Weigh in

(Bella-Donna and Xeraphina having some free-range time)

The first weigh in for 2011, Saturday the 7th Jan 2012:


*** Liam's Love Shack ***
Liam is 930g (gain 5g) - 39wks (9m)
Ivy is 705g (gain 20g) - 15wks (3.5m)
Tigerlily is 625g (gain 15g) - 15wks (3.5m)


*** Romeo's Roost ***
Romeo is 670g (gain 50g) - 14wks (3m)
Lavender Mist is 755g (gain 30g) - 21wks (5m)
Zinnia is 660g (gain 55g) - 15wks (3.5m)


*** Malakai's Quarters ***
Malakai is 830g (loss 10g) - 22wks (5m)
Galaxy is 1015g (loss 50g)- 51wks (11.5m)- (no longer appears to be pregnant. I may have been mistaken last fortnight as she is very pudgy!)


*** Girl's Mansion ***
Alice is 1035g (gain 75g) - 48wks (11m)- (Pregnant, due approx 27/1/12)
Bella-Donna is 465g (gain 60g) - 6wks (1.5m)
Chloe is 585g (gain 5g) - 14wks (3m)
Crumble is 1260g (gain 25g) - 1yr - (pregnant, due approx 4th Feb 2012)
Custard is 955g (loss 5g) - 4.5yrs
Delilah is 860g (loss 5g) - approx 1yr
Elodie is 860g (loss 5g) - 23wks (5m)
Ginger is 995g (gain 50g)- 42wks (10m)
Jasmine is 575g (gain 10g) - 16wks (4m)
Lotus is 670g (gained 15g) - 15wks (3.5m)
Millicent is 1030g (gain 50g) - 22wks (5m)- (Pregnant, due approx 15/1/12)
Molly is 795g (gain 50g) - 21wks (4.5m)
Nixie is 460g (gained 55g) - 8wks (2m)
Phoebe is now 845g (gain 30g) - 38wks (8.5m)
Pollyanna is now 515g (gained 70g) - 9wks (2m)
Ruby is 1080g (gain 15g) - 42wks (10m)
Sparrow is 1140g (gain 55g) - 39wks (9m) - (Pregnant, due 22/1/12)
Subi is 1180g (gain 35g) - 2.5yrs
Tabitha is 500g (gain 45g) - 10wks (2.5m)
Twizzle is 730g (gain 40g) - 15wks (3.5m)
Xeraphina is 640g (gain 50g) 13wks (3m)
Yeti is 1030g (gain 35g) - 31wks (7m) - (Pregnant, due approx 22/1/12)


***On Hold/Adoptable***

Lulu is 675g (gain 35g) - 18wks (4m)
Amity is 340g (gain 30g) - 5wks


***New Mums***

Violet is now 650g (gave birth - 190g baby) - 25wks (5.5m) - (nursing)
Henry is 100g (newborn)
Hamlet is 90g (newborn)

Peppa is 1050g (lost 35g) - 1yr - (nursing Leilani's bubs)
Leilani is 760g (lost 15g) - 29wks (6.5m)- (nursing)
Pudding is 145g (gain 60g) - 1wk
Puddles is 155g (gain 65g) - 1wk
Promise is 150g (gained 55g) - 1wk
Peanut is 85g (gained 35g) - 1wk
Panda is 170g (gained 70g) - 1wk


It's so relieving to see how well Leilani's bubs are doing. I'm even really happy with Peanut's gain. It looks so much smaller than everyone else, but is on par for the same percentage body mass increase. I've got some one-week-old update pics of the bubs to post tomorrow too.


I've also discovered that some of the girls can get themselves up the ramp in the mansion cage, but don't know how to get back down. Poor Delilah was letting me know that she was stuck during the week, so I was trying to teach her how to get down. This is a shot I snapped while she was being stubborn and putting the breaks on. Ginger got really curious about what we were doing and jumped up onto the ramp shortly after this was taken too. (I still don't think Delilah knows what to do - but I think she's decided to just not go up there in the first place now).



And I snapped these shots of Chloe (lighter coloured texel x abyssinian/peruvian, 14 weeks) and Jasmine (Black/white Pedigree texel, 16weeks) during the week as well. I thought it was really interesting to compare their coats. If I didn't know better, I would have thought Chloe was the pedigree!

Before and After

I thought I'd do some before and after shots of some of the pigs, especially Xeraphina and Tabitha who have come so far in their mite treatment that you wouldn't even know anything was ever wrong. The photo above shows Xeraphina on the first day she arrived 2 months ago.


These photos show Xeraphina today!


She really is my ideal piggy. Gorgeous colour, thick, soft mid-length curls, rosettes, big dark eyes and a cheeky personality!






And this was Tabitha on the day she arrived here last November. She had lost the most fur, but her mites weren't quite as bad. She too is doing so well...



The more her hair grows back, the more like a texel she looks! I think this little lady will be stunning as an adult with a full coat!

For more 'before and after' shots, feel free to check out the new album I've made on my facebook page. It really is incredible once you start comparing the pics!

Mite treatment progress

These are the photos of little Tabitha taken on the morning she arrived at the caviary with a decent case of mites. That was two weeks ago.



This is Tabitha today:


Her hair is visibly thicker, you can see where it has grown back in around her eyes, and all scaling/scabbing/irritation on the skin has cleared. We just have to wait for the rest of her coat to grow back in as well now.







And this was Xeraphina the day after she arrived. She was so tender and sore, and constantly chewing at her own skin due to the itchiness of the mites.






Xeraphina at the moment:


Xeraphina has taken a little more work to fix up, but is also coming right. Her coat has visibly thickened, and all the scabbing/scaling has cleared up as well. She still has a bit of a way to go, but I think we're on the home stretch!



Her little personality has started to shine through as well. Both she and Tabitha are LOUD piggies, but Xeraphina actually 'asks' to be picked up. Hard to explain, but if you've had a piggy like this you'll know what I mean. It's like she's calling for me, then when I pick her up she calms down, and just snuggles in (usually because I then find her a treat as well! lol, So I'm probably inadvertently teaching her to be loud, either that or she's teaching me to give her treats!).

Weigh in with 45 piggies!

[Our very adoptable 'Sadie', now 4 weeks old. Check the Available Page for all current adoptable pigs]




The weigh in for Saturday the 26th November 2011:

*** Liam's Love Shack ***
Liam is 955g (gain 5g) - 33wks (7.5m)
Crumble is 1055g (loss 45g) - 1 year old (Happy Birthday Crumble!)
Elodie is 725g (same) - 17wks (4m)


*** Romeo's Roost ***
Romeo is 425g (gain 50g) - 8wks (1.5m)
Lavender Mist is 650g (loss 30g) - 15wks (3.5m)


*** Malakai's Quarters ***
Malakai is 745g (gain 25g) - 17wks (4m)
Millicent is 680g (gain 30g) - 17wks (4m)
Molly is 610g (gain 20g) - 15wks (3.5m)
Sparrow is 980g (loss 20g) - 34wks (8m)


*** Violet's Arrangement ***
Violet is 640g (gained 10g) - 19wks (4.5m)
Pooh Bear is 1035g (gained 5g) - on loan


*** Girl's Mansion ***
Alba is 920g (loss 10g) - 39wks (8.5m)
Alice is 870g (loss 5g) - 42wks (10m)
Chloe is 390g (gain 50g) - 8wks (1.5m)
Custard is 960g (loss 50g) - 4.5yrs
Demi is 480g (gained 60g) - 9wks (2m)
Galaxy was 965g (loss 15g)- 46wks (10.5m)
Ginger is 1445g (gained 70g) - 36wks (8.5m) - (Heavily pregnant, due approx 2/12)
Ivy is 500g (gained 35g) - 9wks (2m)
Jasmine is 425g (gain 50g) - 10wks (2m)
Leilani is 950g (gained 60g) - 23wks (5.5m) - (Pregnant, Due approx 30/12)
Lotus is 500g (gained 40g) - 9wks (2m)
Peppa is 1095g (gained 75g) - 1yr
Ruby is 980g (gained 5g) - 36wks (8.5m)
Sheba is 1035g (gain 5g) - 44wks (10.5m)
Subi is 1160g (loss 20g) - 2.5yrs
Tigerlily is 460g (loss 10g) - 9wks (2m)
Twizzle is 510g (gain 20g) - 9wks (2m)
Yeti is 860g (loss 20g) - 25wks (5.5m)
Zinnia is 490g (gain 20g) - 9wks (2m)


***Re-homing/Foster Pigs***
Rafia is 740g (gained 20g) - 12wks (2.5m) - (pregnant, due approx 8/12)
Tabitha is 250g (gain 15g) - 4wks - (treating for mites)
Xeraphina is 390g (same) 7wks - (treating for mites)


***New Mums***
Lulu is 585g (gave birth) - 13wks (3m) - (nursing)
Anthea is 110g (newborn)
Amity is 120g (newborn

Bonnie is 950g (gave birth) - 26wks (6m) - (nursing)
Bella-Donna is 140g (gain 15g since birth) - newborn
Bethanie is 140g (loss 10g since birth) - newborn

Phoebe is now 710g (loss 15g) - 32wks (7.5m) - (nursing)
Noah is 205g (gained 55g) - 2wks
Nixie is 185g (gained 35g) - 2wks

Delilah is 665g (lost 40g) - approx 1yr - (nursing)
Sadie is 260g (gained 25g) - 4wks
Suri is 270g (gained 20g) - 4wks



Everyone seems to be doing really well. A few losses, and a few gains, but we're pretty much on the right track. Noah and Nixie are little fire-crackers! They're a bit like the 'spoilt brats' of the girls group, getting away with outrageous things like sitting smack-bang in the middle of the grain bowl! All the other babies hang back at the outskirts, taking their turn once the girls have lost interest.

But Noah and Nixie aren't like the other babies! lol. They are definitely their mother's children!




We have some exciting news too, Leilani has been confirmed pregnant, approx 5 weeks. I've been keeping an eye on her for the last few weeks, but wasn't sure until today. She's always been a little chubby! She spent a fortnight with Malakai before I got information from her original breeder that her background is actually pedigree texel x pedigree coronet. That changed my plans quick smart - and she was taken from her stay-over with Malakai, and moved in with Liam. The problem with this is that the 'change over' happened exactly 5 weeks ago! So I won't know who the daddy is until the babies are born. Both boys have very different genetics to offer, so I'm thinking it should be pretty obvious. I'm secretly hoping they're Liam's, but if they're Malakai's it will be his first litter which will be nice too.


And lastly, our mite infected pigs are doing really well. Xeraphina (shown below) and Tabitha have no bald spots/scabbing/scaling anymore, and their coats are already growing back in. One more week or improvement and they'll be able to join the rest of the ladies in the mansion! (I'll do a more detailed post on their progress later in the week.)

Weigh in

The weigh in for Saturday the 12th November 2011:

*** Liam's Love Shack ***
Liam is 930g (gain 35g) - 31wks (7m)
Sparrow is 1025g (gain 70g) - 32wks (7.5m) (possibly pregnant, waiting to confirm)
Yeti is 870g (gain 45g) - 23wks (5.5m)


*** Sprout's Pad ***
Sprout is 910g (gain 5g) - 32wks (7.5m)
Otis is 335g (gain 125) - 5wks (1m)
Romeo is 400g (gain 70g) - 6wks (1m)


*** Malakai's Quarters ***
Malakai is 730g (gain 40g) - 15wks (3.5m)
Millicent is 650g (gain 80g) - 15wks (3.5m)
Peppa is 1090g (gain 140g) - 1yr (possibly pregnant, waiting to confirm)


*** Violet's Arrangement ***
Violet is 605g (lost 20g) - 17wks (4m)
Pooh Bear is 1000g (lost 50g) - on loan


*** Girl's Mansion ***
Alba is 950g (gain 60g) - 37wks (8.5m)
Alice is 850g (gain 85g) - 40wks (9m)
Bonnie is 1250g (gained 160g) - 24wks (5.5m) - (Pregnant, due approx 2/12)
Chloe is 320g (gain 60g) - 6wks (1m)
Crumble is 1100g (gained 45g) - 50wks (11.5m)
Custard is 1010g (gained 20g) - 4.5yrs
Demi is 420g (gained 50g) - 7wks (1.5m)
Elodie is 715g (gained 35g) - 15wks (3.5m)
Galaxy was 950g (gain 95g)- 44wks (10.5m)
Ginger is 1355g (gained 260g) - 34wks (8m) - (pregnant, due approx 2/12)
Ivy is 465g (gained 75g) - 7wks (1.5m)
Jasmine is 365g (gain 45g) - 8wks (1.5m)
Lavender Mist is 665g (gained 25g) - 13wks (3m)
Leilani is 875g (gained 15g) - 21wks (4.5m)
Lotus is 455g (gained 70g) - 7wks (1.5m)
Molly is 615g (gained 25g) - 13wks (3m)
Ruby is 970g (lost 10g) - 34wks (8m)
Sheba is 1010g (gain 20g) - 42wks (9.5m)
Subi is 1195g (gain 30g) - 2.5yrs
Tigerlily is 430g (gain 35g) - 7wks (1.5m)
Twizzle is 465g (gain 60g) - 7wks (1.5m)
Zinnia is 440g (gain 60g) - 7wks (1.5m)


***Re-homing/Foster Pigs***
Rafia is 685g (gained 100g) - 10wks (2.5m) - (pregnant, due approx 8/12)
Lulu is 720g (gained 80) - 11wks (2.5m) - (pregnant, due approx 5/12)
Olivia is 305g (gain 45g) - 5wks (1m) - (On Hold)
Tabitha is 205g (first weigh in) - 2wks - (treating for mites)
Xeraphina is 340g (first weigh in) 5wks - (treating for mites)
Flick is 590g (first weigh in) - 10wks - (On Hold)

***New Mums***
Phoebe is now 725g (lost 360g) - 30wks (7m)- (gave birth, nursing)
Noah is 90g (gained 15g in the last two days!) - newborn
Nixie is 95g (gained 5g in the last two days) - newborn

Delilah is 735g (first weigh in) - approx 1yr (nursing)
Sadie is 175g (first weigh in) - 2wks
Suri is 190g (first weigh in) - 2wks


And, we're almost at capacity again! It seems that as quickly as my babies find wonderful new families, and my foster pigs waddle off to new homes, more piggies end up taking their place! I can't claim innocence there though, I do love to meet new pigs, and help those that need a bit of assistance.



The two new girls from yesterday's intake are doing a lot better this evening than they were this morning. I woke up to find this mess on Xeraphina's back - she was compulsively biting into herself. The most logical explanation for this is simply that the ivermectin treatment I administered yesterday has exacerbated the mange mites, and she's now itchier than ever. Hopefully the drug will start killing off the bugs very soon and some of that itchiness will subside. I must admit she's been very good this afternoon, and the wound doesn't look so raw any more.

So while my quarantined newbies stayed inside in air-conditioned comfort, the rest of the pigs were getting some grass time. I've moved Sprout and Malakai's cages and positioned them behind the mansion cage to try and avoid whatever it was about their old position that seemed to be stressing them out. So far so good too - both cages had good gains this week - making up for lost time!



I also gave a select few girls a taste of supervised free-ranging while our puppy dog was locked in the now empty side-yard with a big bone to keep him happy. Bonnie loved it - and is getting quite large now! Not as large as Ginger though, who gained an incredible 260g this week. That is a new record for us. You can feel every last gram of that too when you pick her up. Either she's a little further along than I guessed, or there are a LOT of babies in there...



Lulu's really bulked out in the last week or so too. Her fungal infection has completely cleared up as well. All she needs to do now is feed those growing babies of hers!



Oh - and I couldn't end this week's weigh in without this awesome shot of Bonnie and her mum Subi together! Colour-contrasting fat bottoms!

Yet more piggies!

Today was quite a busy day! ALL the pigs got grass time, which meant my lawn was a scattering of puppy pens, shade blankets and hidey houses! ALL the cages got cleaned out... which is quite a mammoth task. Sprout's cage and Malakai's cage got re-located to behind the mansion cage (as we've had a bit of trouble with noise, smoke, and heat on the other side of the yard). AND - 6 new girls were dropped off!

We have a rescue mum and her babies (Delilah, with Suri and Sadie): mum is staying here but the two week old babies will be looking for new homes. We have two new curly babies from a local breeder who need a little TLC due to a mange mite/fungal skin condition (Tabitha and Xeraphina). And another little rescue girl who will be travelling up to Hervey Bay next week to meet her new family!


Delilah, mumma piggy:

I am so bewildered by Delilah, she looks like she might be a texel x, but her coat is incredibly course, much more like a rex than the softer fur of a texel. She is quite unusually coloured as well. She's a blend of ginger and beige/gold, in what looks like an argente patterning (most noticeable around her face).

[Argente is a similar coat marking to the Agouti. Where the agouti is a darker hair base colour with a lighter tip (black base, white tip: silver agouti), the argente is a lighter base with a darker tip, or two very similar tone colours (beige base, gold tip)]


Then, on top of all that, I think she might be satin. Or at least carry some satin ancestry. She definitely has a real shimmer/satin effect to her coat, and it has the same hollow-shaft look as I've seen on other Satin-breed guinea pigs I've owned in the past. I will admit that I don't have as much experience with the satin, and it has been over a decade since I've owned a satin rex. So I could be mistaken - just going by my observations!


Delilah really does have some awesome colouring, and some unusual fur though. I'm unsure of her age/origins due to her rescue status, but it will be interesting to see what happens as she re-gains a bit more condition here, and if her coat thickens out even more!?




Suri:

Suri is one of Delilah's daughters. She is a cream agouti and cream smooth coat. Her fur does have a distinct wiggle through it (mum's influence I'd say), but I don't think it will get curly. It may end up with a bit of length to it though. Daddy pig is unknown. (It's probably safe to assume he was agouti though!).


Suri will be available for adoption from the 25th November. Email me at eleb2000@hotmail.com if you think you have a spot for her in your family.





Sadie:

Sadie is Delilah's second daughter. She is a very richly coloured golden agouti and gold Abyssinian girl. I'd say that she probably looks a lot like her dad (considering the agouti colouring for both her sister and her, and the funky rosettes had to come from somewhere!).


It's impossible to tell what her coat is going to do in terms of length. Delilah is a mid-length pig though, so it's quite possible that her babies will have a bit more length than usual as well. Sadie is looking for her new home too, and will be available to meet her new family from the weekend of the 25th. Email me at eleb2000@hotmail.com if you think you have a spot for her in your family.






Xeraphina:

Xeraphina is the most interesting colour and the most interesting coat-type! It's a little tricky to say what she'll look like once her mites are treated (she's missing a fair bit of hair), but I'm pretty excited to watch her get better, and for her coat to grow back in. Her hair really does look like a pretty blonde colouring. Not quite cream, not quite buff...






Tabitha:

And this is Tabitha - also suffering from a bit of hair loss, most likely due to mites. She's been treated as well and we now play the waiting game to watch her coat grow back in. If the curls on her rump are anything to go by, she will be stunning.


She's a golden agouti and gold texel x. So it will be interesting to see how much length she ends up with as well.





'Flick' - Little Abyssinian x that will be heading up to Hervey Bay: