Piggie Age Gap!

[FernieB]

My boys have a 4 year age gap - Scruffypig is 5 and Gingerpig is 1. They have a real bromance going on and don't like being apart even for a second (claw clipping one results in the other wandering round trying to find the other, then looking really surprised when he turns up again ).

The only problem I find is that Scruffy now takes a leisurely approach to meals whereas Ginger can't scoff it down fast enough. No problem with nuggets or hay as they're constantly available. When I put their fresh veg in, Ginger has eaten half of it before Scruffy's really noticed it's there. I've tried separate piles but Ginger dashes over to eat Scruffy's from under his nose then goes back for his. Think I'll have to start taking Ginger out so Scruffy can eat properly at his sedate pace.

Ahhh, poor Scruffy and the Young WhipperSnapper

Is Scruffy losing weight or Gingerpig getting too lardy?

Would Scruffy eat his veg if Ginger wasn't there? Our pigs treat feeding time as a free for all fight (you know what they're like, pinching food from the other ones mouth and running off with the spoils. Then they dump that piece of veg and look for something else)
It's part of their interaction to Play Together Stay Together.
Maybe stuff some looroll tubes with veg to keep Gingerpig busier.

I don't feed our pigs while we cuddle them, I think they would get angsty over the last bite of parsley).

They'll be out more eating grass (hopefully , if it's dry enough) so maybe Scruffy doesn't feel he needs as much veg , especially if he's got hay to trough.

You'll just need to give Gingerpig a stern look and say "Oi, Ginger. NO ". He'll oblige not

They've been busily mowing all week, except for the day I got out the electrical Guinea pig to mow - they didn't get out until later then and were very judgey at the short grass.

Scruffy still loves his food but is just a very slow eater now (never used to be) and Ginger just stuffs his food through his system as fast as possible. So I think I may remove Ginger for cuddles at veg time so Scruffy can have a head start. I've also started leaving an old towel in their run even on warm dry days as I've noticed Scruffy prefers to snooze on a towel than on the lawn and I feel sorry for his older bones having to 'rough it'.

Possibly, this is just the results of 5 years of Scruffy training me. He's finally 'broken me in'.

Ahh poor Scruffy. When old Sophie was getting on in years the speed she ate slowed down considerably. I think she became a bit forgetful we had Mollie as a youngster and yes, she got to all the food first and polished it off a rate of knots!
Eventually we had to have separate feeding spaces .. Wasn't totally successful tho, they preferred to be together

Good to hear that other piggies of more mature years slow down too. at Sophie being forgetful - I can imagine her wandering into an igloo and then wondering what she went in for! I think Scruffy also has 'senior moments'. His eyesight is not what it was either. Although he still manages to put Ginger in his place when required.