooting everything in the house lol. They can be potty trained or trained to go outside. Even little Bella knows to do her business in one spot away from where she eats and sleeps.

The three we put outside have already completely tilled up their pen. I'm going to move them into my enclosed garden and let them do their thing instead of using the roto tiller.

I'm not sure if our vet will do a house call for a check up during the stay at home order but the pigs will get a check up and their hooves done eventually.

DragnHeart posted 4/15/2021 07:21 AM

Front is Penelope, then Truffle, and Wilbur in the back. Daisy and the other three piglets are still in the garage.

Wilbur is very tiny compared to the girls. I dont think he is very old.

Edited because i forgot to add the photo lol

[This message edited by DragnHeart at 7:22 AM, April 15th (Thursday)]

DragnHeart posted 4/15/2021 15:53 PM

Figures that of all the bottles i have, all the different nipple sizes and shapes, Bella took to the human bottle lol

BraveSirRobin posted 4/16/2021 05:50 AM

Aw, so cute!!

DragnHeart posted 4/16/2021 07:42 AM

Oh yeah totally cute. Also kept me awake all night.

She usually snuggles up to wh but last night insisted on jumping ON MY HEAD over and over. Omg! I don't like anything around my neck so her smuggling wasn't happening...

This upset her and she just kept nudging me with her nose.

Needless to say after wh went to work she ended up in her crate with blankets and heat mat and i slept for an hour.

BraveSirRobin posted 4/17/2021 11:42 AM

DragnHeart posted 4/17/2021 11:55 AM

I managed to buy a pet bed with soft snuggly blanket and she slept all night in it. Placed it on the heat mat in her box. She scared wh because she laid on her side, legs stretched out, she looked dead, but was just totally enjoying the warmth. She got up at 2am for a drink then slept until 8.

Wh is helping me pit the wire on the top of my chicken run so dd is piglet sitting lol. Gives dd an excuse to stay curled up in bed all day hahaha

Tallgirl posted 4/19/2021 17:44 PM

Adorable ❤️

jrc1963 posted 4/19/2021 17:49 PM

Aw how cute!

DragnHeart posted 4/19/2021 17:54 PM

I switched Bella to goats milk and wow what a difference. Shes gaining weight and is filling out. Makes me want a few milking goats now.

We brought her outside yesterday when it was hot. She wasn't sure about the grass though. Like the videos of babies refusing to walk on grass lol

I am so happy. We got the new chicken run completed. Birds switched over. I just have to add "toys" and bordom busters (perches, swings, logs, dust bath etc). I habe everything.

Of course its raining today. Tomorrow ans wednesday thry are calling for snow...

DragnHeart posted 4/19/2021 17:58 PM

Smilng for the camera lol

deena04 posted 4/19/2021 21:34 PM

So adorable!!