How long in the outside run?

[Claire W]

My piggies are indoor piggies but my husband insists that they should be outside on the grass in their run on nice days. Sometimes they can be out there for 8 hours which I think is too much and he doesn’t and it has caused an argument. Is 8 hours on the grass ok? They have their dried food and a water bottle in their run. Our grass is short as husband cuts it every few weeks so there’s no chance of them getting upset tummies. Today they have been out since 10am and I’ve just put them back at 5.45pm

 

[tabelmabel]

Put some hay in the run too and, as long as the morning dew is off the grass, healthy pigs should be fine.

Before i had this run of bad luck with my pigs' health, i had years of healthy pigs often out that long and never ailed a thing.

Since 2019 though, ive always had a 'weakened' pig. 2019 it was my old boy benson with terminal liver disease who did have some short spells out in his final months.

Last summer, i had mike who had come through a february uri and again was only out for short spells due to that.

And now, ebony whose lungs are as fragile as tissue paper; i fear they'd shred with a gentle spring zephyr!


I'm well jel of your healthy tribe - go for it!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Mine are usually on the lawn 12-14 hours on nice days (but not once it gets very hot)
Today is a typical day - they went out just before 8am and they will stay out now until around 9-9.30pm. They’ve got a large pile of hay in their run so they don’t just eat grass but they are quite happy! They will get their tea in their run in a couple of minutes and will then be brought back into their shed later on with a top up of hay for the night.
When it gets hotter, that will change and they will be out during early mornings, going out at around 6.30/7am until around 9-10am at the latest. They will come in the house during the day and go back out around 6-7pm until 9.30pm.

 

[Claire W]

Thank you both. That’s reassuring. They don’t go out when it’s mega hot but as we have a North facing garden, our garden is rarely in the sun. The front bedrooms get the sun so their room is often hotter than it is outside hence why husband says they should be out there. I’ll start giving them a pile of hay in their run too

 

[VickiA]

For me, it’s more an issue of making sure their tummies are acclimatised to grass as well as giving them exercise time in the run. Mine are still limited to under an hour as otherwise they tend to get tummy upsets. It’s incredible how they can scoff grass constantly during that time.

 

[eileen]

i do a relay of timesharing the run.i put 3 herds out until midday,and the other herds go out at 4pm until 9.30pm.i do not put matthew and skinny pigs out unless it is cool !