I love these pens they really allow the skinny to exercise and play. I have three of these and link them together to create a bigger play space.

Our pups are weened and ready to go some are already gone only two more left. The next litter will be in about two months.

We made this tree in about 3 months and all that hard work was worth it. It looks great and is a wonderful way to support a deserving charity.

Side view

dragon's head

the whole tree

We won the Methuen festival of trees! Four more days left to check it out it is alot of fun for the whole family and really gets us ready for Christmas. Don’t forget it’s for charity!

Babies are finally here! We will be setting up appointments for picking up pups after Wednesday this week. We have four pups up for placement. Just email us and set up a time and see if one of these hairless pups is right for you.

Come one come all to Hedgehog Fest by Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs. We sponsor the kids class and will have a table set up where you can hold a skinny pig and learn all about these great pets. They have a petting zoo, crafts and face painting. See the hedge hogs run in games like bowling and speed racer or the hedgehog costume contest. It’s one three dollars per person at the door the rest is free, a great day out!!! Can’t wait to see you there!!

Watch out for the full moon! The Werewolves of Windham are on the prowl and ready for action. If you hear howling at the moon it could just be a werewolf, skinny pig, ahooooo….

Check out are recent article on werewolf skinny pigs to learn more.

Werewolf of Windham

A photo shoot of our Ned in the garden, in New England summer is short and you have to take every opportunity to enjoy the great weather.

Skinny pigs are a type of hairless guinea pig. Currently there are two varieties of hairless guinea pigs– Skinny pigs and Baldwins. Hairless guinea pigs have the same basic needs as a regular guinea pig with a few exceptions.

The Skinny pig breed appears to have come from a natural mutation in a gene of the hair follicles that inhibits proper growth. This gene is common in many mammals. Hairless cats (Sphynx) and many of the hairless dog breeds share this natural occurring mutation. Skinny pigs are born hairless, but do have some hair on the head and or feet. They have a velvety feel when petting them.

The Baldwin breed is hairless as well but with some important differences. Baldwins also appeared naturally and were first recognized in a breeders herd. They now believe that the hairlessness may have something to do with the thyroid gland. It should be noted that Baldwins have been proven healthy animals. Baldwin’s are born with hair, unlike skinny pigs. They lose this hair over several months. They are not sick this is a natural process for them. A mature Baldwin often times have less hair than a skinny pig. They are the only breed where individuals can be truly hairless with absolutely no hair on the body.

We at Skinny Pig of New England breed Skinny pigs and do not currently have Baldwins available. Hairless guinea pigs need to be kept indoors. They can go out doors for some play time but please keep them in the shade as they can and will burn.  (sun block can be toxic please do not put it on your skinny pig) They should be kept in temperatures of 65 F – 75 F. Polar fleece sleep sacks should be provided for extra warmth. Having more than one cavy becomes even more important with hairless guinea pigs as they not only do better with a friend, but also gain extra warmth from the other guinea pigs. Furry guinea pigs can be housed with hairless ones.  They are very social animals which allows them to live in small herds. The most enriching thing a owner can provide for there guinea pig is a friend. Hairless guinea pigs have a faster metabolism to keep them warm and this means they eat more. You need to keep on top of their food, checking daily to make sure pellets and timothy hay are always available. You also need to offer fresh vegetables once a day. Eating more means cleaning more. Hairless guinea pigs need to be cleaned more often than a furry guinea pig. Where a furry one may only need to be changed weekly a hairless will need to be changed twice a week. We would like to point out that their is no difference in smell or size of poop, just more of it. Owners have reported no notable differences, just that they will mess their cages more quickly. Temperament of hairless is probably one of the most interesting things besides the lack of hair. A surprising difference is how much more social with humans they are. Owners report that it is the skinny pig that always comes out of the sleep sack begging for attention. They love being with their people and seem to really enjoy their cuddle time. They are very inquisitive and love to explore new environments. They learn very quickly and with food rewards can be taught to go through simple large plastic tubes in a specific order. Although that is not why most people want a hairless guinea pig, it is the cuddle factor that seems to capture the hearts of their owners.

I recommend starting with a 3ft x 6ft plot. That is more than enough space to plant several rows of different types of plants. If the plot has grass growing on it you will need to turn the soil to create your planting bed.  Start with a can of landscaping paint (spray paint ) and out line your bed.  Then using a shovel and pitchfork turn the soil. This means to dig up the grass shake out the dirt from its roots, discard the grass,  and use the pitchfork to aerate the soil by turning it. You will need to purchase about 5-10 bags of compost or moo do from your local nursery. When you get home you will spread the compost on your new bed and turn it in with your pitchfork. I recommend doing this once a year to a vegetable bed as the soil can quickly be depleted of important nutrients depending on what you grow.  Adding a border to your bed is important it keeps people and weeds out.  It does not have to cost alot of money, rocks fond around the property can be piled up on the outline to create your border.

With the planting bed prepared it is time to think about what you will want to plant.  All lettuce,kale,spinach and dandelion greens are great foods for your skinny pigs. Many of these can be harvested and resown. I like to plant rows of greens several weeks apart so that there are always greens ready for harvest and once they are harvested you can replant for a new crop.  That mean the first row may be plant three weeks earlier than the last row. Once your greens are chosen you will want to create your rows and and sow your seed. Follow the directions on the seed packets.  remember to space your rows at least 1 to 1 1/2 ft apart. After Sowing water regularly until you see the seedling sprout at this time you will want to thin your seedlings.  Many people do not follow this advice but if you do not thin your plants will be crowded and not reach full size. The seed packet will let you know how many seedling to thin out by telling you how far apart the plants should be. At this point it is a matter of keeping them well watered (but not drowning them) and keeping the veggie loving animals from eating your fine crops.  There is a huge selection of getting and sprays that are designed to keep the bunny’s at bay. You may have to use a combination of produce to figure out what works on your bunny’s.

The harvest can happen quickly one day they may not be ready and the next they can bolt and all need to be gathered before becoming over ripe. I like to pick the older outer leave once they are large enough and feed them to the piggies the plant will continue  to grow provide you with tons of greens for your skinny pigs. even though you have grown these plants your self I still believe in washing all veggie products really well before feeding them to your skinnys.

If you run in to insect or disease problem there are loads of products and home made remedies that are organic and piggie safe so do not lose hope if you spot a bug.  Just go to your local nursery and they should be able to help you fix your problem in a safe organic way. Good luck and remember to have fun growing your own vegetables  is a great way to do something really healthy for you and your pet.