Hutch toys/enrichment

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kayjay

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Over the past few weeks I've had my pigs in an unheated room and now they've moved out to the shed :( This is mainly due to us becoming infested with mice which chewed a big hole underneath the piggies and started running around our house. So reluctantly they've moved outside to the shed.

They're all in hutches and seem happy out there. However as they get less company from me I'm concerned they're going to be bored.......... what sort of things can I put in their hutches to occupy them? None of them are really into toys and only one likes to chew willow balls.

Ideas for enriching their life please!

edit: what do people do for floor time outside in winter too?
 
Sorry to hear about the mice!
We have quite a few toys for our rabbit in the pen which he likes to chuck around, but our piggie likes to eat, sleep and find hidey holes! He likes to follow the rabbit around and does a lot of popcorning, but I haven't seen him playing with any of the toys yet... I've read that piggies like cardboard tubes to run though. Ours live outside all the time and have access to a run during the day, in the evening we bring them in for a play while we do their snugglepads, but funnily enough Tiger will sit on the mat and squeak when he wants to go back home!
 
Well that was a helpful comment........

One of my boys loves to nudge a jingle ball around the cage, what about a guinea treat ball that you can fill with pellets or something? (trying to think where i've seen it)
 
Squeeky-pig said:
maybe a tv?
Click to expand...

hmmm, wouldn't go that far.

Kathryn - mine have loo roll, kitchen roll and gravy granuals tubes as they are all different sizes and they seem to like them - chewing and getting through the larger ones. Also have cat balls with bells in them. Some have willow sticks and others have willow stars - pets at home sold them at christmas, but I got loads! ;)
 
sometimes we put the radio on,I dunno why ;D
( rock music channel)
 
The wire balls that you stuff with hay & veg keeps mine happy. I alternate the toys every couple of days to keep them amused.

The latest thing that they ADORE was from (sorry but I buckled!) P@H. Its made for birds & its a furry triangular tunnel that you suspend from the top of the cage. I have tried it out with Pudding Willow & Wisp. It took them about a day to work it out but now they're leaping in & out of it & sleeping in it with their back legs hanging out! It is quite funny when a piggy gives the other one a good shove when another one is asleep in it!
 
Can't really suggest any toys but you can get those carrot holders so they have to work a bit harder to get their food, something like that maybe? And lots of lovely places to shelter inside with nice soft hay.

I love the way that Kayjay has put her guineas first - moving them away from the mice and leaving herself behind to live with the mice! Is there any room in the shed for a sleeping bag for you!

I can't talk, we've had mice in the house and shed too.
 
Mine don't seem very keen on toys but they do like rolls stuffed with hay and Rupert especially seems to get hours of enjoyment out of a hayrack that hangs from his ceiling. I've seen him standing on his hind paws with his back to the rack sort of eating over his shoulder.
Chew sticks and those seedy treat bars don't interest mine either. Just food, more food and the odd tunnel to run through!

I read on another forum that having the radio on keeps the piggies interested and keeps them somehow socialised. I tried this with mine who by chance were indoors but in seperate rooms and the ones wth the radio were definitely brighter and friendlier
 
Jillybean said:
I love the way that Kayjay has put her guineas first - moving them away from the mice and leaving herself behind to live with the mice! Is there any room in the shed for a sleeping bag for you!

I can't talk, we've had mice in the house and shed too.
Click to expand...

;D ;D ;D

I wish I could say that's why but.......... the OH said the piggies were attracting the mice (which was true) and I was sick of mice running around the house.

However the shed's had mice too, but I've managed to catch three and there's no sign of any more. I'm sure the piggies don't mind the mice, but we do :D
 
jodie3 said:
Chew sticks and those seedy treat bars don't interest mine either. Just food, more food and the odd tunnel to run through!
Click to expand...
I've yet to buy a packet of treats that my guineas like! Let me know anyone if you've found something they like. The last thing I bought was some Alfalfa cubes - the pet shop assistant said they looked like horse manure - great saleslady! She's absolutely right, and the guineas obviously think so too because they had a bit of a nibble and then left them.

Beware of buying those straw made houses for guineas. I paid about £7 for one I think and they shredded/ate most of it in one night! My petshop did change it for something else though (I took in the measly remains of the house).
 
Grow your own Cereal grass, Planet Guinea I put the trays in the pens with the guineas though I admit they don't last long! Stuff Chubes with hay (kitchen rolls are too small for mine)

Give paper bags to play in/on Mine love the feed sacks when they're finished eg Rabbit Royale one, I always leave a bit of food in there for them to find ;) Fiddlestix to sit on/in. Snugglesafe balls (loofah) to play with (if your pigs are playful) and eventually eat from sph supplies and l;ast but not least lots of space.
 
I find lots of hidey holes and tubes are brill. And anything that make a jingle sound, if you ring a bell my guineas always purr lol. And if you could put a radio on in your shed, i think guineas like music (well mine do) and then when the DJ's are speaking atleast they get to hear a human voice...just a thought..well a silly thought haha
 
well most guineas like herbs like parsley i now my guineas do such as parsley and lavendar the smell really attracts them to it lots of shetler is nice for them and a hay ball is really good its a round ball made of plastic and in the middle has bars with the opening on it you can stuff it full of hay and my guineas love it it and it gives them somthing to do and its good if you spread treats around like bits of grass and dandylion leaves and carrot because guineas love to forage hope you find this useful :)
 
I have to second the toilet roll stuffed with hay. All of my piggies get hours of amusement from them. ;)
 
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