Stubborn Baby!!

[luckyblue]

My month old baby blue, Lucky is a little stubborn when it comes to eating. Unlike his 3 siblings, he just does not seem to have an interest in food time. We have tried most things fruit, vegie & meat wise and usually he wont eat himself unless i pick him up and hold his body to the food. His favourite seems to be cat food but even then he doesnt eat a whole lot. Hes definately the runt of the group.

So im wondering what suggestions people have for me. He isnt starving, he just doesnt eat as much as his siblings... I can see that he is growing just a lot slower than the others. Any suggestions would be real helpful. Thanks again.

[Blotch]

I too have a baby just over a month old - and i's not eating as much as I would expect.

As long as it's eating you should be fine. Where in Melbourne are you? Got any pics?

[luckyblue]

Yeh hes eating.. im just worried its not enough compared to the other kiddies!!

We're in Port Melbourne. Not too many pics at the moment - thinkin im guna go crazy over the weekend and take some. Will post when i do.

[NomadOfTheHills]

Are they housed together? He may be on the bottom of the pecking order.

[Tattoo]

Are they housed together? He may be on the bottom of the pecking order.

That's just what I was thinking ...

[luckyblue]

Yes they are. But we feed them individually and they all get that equal time to eat and then the food goes back into their enclosure. He eats when hes like this - just not as much as i think he should. He also eats with the others in the enclosure but again just not as much as i thought. The others certainly dont pick on him or anything. I may be wrong and he may just be a small eater. Bear with me, im a new mum (lol) and doing the best i can. I appreciate your help.

[Lisa]

It's hard, but try not to compare him to the others! They all have their own little quirks! As long as you feel he is healthy (ie he is alert, his eyes and nose are clear, his bones aren't sticking out) then he's just a smaller eater so far. I'm not a fan of continuing to offer different types of food just to get them to eat if in all other aspects he seems healthy because it's normally the 'unhealthy' foods that they take to like raw egg or meat or mealworms and I don't think it's good to start them off on a poor diet. Those things above are ok in a varied diet, but to start a youngun off on them because it's the only thing he'll eat is, I don't think, healthy. It's like only feeding your kids Maccas because that's all they'll eat.

Post some pics if you feel he looks underfed, but I think if it's just that he's not eating as much as the others that's ok. If you didn't have the other three pigs then you may not have even realised!

Remember too that in the next couple of weeks they may all start to slow down their eating habits as winter approaches. Bluetongues do a kind of hibernation called brumation over winter. It's simply not warm enough for them to get hungry so they hunker down in a warm spot and spend most of their time dozing.

It's possible that by creating an indoor environment where you keep the heat up to them that they won't brumate, but frankly, if that's what they wanna do then that's what they're gonna do!

Bluetongues do have runts in their litters. You know, you have lots of babies because you know only 1 or 2 will survive. If in all other aspects he seems fine then I think he's just one that probably wouldn't have made it in the wild, but in another two or three years you probably won't be able to tell the difference between him and his siblings.

[luckyblue]

It's hard, but try not to compare him to the others! They all have their own little quirks! As long as you feel he is healthy (ie he is alert, his eyes and nose are clear, his bones aren't sticking out) then he's just a smaller eater so far. I'm not a fan of continuing to offer different types of food just to get them to eat if in all other aspects he seems healthy because it's normally the 'unhealthy' foods that they take to like raw egg or meat or mealworms and I don't think it's good to start them off on a poor diet. Those things above are ok in a varied diet, but to start a youngun off on them because it's the only thing he'll eat is, I don't think, healthy. It's like only feeding your kids Maccas because that's all they'll eat.

Post some pics if you feel he looks underfed, but I think if it's just that he's not eating as much as the others that's ok. If you didn't have the other three pigs then you may not have even realised!

Remember too that in the next couple of weeks they may all start to slow down their eating habits as winter approaches. Bluetongues do a kind of hibernation called brumation over winter. It's simply not warm enough for them to get hungry so they hunker down in a warm spot and spend most of their time dozing.

It's possible that by creating an indoor environment where you keep the heat up to them that they won't brumate, but frankly, if that's what they wanna do then that's what they're gonna do!

Bluetongues do have runts in their litters. You know, you have lots of babies because you know only 1 or 2 will survive. If in all other aspects he seems fine then I think he's just one that probably wouldn't have made it in the wild, but in another two or three years you probably won't be able to tell the difference between him and his siblings.

Thanks Lisa. I dont think he looks underfed or sick or anything like that at all. He just looks little to me and thats probably why im babying him. The others are bigger than him and i guess thats why they are eating more. He doesnt seem to like mealworms so we dont push him on them. He loves banana and strawberries and also a certain type of cat food. So i think he is doing alright. I just wanted to see what kind of foods are recommended to stubborn little ones! But thanks, you've made me feel a world better x

[Leigh]

Try snails, cooked plain chicken or mince meat, most Aussies suggest roo meat, have you had a look at the food chart in the caresheet part of this site for ideas? we await an after w/e photo bonanza now you know!! heheheh.

[Blotch]

I reckon the reason blueys go for the roo meat so much is due to the stench from it. Roo Meat is a real strong and sickening sweet smell when raw. Even when cooking it stinks.