Scared To Be Outside? Normal Behaviour?

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ZombieChick

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Hi there - I'm hoping someone can help us!

We've got two rescue pigs (female) that we got at Xmas. Since then, they've been kept indoors until about a month ago when we got an outside run for them on the grass in our garden and have been putting them out for a few hours here and there when dry to start getting used to it. As far as I know that was the first time they've ever been outside (their rescue history is they were living wild inside someone's house with about 300 other GPs).

However a month has gone by and they still spend the vast majority of their time outside hiding in the little shelter hut that we've got attached to the run. If we close the little door to that, they will laze about on the grass eating happily (they were even popcorning yesterday so seem fine!), but as soon as the hut is open, they just go in there, hunch up in the corner and stay put. Yesterday they were out for about 5 hours and spent 4hrs55minutes in the hut, doing nothing!

I've tried putting bowls of their favourite veggies out to tempt them out but they ignored those (unheard of when indoors!). I've also draped blankets etc across the run in case it all feels a bit 'open' for them and insecure, but that hasn't helped either.

I suppose my question is - is this normal behaviour? And is there anything I can do to help them get used to it? At the moment, I feel mean putting them out there as they don't eat/drink/do anything the whole time they're out!

Any help would be gratefully received :-)

Jo
 
My pigs don't particularly enjoy being outside, they love the eating part, but don't like the noises and things that go with being outside, i'd say it is pretty normal for indoor guineas.
If with the hut closed they use the grass then just keep the hut close and put out little hideys and igloos, i often put my pigs out with a stool to hide under, that way they actually make the most of the grass because they often come out from hiding without realising because they're just busy eating!
 
Thanks twiams - good idea! I've stuck all their hideys out with them and shut the hut door. They were fine for a while until the neighbours cat came snooping around and now they're in their igloo! But like you said, hopefully they'll graze their way out without noticing! We'll persevere with this until they get a bit more used to it.
 
Piggies do not like feeling exposed to predators (which can be aerial as well)! I cover the top of my runs with a blanket or put some kind of low shelter with open sides, like a foot stool, in the run and move that around from time to time.
 
Hmm OK I might move the blanket right over the top then. After the initial success, they have squashed themselves into the igloo now and have been there for an hour or two. It's hard to know whether to stick with it until they improve or just admit they are not keen on the outdoors! I'll stick with it for now.

Thanks for your help :-)
 
It may take the whole course of the summer for timid piggies to pick up their confidence in my experience. I find that open sided shelters promote moving around more.
 
Mine will just hide too. I peg a fleece blanket the top and over 2 of the sides and they like that. half the run turns into 1 big hidey
 
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