Recently Bilbo, whom I have posted about before, has gone downhill. He wasn't getting around as well as he used to and was eating less. We brought him in to the pens to monitor him. It became apparent that one of his back feet is giving him trouble. Another big factor is his age. Bilbo is an older boy and as the pigs get older they tend to get slower and finicky with their eating.
We moved Bilbo into a pen with a double sized shelter as he is a large boy. We then placed a padded bed, of sorts, in front of it as a step for him. This has worked out great! Bilbo has now been getting up much more and with ease. Lately he has even been eating plenty of healthy foods including his normal grain and a lot of fruit. Way to go Bilbo!
We still have to monitor him as it is quickly heating up here. The hot temperatures really take a toll on a lot of the pigs, especially the older ones. We have already had a few getting too hot. To help with this we install shade cloth in many areas and have misters in the pens. Of course we also have pools and wallows all throughout the sanctuary.
Here is Bilbo shooting me a smile.
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