Free Ranging Piggies

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DylElla

DylElla

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I really want to try free ranging my piggies for floor time. They currently use a run but I was going to open the run out to block off the kitchen entrance (we're open plan) and put the cushions along the bottom and side of the sofa but I'm worried I'll lose one of them somewhere. Does anyone else do this?
 
I've wanted to do this too but scared of the same thing, loosing my two piggies! I have an outdoor and indoor run which is quite big so they do get time out of the cage as well as cuddle time. How many piggies have you got? I would be scared watching my two haha!
DylElla said:
I really want to try free ranging my piggies for floor time. They currently use a run but I was going to open the run out to block off the kitchen entrance (we're open plan) and put the cushions along the bottom and side of the sofa but I'm worried I'll lose one of them somewhere. Does anyone else do this?
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dbt
 
I personally wouldn't do this as a) I have a VERY inquisitive piggy and b) because of that I wouldn't feel confident about making the place entirely piggy proof (I'm certain Willow would try and seek out any weaknesses in my efforts!). Cushions would be more of an invitation than a deterrent to Willow :))

But I'd be interested in how you get on - are your pigs predicable with pee/poop areas? As I'd be worried about that! Let us know - fingers crossed for no piggy escapees :))
 
I have got one of those shoe rack things from amazon and intend to make it into a floortime run, with lino and fleece for wee proofing.
 
Yeah I attempted this once with my boar and let's say it won't be happening again any time soon! I thought I'd blocked of everything but he's stronger then I thought an shoved one blockade out the way and hid under my bookshelf -probably looking for snacks. He then proceeded to play a game of cat and mouse with me until I did him a salad and he came popcorning out!
 
Ours used to free range when we had the house Rabbit. But that said, we had to completely rodent proof the ground floor. Even then, they managed to cause damage to things we hadn't anticipated, forced their way into spaces we hadn't expected and managed to eat all sorts of things not in the recommended diet list. Personally I limit mine to an enclosed space (utility room floor) or indoor run to prevent this sort of thing happening again.
 
I suppose it depends on the piggy though because my sow was really good when out of the cage she didn't need barriers. She'd go a certain distant and have a look around but she'd always come back to me to check everything was OK. I could even let her just run around the lawn without a cage etc with my rabbit- though they stayed well away from each other par the occasional sniff. Vinny was basically a tiny dog haha
 
Hmmm maybe I'll try it tonight and see how they go. Holly would probably do the same as your piggy but Poppy who's the baby is a little bit more confident and adventurous lol.
 
I've been trying to get mine to free roam for 2 years. Peanut just sits and shakes in a hidey and Spike gives up after a few minutes of trying to get Peanut to play. The only area of concern I had was the electric cables for tv computer etc but they are all under a shelf at one end of the room. I made a barrier wiring an old fridge shelf and some baking cooling racks together. Yesterday I took delivery of a puppy play pen and they have been running around popcorning and chasing and eating, both are so happy and I can relax cleaning out the cage knowing Spike isn't going to get under my feet. Just opened the door at one end of pen so Spike can go and sit under his favourite cupboard if he wants to as I'm now sitting still! I would love them to free roam if they want to but accept they are happier behind bars.
 
Nearly all of my piggies have free roamed over the years. When I lived at home with my parents we had an indoor run that'd we'd put up on occasion (if the room was particularly messy or we couldn't give them continuous supervision for whatever reason). Now I live in my own place we no longer have an indoor pen, so they either run around the office or the living room. My boyfriend did nearly kill them once (figuratively!) because they ate his computer wires once, oops! I thought I'd blocked the area off but they still managed to sneak into it somehow.

By now we have figured out the areas we need to block off (and have blocked them off with various things), but we don't let them roam without supervision because I'm sure they'd find a way through if we weren't monitoring them!

I love letting them free roam though. :)
 
Mine free range the dining room at weekends. The kitchen is off the dining room so we keep the door shut. The living room is through a large arch and my OH built a barrier so they can't get to the living room. We blocked off under the PC table and tied up the wires so they can't reach them from the lower tray of the PC table. Mine don't pee on carpet - their pen is always open with paper, hay and boxes, as is their travel box and they always go back in one of them to pee. They do poo under the dining table and behind the lamp, but it's so easy to pick up! They have also chewed the wall but only behind the curtain where there's a sticking out corner!
 
Tried it with the boys today and they sat in their house the whole time lol. The girls were keener to explore the night before. Will keep at it though as it's easier to just put a line of grids across the room, a few fleece blankets etc and away they go.
 
Ooh I love piggy on the right! What fabulous colours with the red eyes!

I started slow with actual floor time with mine, giving them a small space first and expanding it a bit each week before running out of expansion material and just letting them go! I think tooo big a space, especially as rooms tend to be quite open, can be a bit daunting for piggies
 
Guineapigfeet said:
Ooh I love piggy on the right! What fabulous colours with the red eyes!

I started slow with actual floor time with mine, giving them a small space first and expanding it a bit each week before running out of expansion material and just letting them go! I think tooo big a space, especially as rooms tend to be quite open, can be a bit daunting for piggies
Click to expand...

That's Poppy, my Dutch breed and my baby at 5 months old. She is adorable but a cheeky wee one too and although the submissive piggy she keeps Holly on her toes lol.
 
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