First & Foremost: Don’t be nervous! You’re going to be a great pig parent!”
This is what I like to call the 6 C’s: Compassion, Comfort, Calm, Care, Coming Around, and Commitment.
- Be compassionate – your baby pig is probably a little nervous right now. They are in a brand new environment and need some time to get acquainted with their surroundings and most importantly – you!
- Provide comfort – designate 2 plush blankets just for their use to give them security and allow them to feel safe and snuggly. This way one blanket can be washing while they’re wrapped up in the other blanket! Trust me! It makes life easier for both of you!
- Stay calm – they’re sensitive and shy, especially during these first few days. Speak to them in a soothing voice that lets them feel loved. If you yell or scold them, they will close up and it will take them longer to begin letting their guard down and trusting you. Go at their pace! Gently reach out to pet them. Let them smell you first and understand who you are and gradually progress from there.
- Treat them with tender care – give them space to warm up to you and choose you, don’t pressure them or rush them to fall in love with you overnight. They will naturally love you and trust you, especially as you feed them and nurture them.
- Let them come around! Keep an open mind! Your piglet is going to need some time to re-adjust and come around to being a single baby. Piglets usually have several brothers and sisters that they sleep, cuddle, and play with all day – they have a strong bond and that is where their comfort lies … Anytime a stranger may be near, they naturally huddle together … they’re each other’s security blanket! Now, they must learn that you are their security blanket and they can feel that same comfort with you. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it will naturally progress as they get to know you, trust you, and feel settled in their new space!
- Be Committed! Piglets are not like a puppy. They don’t automatically trust you and want to crawl in your lap. They are prey animals and view most things as predators. They need time to learn you, their new home, and surroundings. Give them the time to warm up and adjust to this new environment. They have been bonded with their siblings and mother and are suddenly without both of them! Be committed to spending quality time with them every day and earning their trust! It doesn’t happen overnight and it may take a few weeks until they’re fully comfortable and let their guard down. Be easy on them and yourself. You’ll do a great job as a pig parent! Take it slow and let them get to know everything at their pace. Don’t rush them, pressure them, or write them off because it’s not happening in the first two nights. They want to be chosen and loved and to feel safe with you.
