Mini pig lethargic - wont eat

Question
Hi - I just got a baby mini pig yesterday. It is supposed to be 7 weeks old and grow to be between 18-25 lbs. Since I got it all it does is sleep. I have been waking it every few hours to give it water with a dropper and I just force fed it a few spoons of Mazuri minipig food mixed with chickenscratch because thats what the lady who sold it to me was feeding it. I didn't want to upset it's tummy by switching its food immedietly. He is really skinny. I can see his hip bones. The lady said that he was the runt and didn't get as much food because the others beat him to it. It is Sunday and ther are  no vets open. I will take him to one tomorrow but am just worried about him. Is it normal for them to be so lethargic and not eat at first?

Thank you!

Answer
The lethargy is not normal at all, and a very bad sign. Reluctance to eat is fairly normal, piglets are very intelligent and the change from one home to another is very traumatic.

Dump the chicken scratch right away. Chicken feed is often loaded with antibiotics that can actually be fatal to some other animals. A number of years ago in Ohio, hundreds of llama and alpaca died because a food company accidentally put chicken scratch in llama food bags.

If you can, give piggy some room temperature or slightly warm goat milk, or something like vanilla Boost or Ensure. Not too much, and best to dilute it with a bit of water. If piggy was not getting enough food, then suddenly eating too much rich stuff will bother piggy's tummy.

Keep piggy warm, but not overly hot. If you can get him to a vet tomorrow, I'm sure he'll be Ok. The vet will be able to accurately determine his age and give him vitamins, if needed.

The rule of thumb is a minimum of 1/2 c pot-bellied pig pellets for a piglet under 15 lb, then 1/2 c per 15 lb. Adults need less. Divide the pellets into two meals, and it's ok to moisten them with water or milk.