I am frustrated...

[Manda]

I have a single feeder pig. I have had her for 2 months now. I dont think she is hardly any bigger now as when I got her. For the first month she was in a pen with another pig (16x16) but I lost the first pig to hypothermia when they slept out in some sleeting rain and 25 degs. About a month ago I enlarged my cows pen and let the pig be in with her since I needed the pigs cattle panels to enlarge the cows pen. Well they bonded and fell in love. I realized though that she hasn't grown being in that pen so I sectioned off a back corner and put down pallets and a heavy 8 foot section of wooden retaining wall. I CANNOT keep that pig in for anything! i made it 3 days and now she has been out 3 times since breakfast. She must spend 24/7 thinking about how to get out. She is soo in love with Fern! Once she is out Fern licks her all over and theya re just so loveydovey! But shes NOT growing when she is in there! I think , and i know this is gross but, she seems to be eating a lot of Ferns manure and Ferns hay... Whens he is locked up i get a LOT more manure to take to my compost pile. I have dewormed the pig twice now so I don't know if its because of worms that shes struggling with weight gain.... but also shes filling up of things of non nutrition. But... I have raised over 30 feeders over the last few years and NEVER had a problem getting a pig to gain weight before. I am frustrated..> i am annoyed. I can go to the farm store and buy another cattle panel and make it escape proof but even with her week of being confined 99% of the time I still am not seeing much of a gain... I feel like im pouring feed into something that is just not growing. I can take a measuring tape out there and check for sure but I am ready to toss in the towel on this pig and put it in the freezer. Any ideas on this one? is there ever another reason for a hog not to gain weight except for worms? The calf was dewormed with a pour on just before getting her 3 months ago and the pig was dewormed prior to going into the pen with her a month ago... so I dont think they could be swapping worms or anything.. I feel like im wasting money and time... what should I do? sorry if im rambling

[Manda]

I want to put her in her own pen far far away from the cows but then im afraid if she escapes that i will have ab igger headache.. and im concerned if i seperate that she still won't grow anyways

[jerseyrose]

Might be cheapest to get another feeder pig to keep with her, put up a proper fence and move the calf. Either she is running and worrying the weight off --or-- the cow is eating most of the feed instead of the pig? Our pigs were out on pasture and didn't get much feed at all and grew very well. I would be frustrated too!