[Gpdd] Weighing Pigs

[Bradley, Stephen G]

Somebody posted, back when the discussion was about scales, and weighing your
pigs, that they didn't weigh their pigs at all.
 
Personally, I was pretty shocked by that, but then I thought about it.  I think
it must depend on how good a sense of weight you have naturally.  Mine is
terrible, and so we weigh our pigs all the time.  Like every 2 days if they're
sick and maybe once a week if they're not.
 
The problem is, for me, if you have a pig who'se, say, 1200 grams or so (sorry,
I do this all in grams) and you don't weigh him for a while, and then you say
"Hmm, he feels a little light," maybe he's already lost 100 grams... That's
pretty bad.  So then you take him to the vet, and they prescribe some
antibiotics or something, and you go home and you start whatever treatment...
 
This is when we get into trouble.  Chances are, the pig isn't feeling great.
And chances are, the antibiotic isn't helping them to feel swell, or to digest
food.  So how do you know whether you're doing OK and just have to tough it out
for the 7 or 10 or 14 days of the antibiotic, or whether you've REALLY got to
worry?  Me, I weigh them again.  Soon.  If your pig's holding weight, no
problem.  If they're still dropping like a stone, then you know you've got to do
something, whether it's back to the vet, or critical care, or more probiotic, or
whatever you want to try.
 
There are people who will say, "Oh, you don't want to panic over small, normal
variations; weigh them again in a week or so."  The thing is, the little guys
can just up and melt away on you in NO time.  The worst I've got on record is a
loss of 72 grams in 3 days, and that pig was SICK.
 
So, no, don't panic over small variations.  Get yourself a digital scale (we use
a "chefmate") that will re-zero with whatever tray or bowl you put on it to hold
your pig, and weigh them often enough that you know what are normal variations
and what aren't.
 
Just one man's opinion.
 
Steve Bradley