3 w/o mini pbp not eating

Question
Hi Helen,
I have a 3 w/o mini pbp who hasnt been eating a whole lot since he arrived last week....he was eating feed on the ground before he left mom and I was advised to feed him goats milk and pig feed. He drinks water constanttly but rarely eats on his own. I have to feed him to make sure that he eats at all. Even at that, he doesnt eat very much. Maybe a couple of mouthfuls of feed each day and a couple of gulps of formula. He sleeps most of the time and seems to be underweight. He was the runt of the litter and I'm concerned that he may be losing weight. (Or maybe he has grown a little bit in the last week and running around in the yard has burned calories, making him look smaller?) Should I be worried that he isn't eating much? How can I entice him to eat more?? He doesn't care for snacks...I know that you believe that feeding is more of an art than a science but I don't think I have it down yet since he isn't eating much and at what point should I be worried? He is really tiny, only weighs like 2 lbs. Bowel movements are all normal. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.Thanks!

Answer
If he's only eating a little bit, the trick is to pack as much nutrition, calories and fat into his food as possible. Drinks like Boost and Ensure are a good start. Many pigs love Strawberry Boost. Ramp it up by adding a protein shake mix, like Carnation Instant Breakfast. A little bit of sugar in the form of honey or maple syrup will add an energy kick.

When I need to get nutrition into a pig, I usually blend Boost, Instant Breakfast, honey, pig pellets and 1/2 can full-fat canned milk together in the blender, and it's enough for an adult pig meal. For a baby as tiny as yours, I'd skip the canned milk. One recipe will probably be too much for one meal. I would not keep a mixed batch longer than 24 hours.

You can (almost) throw caution to the wind when it comes to treats. Most pigs and owners have the total opposite problem, that is, too many treats = too much weight. So, go ahead and give piggy luxurious treats like bits of oatmeal cookies, cereal, energy or breakfast bars, dried dates stuffed with cream cheese, etc.

You can try to make meals more interesting by adding a few tablespoons of ice cream sprinkled with protein shake or scrambled eggs (no salt or pepper).