Is this sustainable living?

piggl

piggl

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My two boars were removed from each other due to an abscess removal on the younger one (Remi) that was having issues with swelling/fluid. I separated them as I could not allow his cagemate (Reggie) to continually push under his neck.

This Sunday I decided to try bond them together again in a clean neutral cage. They went together fine but there was quite a lot of dominance/tense-ness between them both. They were together until this lunchtime, got along fine sometimes but there was a lot of chasing/nipping from Remi, things felt very tense.
Well this morning I was trying to get videos of their interactions to try and get a second opinion from the lovely people of the forums and unfortunately things became too much for them and they had a full on fight. Thankfully I was standing by and had a bath mat near me, so neither of the pigs were hurt.
I have re-added the barrier in their cage for the time being.
Remi is still healing from his procedure two weeks later but he is very close to his wound fully healing.

My dilemma is that they usually live in a hutch outdoors, which makes it unusable as a side by side home. I have thought about it and I really can not give one of them up for adoption. Even the thought of it makes me want to weep, and the fear of what life they might go into not in my care anymore is too much. I do suffer with anxiety, but any piggy parent would struggle to give one of their piggies away.

This then takes me to my question. I have the space and the grids to make up a very large C&C run for them daily, but they can not live in this 24/7 due to the weather/cold here in NE Scotland.
Can they live one on top of each other from 9pm-9am, they will still be able to hear/smell each other. They will then be in the C&C cage together from 9-9 during the day apart from if the weather really bad, in which they will have to stay in their cage.

This way I can keep both my babies, they both get a clean/warm space to sleep and the face-to-face interaction from 9-9.
 
As you will know, the advice is that it’s not ideal as side by side interaction needs to be constant. Being away from each other for large chunks of time when they are most active (dawn and dusk) and potentially days at a time in depths of winter means they will lose a lot of interaction.

However, we all know how much you love your boys and how much of an upsetting experience it would be to have to give one up. You’re got to be happy with the compromise and do your best to give them as much side by side as you possibly can.

Does their hutch remain in your garage year round? Could they not stay in the c&c run 24/7 during the warmer months?
It obviously doesn’t address long periods away from each other in winter though.
Are they still in your bedroom for this winter and side by side? Is that something that can be done every winter?
 
Could you move them indoors permanently in C&C's? Another option would be considering asking a rescue to bond them both with a friend.
 
Piggies&buns said:
As you will know, the advice is that it’s not ideal as side by side interaction needs to be constant. Being away from each other for large chunks of time when they are most active (dawn and dusk) and potentially days at a time in depths of winter means they will lose a lot of interaction.

However, we all know how much you love your boys and how much of an upsetting experience it would be to have to give one up. You’re got to be happy with the compromise and do your best to give them as much side by side as you possibly can.

Does their hutch remain in your garage year round? Could they not stay in the c&c run 24/7 during the warmer months?
It obviously doesn’t address long periods away from each other in winter though.
Are they still in your bedroom for this winter and side by side? Is that something that can be done every winter?
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The hutch does remain in the garage year round. I guess they technically could stay in the c&c overnight, although the garage is not insulated like a shed, it is just the hutch that has insulation all around it and is protected from drafts.
And yes, they are still in my bedroom. I am not sure how long they would be able to come in though, but it could always be discussed as them coming in earlier in the year, to avoid those days shut away as you mentioned.

My feelings are very back and forth on the whole what to do front. My anxiety gets the best of me at times and yes them going to a not great home is always a possibility, but I would also be giving one of them the best chance at a happy life with a friend.
There's just so many things that could go wrong if I gave one of them up for adoption, such as them not believing in medical care for rodents or not feeding them the correct diet. Because that would then be my fault, and I can not stand the thought of that happening to one of my boys.
 
Piggies2023 said:
Could you move them indoors permanently in C&C's? Another option would be considering asking a rescue to bond them both with a friend.
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Unfortunately not, my pigs have always been outdoors and due to my mum being allergic to them she does not like them being inside all the time.

And yes, getting them both a friend is an option but I very much doubt my parents would ever allow me to get 4 pigs. I do make my own income but it is still their house so if they say no, there's not much I can do.
 
piggl said:
The hutch does remain in the garage year round. I guess they technically could stay in the c&c overnight, although the garage is not insulated like a shed, it is just the hutch that has insulation all around it and is protected from drafts.
And yes, they are still in my bedroom. I am not sure how long they would be able to come in though, but it could always be discussed as them coming in earlier in the year, to avoid those days shut away as you mentioned.

My feelings are very back and forth on the whole what to do front. My anxiety gets the best of me at times and yes them going to a not great home is always a possibility, but I would also be giving one of them the best chance at a happy life with a friend.
There's just so many things that could go wrong if I gave one of them up for adoption, such as them not believing in medical care for rodents or not feeding them the correct diet. Because that would then be my fault, and I can not stand the thought of that happening to one of my boys.
Click to expand...

I’d only keep them in the c&c full time in the summer months. I know you’ve said before about the temperatures you deal with in the winter in the garage.

If you surrendered to a rescue centre you wouldn’t need to worry about any of it - they would be going to a good home; the rescue would make certain of that.

Take your time - no point in rushing into a decision when the fall out is so fresh.
It took me about six months to get living arrangements sorted when Wilbur and Hugo fell out.
While Dexter and Pops are still with me, at 6 years old I’m under no illusion they may not be not too much longer. I’m thinking things through now as to what I’ll do when one of them goes . I’ve got them in the top so I will end up with one living by himself upstairs. I’ve then got the decision to try to bond with one of the single boys which won’t necessarily be easy given their characters, or rearranging the shed again so ive got three singles side by side.
 
@Betsy has a lone piggy in a hutch in her garage and also a table with a cage on it housing two piggies so they can all interact with each other. Maybe this could work for your boys?
 
weepweeps said:
@Betsy has a lone piggy in a hutch in her garage and also a table with a cage on it housing two piggies so they can all interact with each other. Maybe this could work for your boys?
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Interesting, @Betsy How do you keep your girls warm in a normal cage in a garage?
 
I also have Wilbur in a commercial cage in my shed. It sits at an L shape to Hugo’s hutch.
I have made a cover using silver foil insulation (actually two layers for the coldest parts of winter). I throw a thick blanket over all of it during the night. The front panel of the cover lifts up just like a hutch cover does so he can see out and get out for when it’s his turn for the run of the shed floor.
 
piggl said:
'Interesting, @Betsy How do you keep your girls warm in a normal cage in a garage?
Click to expand...
I fill the cage full of hay, have snugglesafes, snugglesacks and I put a fleece over it at night. It doesn't get so cold down South as it does with you up in Scotland. When it's not too cold in the garage, for a change of scenery, either Thea is in the run or Misty and Bramble are for around 6-8 hours during the day. I cover the hutch up (which is insulated) with a duvet at night and lift it during the day. I keep the side of the cage that is next to the hutch uncovered during the day so that the 3 of them can interact.
 
Claire W said:
Does your garage have electrics? Just wondering if you could put an oil filled radiator in there to keep them warmer in the colder months if you can’t bring them in
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It does have electric, but I’d always be worried that it would catch fire.
 
Hi everyone, I am back looking for more advice. As I disclosed in another thread, my parents have came to the decision that I am not going to be able to get 4 pigs under any circumstance, and they are strongly suggesting/telling me to get rid of one of my boys. You can see more about this in my recent post here - Best option?

I know I have asked this before, but putting my feelings aside and taking in all the information (including the fact I love them both dearly), can they live on top of each other and be in the run from 7am-9pm or would they really live their best lives if I put one up for adoption and got a friend for the remaining pig.
 
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