A Bad Experience (a Not Appreciated Gift)

rome_italy

rome_italy

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Today I decided to arrange the balcony using the foldable run bought on Zooplus. I made a quite large enclosed area with piggies' favourite hideys inside, their box with the hay and their "latrine-tunnel" they like so much:nod:.
I waited for the shadow (we still have a very warm temperature and when the sun is shining on the balcony the floor is hot) and then I fetched the piggies from their cage.:D
They had never seen a sky in their 9 months of life, never breathed in the open air, never heard a weird noise...
I imagined they would enjoy this new experience... well, I was wrong! They froze on the balcony! looked like statues!:( wherever I put them, they stayed still
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I had to sit down on the floor with my daughter, trying to relax and cuddle the piggies!
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... who remained totally STILL:soz:
I put some pellets on the floor, their favourite salad, the grass... nothing worked! They hid under the tunnel together ( they never share a hidey or a bed!) and did not move.
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Only after some hours they came out for eating :yahoo:(and weeing)
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but:
wind blowing...:yikes:
birds singing...:yikes:
neighbour FARTING :yikes:.........:))
a child crying........:yikes:
and then someone slammed the gate of the building !:yikes::yikes::yikes::yikes::yikes::yikes::yikes::yikes:
:(
Tomorrow I will try again...
 
I am sorry, but that is the most hilarious post I have read in ages :))
Your outdoor set up looks beautiful, and it reminds me of the first time I took my piggies outside for grass time.

I set up the huge outdoor run I had purchased (DH helped and we nearly filed for divorce it was so complicated to put together).
I got the camera ready (the good one, to take perfect pictures of their first frolic on a lush, green lawn).
I set the kitchen timer for 30 minutes (I didn't want them to eat too much rich, delicious grass on their first outing).
I made a coffee (I always make coffee - this part was not special).
And we put them out on the lawn, and sat back to watch them enjoy their freedom.

All 3 of them (we only had 3 at the time) immediately raced into an old wine box we put in for shelter, and didn't move for 3 hours.
At that point we gave up and put them back in their indoor cage - I was convinced they would die of dehydration.

It takes time.
I am sure that soon your girls will love their outdoor time and appreciate your efforts.
Your balcony looks wonderful.
But today they are teaching you that, 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink'. :roll:
 
Swissgreys said:
I am sorry, but that is the most hilarious post I have read in ages :))
Your outdoor set up looks beautiful, and it reminds me of the first time I took my piggies outside for grass time.

I set up the huge outdoor run I had purchased (DH helped and we nearly filed for divorce it was so complicated to put together).
I got the camera ready (the good one, to take perfect pictures of their first frolic on a lush, green lawn).
I set the kitchen timer for 30 minutes (I didn't want them to eat too much rich, delicious grass on their first outing).
I made a coffee (I always make coffee - this part was not special).
And we put them out on the lawn, and sat back to watch them enjoy their freedom.

All 3 of them (we only had 3 at the time) immediately raced into an old wine box we put in for shelter, and didn't move for 3 hours.
At that point we gave up and put them back in their indoor cage - I was convinced they would die of dehydration.

It takes time.
I am sure that soon your girls will love their outdoor time and appreciate your efforts.
Your balcony looks wonderful.
But today they are teaching you that, 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink'. :roll:
Click to expand...
:)) I also laugh a lot when I read your stories...
I also took the camera and the flash made me realise that the floor of the balcony would need a wash not only when the Lord sends us some rain...:inn:
Today I had to remove the latrine-tunnel, it was the only possibility to force them to take a healthy walk...
 
@rome_italy do not despair - they can take ages to get used to something new. Spike and Peanut took a whole summer to get used to going outside. They were terrified of every little noise the neighbours made. One day this summer my neighbours had an afternoon family party the noise was incredible and the children were extrememley shrill. I went to bring the piggys in thinking they would be cowering in their little hutch boxes and they were calmly munching grass, so I left them.
 
I love the picture of them both crowded around and looking up at your daughter, begging for food and attention probably!

I am so jealous it is warm where you are, its starting to get very cold here especially at night and early in the morning before noon.
 
piggieminder said:
@rome_italy do not despair - they can take ages to get used to something new. Spike and Peanut took a whole summer to get used to going outside. They were terrified of every little noise the neighbours made. One day this summer my neighbours had an afternoon family party the noise was incredible and the children were extrememley shrill. I went to bring the piggys in thinking they would be cowering in their little hutch boxes and they were calmly munching grass, so I left them.
Click to expand...
the problems is that in these last two days I put pellets on the floor for making them move around... but Calipso did not eat much pellet and did not even eat grass and hay as she usually does. Result: bad poo today... very little pieces and with a wrong shape :(
Today I was not at home and I told my daughters to keep the piggies inside, in the kitchen as usual. Now I have come back and I see they have eaten a lot of grass and Calipso has done a good poo again...:hmm:
I have to find a good solution...
 
Squeakz said:
I love the picture of them both crowded around and looking up at your daughter, begging for food and attention probably!

I am so jealous it is warm where you are, its starting to get very cold here especially at night and early in the morning before noon.
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now the weather is good. Today I went to the seaside near Rome where my cousin lives and there was a warm temperature. In the park there is a soft new grass... but we are having heavy rain on the weekend...
But last summer was a nigtmare...
 
Maybe it would work if you just put them out for a short time and then give them their kitchen time as usual, they will gradually get used to going out but in the meantime still eat.
 
Perhaps they would be more comfortable and happy if there was some visible top cover over their run? It's possible they feel a little exposed to predators such as birds with no 'roof' over them. I know when we had our first pigs, their first outdoor run was a tall wire enclosure with a flimsy net over part of it, and they just cowered in their tunnels. When we got them a lower wooden run with a roof they were much happier to run about and explore. :nod:
 
Oh how adorable, I do love your girlies! :love::drool:

I wouldn't worry Oriana my older 2 were PETRIFIED of the outside for possible 1-2 months? :))

Any noise, any movement and any smell had them freaked out. They get there eventually, now they never want to come back in! :D
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
Perhaps they would be more comfortable and happy if there was some visible top cover over their run? It's possible they feel a little exposed to predators such as birds with no 'roof' over them. I know when we had our first pigs, their first outdoor run was a tall wire enclosure with a flimsy net over part of it, and they just cowered in their tunnels. When we got them a lower wooden run with a roof they were much happier to run about and explore. :nod:
Click to expand...
you are right, but actually I wanted them to take some light... but maybe it is against their nature.
I should put a bedlinen fixed on the fence so that they can have a roof...
Today they were quite afraid of the (warm) wind, but they slept quite relaxed and then they explored the balcony. But I see they definitely prefer the indoor kitchen (so far).
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
Oh how adorable, I do love your girlies! :love::drool:

I wouldn't worry Oriana my older 2 were PETRIFIED of the outside for possible 1-2 months? :))

Any noise, any movement and any smell had them freaked out. They get there eventually, now they never want to come back in! :D
Click to expand...
today they had a fast exploration... then the wind started blowing, their long hair started "flying" and that was the end of the games...:yikes:
Calliope, in heat today, bullying Calipso since the first hours of the morning, was scared of the wind, ran fastly towards Calipso's house and spent next to her the next hours!:hug:
 
rome_italy said:
today they had a fast exploration... then the wind started blowing, their long hair started "flying" and that was the end of the games...:yikes:
Calliope, in heat today, bullying Calipso since the first hours of the morning, was scared of the wind, ran fastly towards Calipso's house and spent next to her the next hours!:hug:
Click to expand...

Haha the horror of the wind! My piggies hated that dreaded predator with a passion :)) They really are scared of wind lol but they do get used to it... Eventually!

Aw poor Calipso, glad she got a cuddle in the end! Same over here, my Drom is in season and picking on people too XD
 
rome_italy said:
you are right, but actually I wanted them to take some light... but maybe it is against their nature.
I should put a bedlinen fixed on the fence so that they can have a roof...
Today they were quite afraid of the (warm) wind, but they slept quite relaxed and then they explored the balcony. But I see they definitely prefer the indoor kitchen (so far).
Click to expand...
Indeed, any roof does not need to be solid throughout. On my present run, which is square, one quarter is a wooden panel to provide shade, the rest is thick wire mesh. You could perhaps use something similar, such as a panel of chicken-wire or galvanised mesh, and rest it on plant pots at one end of your run so that Calypso and Calliope have somewhere to go if they need to feel more secure. (I hope this makes sense!)
 
My Podrick is like this every year when it's warm enough for them to go back out in the garden.

I'll put them out for no more than 15 minutes until he's happy with being out there.

He tends to just stay inside the cardboard box that they have for cover from"eagles".

Jon Snow on the other hand is fine from the first second. He's very adventurous.
 
the fact is that having an open area is practical for me, too, for going out my balcony, because I simply walk into their space...
it is not a large terrace...
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But now I have other troubles to think about...:mal::mal::mal::mal::mal::mal::mal::mal:
I have a SPECIAL female guest... :eek: and the piggies don't care of her... (but she is scared of Calipso and interested of Calliope's hair)
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but the problem is not only for looking after the piggies, but... there is another hobby of that cat which drives us crazy...:rant:
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imagine a flying cat in the middle of the night who lands directly on your chest...:rant::rant::rant::rant:
well, this will be me (and family) for the next TWO WEEKS!:bye:
 
Squeakz said:
The fact you can actually hear his farts...:yikes::yikes::yikes::yikes::yikes:
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farts (we were both in the balcony), burps (when the windows are open), blasphemies during football matches... one evening I had a friend priest at dinner and there was the match on TV... :soz::cen: consider that his blasphemies can be screamed aloud also for joy! :))
 
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