Handling nervous piggies

[Bobby&Frankie]

I put on here a while ago when i got my pigs (April) and mentioned they were nervous as their old owner was VERY rough with them; i'm friends with her step daughter and apparently her pigs are too scared to even eat out of her hand:{) so i've been going slowly with them to gain their trust.

I'm managed to start picking Frankie up in a blanket as some of you mentioned, i just put the blanket on him, wait for him to relax and pick him up and he's fine (even started eating whilst i was holding him today pow-pow)

The problem is Bobby is still VERY nervous and i can't even put the blanket on him without him squeaking and running away (he rumbled at me last week too so i left him alone). I've been bribing them both with food (largely carrots and basil which are their favourites).

If they don't want to be caught they won't be as they live in a chicken coop so i have to persuade them in the carrier (carrot and grass) and then i take the top off and begin stroking the etc.

Has anyone got any advice of what i can try to gain more trust with Bobby, unfortunately due to the carrier being low when the lid is off the carrier i can't pick Frankie up in front of Bobby which i thought may help.

I'm not one for being forceful at all with animals and i much prefer to gain their trust instead especially with how cruel their old owner was (i saw a pic of her holding two of her pigs up between her fingers and i don't think supporting their rears which i think has made me a little soft with the boys.

Thanks

 

[sport_billy]

One of our first piggies Putt was very skittish, when we first had her she would run around the cage to avoid your hand at times scarcely bumping in to things.
It took lots of time and patience, when we wanted to collect her we used to removed all the houses and put in a chube [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Giant-Chube-Guinea-Rabbit-Chinchilla/dp/B0037XQ31C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1346933111&sr=8-2"]Giant Chube Play Toy Guinea Pig,Rabbit,Rat Chinchilla: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home[/ame] she'd be herded into this, then we used to pop her on lap for just a few mins (so not to stress her out) - try to hand feed her, then pop her back home. We increased this time over the years and very slowly she began to trust us. It took until she was 3 before she'd eat food off us on our lap and happily sit there.
Years later when Putt was 5 she would go into the chube whenever it was placed by her and would often jump onto my lap for laptime cuddles for hours while we watched tv.
All I can say is time, patience and food bribery, you will get there with them it's tiny steps at a time.... Most importantly never stressing them out.

 

[Bobby&Frankie]

Thank you
I have two of those tubes and i did pick him up in one and i tried it again today but he was having none of it. I also wrapped the tube in the blanket when i did it so he had the barrier.

didn't she ever run off the end of your legs or anything? That's what would worry me about it

 

[sport_billy]

Thank you
I have two of those tubes and i did pick him up in one and i tried it again today but he was having none of it. I also wrapped the tube in the blanket when i did it so he had the barrier.

didn't she ever run off the end of your legs or anything? That's what would worry me about it

What we do is herd one in the chube, then place hands over front and back of chube when taking them out the cage, then tip them out gently on your lap. It's best to sit on the floor so if they do dash off your lap they'll just go onto the floor... When on your lap you can keep your arm around them or hand under their belly to make sure they are not running off at first. Honest it's just practice. Noticed your from Wolves, where about's are you? We're in Finchfield.

 

[Bobby&Frankie]

Thanks, i'm in Albrighton about 7 miles away

 

[funnehmare]

One of my girls was (and still is) particularly skittish and would run for her life if ever I went to pick her up. Fairly frustrating when she was running circles round me in the run when it was bed time! But understandable on her part big scary hands coming at her.

I found that placing my hands near her, sometimes with food, and allowing her to come up to them in her own time, allowing it be her decision to come near me and allowing her to nibble and sniff my hands really worked. At first she would freeze and bolt if I moved a finger but over time she braved enough courage to walk over my hand, and is now at the stage where she'll quite happily sit on my hand and eat whatever I offer her. Still not 100% happy with being picked up, it's taken a few months to get this stage. The other two, however, are quite happy to be picked up (using the same process, they just took to it quicker). Once held I tend to sit on the sofa and put her towards my chest as have found she noticeably relaxes when she can feel my heartbeat and give her freedom to shift about. When she gets wriggly, I put her back.

As sport_billy said, it's all about being patient with him. He'll pluck up the courage soon and you'll be able to enjoy some guinea cuddle time.

 

[Bobby&Frankie]

Thanks for the advice guys, managed to pick him up today without a tube, just with a blanket which smelt of his brother and he was really good, slightly wriggly but i managed to walk him to the other side of the house to put him in the cage for the winter.
Couldn't be happier with him - got lots of carrot for it too!