3 week old pig

Question
We just got a three week old pot belly pig two nights ago. I can't get her to eat. I'm feeding her the baby rice cereal, won't eat it. I mix that with the pellets, won't eat that. I've even tried to give it to her through a bottle...She does drink her water and I'm thinking that she is not eating due to stress and the transition. What do I do?
Also, when she finds herself in a room by herself, where she can't see me or my two dogs (great danes that she follows EVERYWHERE) she sqeels SO LOUD, can I get her to stop that?
THANKS!

Answer
Three weeks is very young to be away from her Mom. Pigs do not wean their piglets until they are 8 or 9 weeks old.

Your baby may not know how to eat yet. Give her goat's milk or sow replacement formula. After a few days of that, gradually begin mixing in pot-bellied pig starter food. Let the food get really moist before giving it to her, and gradually increase the amount of food and decrease the amount of goat's milk.

Piglets normally never leave their mother's side. A piglet alone in the wild is going to be a predators dinner really quick! That's why she squeals when she's left alone. If you MUST leave her alone, get her a crate, stuff it with blankets and a couple of stuffed animals, and teach her to sleep there. Eventually she will feel safe and secure inside her crate.

Eventually she will grow out of this stage, but it may take a little longer than usual because she was taken from her mother at such a young age.

I highly recommend Priscilla Valentine's book Pot-Bellied Pig Behavior and training. Pris really understands how pigs think. It's a great guide to teaching your pig, and it's much easier to teach good behavior from the start than to try to unlearn bad habits. Her book is available from Amazon or her website www.valentinesperformingpigs.com