Housing for 2 Seperated boars

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BeckyP

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Hi, I have 2 boars in a 5ft double hutch unfortunately fighting between the two is off the scale and I’ve had to permanently separate them. (Which I’m devastated about)

My plan is to hopefully build a new outdoor cage from scratch that I can then put a mesh divider in so that they can interact safely with each other.
I’ve got about 6ft by 5ft of space to build something (and an additional run for the lawn) do any experienced piggie owners have any suggestions on possible cage configurations? I’m thinking of just keeping it all floor level with a divider straight down the middle and then maybe if I can figure it out a little upper level, similar to the c&c lofts but nothing to steep as my guineas hate the current ramp.

has anyone else had to separate their piggies?
 
I’m sorry they fell out. Housing outdoors can make it difficult when you have separated piggies. Can you give an idea of how you’re going to configure the hutches? I would build it on one level and form an L shaped hutch. So one end would be butted up against the front of the other section. You have to think about access to the piggies as well. Where would you place the door(s)? And where would you have a side with mesh to let light in? Would you have to make custom covers?

Is the space inside a shed or is it just the space you have to house the hutch(es)? Another thing to consider is the type of mesh you’ll be using. I don’t know that there are any members who have separated piggies outside. It makes things tricky but not impossible…I don’t think ☺️

Do they have a way to interact at the moment? It’s really important that they still have it as much as possible.

Lastly, for the run I would build something foldable so you can just put them next to each other then fold to put away. I wouldn’t have something permanent.
 
Siikibam said:
I’m sorry they fell out. Housing outdoors can make it difficult when you have separated piggies. Can you give an idea of how you’re going to configure the hutches? I would build it on one level and form an L shaped hutch. So one end would be butted up against the front of the other section. You have to think about access to the piggies as well. Where would you place the door(s)? And where would you have a side with mesh to let light in? Would you have to make custom covers?

Is the space inside a shed or is it just the space you have to house the hutch(es)? Another thing to consider is the type of mesh you’ll be using. I don’t know that there are any members who have separated piggies outside. It makes things tricky but not impossible…I don’t think ☺️

Do they have a way to interact at the moment? It’s really important that they still have it as much as possible.

Lastly, for the run I would build something foldable so you can just put them next to each other then fold to put away. I wouldn’t have something permanent.
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Thanks for your reply. I’m thinking of basically two hutches butted up end to end with one end panel of each cage taken out and replaced with mesh so they can sniff each other and interact. Then a run area attached to the front of both cages (using strong wire mesh) that has a mesh divider running down the middle.

I’ll let my other half figure out the door situation but the run area we have is already attached to our original hutch so we probably follow a similar format for the doors as it’s quite a good set up (if it were all on ground level)

they’ve only been separated a few days and we plan to build the new hutch this weekend. Unfortunately they don’t have any interaction at the moment.
 
The hutch (the area they will be locked into at night or when they cannot be in the run) needs to give them 8 sq ft as a minimum living space for welfare purposes. An additional attached mesh run can be any size you have space for.
If you are building the hutch yourself then it will make things easier given your measurements. (If you were using commercial hutches then you would run out of space because in commercial hutches you would need two 4 ft hutches (which would be 4ft x 2ft) which would then measure 8ft long)

If you are going to make them yourself, with a 6ft x 5ft space to play with, then each hutch (the area they will be locked in) will need to be 3ft x 3ft (to give them each 9 sq ft of living space). The additional attached wire mesh area to the front will then be 3ft x 2ft - they will only be able to be in that when you are there to supervise them. Will they still have an additional lawn run?

A 3ft x 3ft hutch, I'm not sure how easy that would be to reach into to clean out. you may need to lean into it a bit more than you would a traditional 2ft wide hutch but it may be workable!
Also, were you planning on putting a bedroom area into each hutch? It would end up being quite small - I know there is also only one piggy in each hutch so it might not be so bad.
 
If the hutches aren’t in a shed then you will need the minimum hutch size. They won’t be able to go in the run during the winter. Good luck and do post photos of building the hutch! I’m curious and I’m sure others are as well 😁
 
Piggies&buns said:
The hutch (the area they will be locked into at night or when they cannot be in the run) needs to give them 8 sq ft as a minimum living space for welfare purposes. An additional attached mesh run can be any size you have space for.
If you are building the hutch yourself then it will make things easier given your measurements. (If you were using commercial hutches then you would run out of space because in commercial hutches you would need two 4 ft hutches (which would be 4ft x 2ft) which would then measure 8ft long)

If you are going to make them yourself, with a 6ft x 5ft space to play with, then each hutch (the area they will be locked in) will need to be 3ft x 3ft (to give them each 9 sq ft of living space). The additional attached wire mesh area to the front will then be 3ft x 2ft - they will only be able to be in that when you are there to supervise them. Will they still have an additional lawn run?

A 3ft x 3ft hutch, I'm not sure how easy that would be to reach into to clean out. you may need to lean into it a bit more than you would a traditional 2ft wide hutch but it may be workable!
Also, were you planning on putting a bedroom area into each hutch? It would end up being quite small - I know there is also only one piggy in each hutch so it might not be so bad.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for your advice. Hopefully going to build ourselves so that we can tailor it to suit our piggies need. My other thought is putting it on the other side of the garden where we have more space but would loose a huge area of garden, then I'm worried too young children playing too close to the piggies would scare them.

I will have an additional lawn run, as well as giving them play time inside in the winter.

I was planning on some kind of bedroom area for each piggie so that they have somewhere to escape to if they feel they need it.
 
You can’t give them play time inside if they live outside. Unless you can make the inside the same temp as outside. But then it would be too cold for them to be playing in anyway. The change in temperature can cause illness so they either stay in or outside.

Children playing close shouldn’t be an issue. They get used to the noise. And they’ll be secure in their hutches 🙂
 
:agr: Piggies should not be exposed to sudden changes in temperature.

My children play outside around my piggies and rabbits and none of the animals are bothered by the children’s noises now!
 
Siikibam said:
You can’t give them play time inside if they live outside. Unless you can make the inside the same temp as outside. But then it would be too cold for them to be playing in anyway. The change in temperature can cause illness so they either stay in or outside.

Children playing close shouldn’t be an issue. They get used to the noise. And they’ll be secure in their hutches 🙂
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Ahhh, I see, thank you for sharing that with me. I didn't realise outdoor piggies couldn't come in for inside play time.
 
BeckyP said:
Ahhh, I see, thank you for sharing that with me. I didn't realise outdoor piggies couldn't come in for inside play time.
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It's fine in summer as there isnt a huge fluctuation, but not in winter. They need to be kept in a constant temperature and exposing them to sudden drops can cause illness. They are most comfortable between 18-20 degrees with anything below 15 degrees being too cold.
 
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