Living al fresco

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lizzie_71

lizzie_71

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My 2 boars are currently living in a 2 storey hutch in my garden, I moved them outside about 2 weeks ago after having them in the utility room over the winter. The hutch is pretty large for 2 piggies (4 foot long, 2 storeys and a ramp) and they seem happy there.

I have also recently bought this run, and the little wooden house as shown in the picture, and in the nice weather they are out there pretty much all day every day.

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I provide some shade by putting an old towel over one end and fastening it with clothes pegs.

I was wondering whether in the summer, they could just live full time in the run and attached house rather than being put in the hutch overnight? What I would probably do is fill the house with loads of hay for bedding, and cover half the run with something more substantial than a towel (maybe a tarpaulin) so that they had some shelter from rain as well as shade from the sun.

What do you think? Would they be OK like that for the summer? I was thinking that I'd hardly have to clean them out, just change the bedding in the little hosue and move them to a fresh patch of lawn every few days!
 
I personally wouldn't because of the risk of predators, i've no idea what goes on in my garden of a night or what inhabits it. For my own peace of mind i'd put them in their hutch overnight :)
 
Yup, same here. I do have a couple that live out in summer but they've got big hutches attached and the run is pretty robust (I have trouble moving it!). The rest are put to bed at night, just to be safe.

Also when you wake up in the night and it's howling a gale, I think you'll worry about them!

Sophie
x
 
Also when the weather isn't as nice, the sheltered bit would soon get quite cramped I think.

I found that some of my pigs don't have the sense to shelter when it's raining or windy - silly pigs- and I had to put them inside to dry off!

Sophie
x
 
I would echo what the others have said....I still bring mine back inside after a day in the sun.
 
I don't know how prominent snakes are over there...but I would worry about that as well.


it's scary how many things that want to get our piggies :...
 
It is a issue of possible problems. First never do it near Guy Fawks holiday the fireworks can scare piggy to death. Second no dogs allowed. Third no foxes fourth no snakes fith no mean kids and the list goes on
 
I tried it once on a very hot day, and we got a thunderstorm at six o'clock in the morning. It ended with me trying to retrieve a completely freaked out escapee brown&black piggy out of a flower border in the hail and driving rain.

Never again!
 
Thanks for the input everyone. Guess we'll just keep things as they are.

They are out in the run about 8 hours a day (weather permitting) and back in the hutch overnight or if it is wet. The hutch has waterproof covers.

They wouldn't be out for Bonfire Night, they usually come back inside in about September/October and spend the winter in an indoor cage in my utility room.
 
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