Housing dilemma

[Holden89]

I am in a dilemma over what to do with my pigs. I got a trio last year and it turned out that one was male. So after intending to get a trio and ended up with 10. They are currently split into a group of girls, a trio with dad and two sons, and a pair. I also have a lone male who I rehomed from someone with his cagemate who sadly passed away recently.

I am finding it a lot of work having four enclosures in the house and they also take up a lot space. Ideally, I would like to lower my number of enclosures and move them outside. I'm planning on getting a shed and I have a run that I will attach on.

I would prefer to keep the girl group, I would love to have a happy little herd going. And rehome the boys. I will sad to see them go as I love every one of them. But my trio will break my heart and I'm so reluctant.

I am wondering whether I can have them in the shed too or if space will just not stretch enough. I'm not really worried about them smelling females etc as they have been with the females in the same room all their lives and I would have a solid barrier in-between. I don't want a massive shed so was going to go for a 6x4 so they would each have 6x2 inside. The run I currently have is 4x4 but could get a larger one. I'm just so torn on what to do... ideally I would like one group and the full 6x4 and 4x4 run would be theirs. But just the idea of saying goodbye

Has anyone been in the position? Any words of wisdom? I do hope that while it would be hard to say goodbye, I would come to terms with it and focus on the girls after a few days... I just don't know

 

[Piggies&buns]

So to confirm you have
5 sows who all live together
a boar trio
a boar pair
a single boar

but you are looking to keep the sows, and keep the boar trio.

The plans as you say I’m afraid won’t work, it’s just not enough room.

A 6x4 shed covers 24 square feet. I’m sorry to say that the entire shed isn’t really big enough for a boar trio. A boar trio really require 33 square feet (three square metres) to themselves to have enough room. I don’t know how old the boars are but if they are young you will also want a back up separation plan given boar trios are difficult to get to work long term.

The sows however could live free roam on the floor of a 6x4 shed. (A 6x2 ft enclosure within the shed is not big enough for 5 sows though). The 4x4ft run covers 16 sq ft so is technically covers the right amount of space (10sq ft for two sows, and then a further two sq ft for each additional sow) but it would be better to be bigger if at all possible.

 

[Holden89]

So to confirm you have
5 sows who all live together
a boar trio
a boar pair
a single boar

but you are looking to keep the sows, and keep the boar trio.

The plans as you say I’m afraid won’t work, it’s just not enough room.

A 6x4 shed covers 24 square feet. I’m sorry to say that the entire shed isn’t really big enough for a boar trio. A boar trio really require 33 square feet (three square metres) to themselves to have enough room. I don’t know how old the boars are but if they are young you will also want a back up separation plan given boar trios are difficult to get to work long term.

The sows however could live free roam on the floor of a 6x4 shed. (A 6x2 ft enclosure within the shed is not big enough for 5 sows though). The 4x4ft run covers 16 sq ft so is technically covers the right amount of space (10sq ft for two sows, and then a further two sq ft for each additional sow) but it would be better to be bigger if at all possible.

I have 4 sows in a group together.

I've seen sources elsewhere say 2 boars need 10.5 sq ft and I'm sure I saw on the forum it said they need 12 sq ft. So can't imagine that an extra one would take it up to 33 sq ft. Because trios aren't usually encouraged, I've never seen an actual figure for them given though. They are currently in 17.5 sq ft. They are 15 months and 10.5 months. I know it doesn't always work but so far they have zero issues, they all get along fab and never squabble. Sometimes I actually think they would love to be with the pair too as they are always lying up against the bars in a group of 5 (obviously split by a grid).

 

[Piggies&buns]

I have 4 sows in a group together.

I've seen sources elsewhere say 2 boars need 10.5 sq ft and I'm sure I saw on the forum it said they need 12 sq ft. So can't imagine that an extra one would take it up to 33 sq ft. Because trios aren't usually encouraged, I've never seen an actual figure for them given though. They are currently in 17.5 sq ft. They are 15 months and 10.5 months. I know it doesn't always work but so far they have zero issues, they all get along fab and never squabble. Sometimes I actually think they would love to be with the pair too as they are always lying up against the bars in a group of 5 (obviously split by a grid).

Two boars need 12 sq ft. 10 sq ft for a boar pair is the minimum.
Boar trios need considerably more space and normal cage sizing rules go out the window. It is recommended that they have one square metre of territory per boar, so that comes to 33 sq ft.

If they are ok in the space they are in then that is good.
You are really lucky to have a functioning trio - treasure it!
You definitely would not want to downgrade their cage size though to a 6x2 to go in the shed. That really be pushing it and may risk them falling out.

Laying against the divider does not mean they want to be together. It is a power lie in and marking of territory.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

 

[Holden89]

Two boars need 12 sq ft. 10 sq ft for a boar pair is the minimum.
Boar trios need considerably more space and normal cage sizing rules go out the window. It is recommended that they have one square metre of territory per boar, so that comes to 33 sq ft.

If they are ok in the space they are in then that is good.
You are really lucky to have a functioning trio - treasure it!
You definitely would not want to downgrade their cage size though to a 6x2 to go in the shed. That really be pushing it and may risk them falling out.

Laying against the divider does not mean they want to be together. It is a power lie in and marking of territory.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

Maybe they do lie together for that reason but equally, they are all family and have been together (both in the same cage and then split but side by side) since they were born for the babies and dad since they were 3.5 weeks old. They lived as a 5 until the babies were 5 months old. I never see them rumble strut or anything. So who knows... but personally, I think they enjoy each others company.