Summer Fun For My Piggies!

[Wheek! Wheek!]

Hi everyone, I've had my little boys, Archie and Elmo, for about 6 months, and they're indoor piggies. My plan is to house them outside in the daytime in the Summer, and bring them in at night (so they can be cosy and warm bless them)! I'm not sure though if this back and forward between indoors and outdoors would be good for them? Would they be unsettled, or would they enjoy the variety? It's complicated by the fact that they live in separate cages placed next to each other (I brought my boys as a pair and they lived together happily for a month, and then started fighting so I had to split them up). So housing in the garden would mean 2 separate cages/runs but I'd happily do that if it would give them a lovely bit of Summer outside. Wondering if any of you more experienced piggie owners can give me some tips?! Thank you.

 

[Beans&Toast]

Last summer I'd put my pigs out in their run on the grass for a good part of the day (with access to hidey houses and water) then bring them into their cage at night.

I had no issues with this at all, they loved being out when it was warm enough.

Although you keep your boys seperate, you might find by putting them outside in a run they may get on as they'll be on "neutral ground" and once brought back in they can be returned to their seperate homes if need be.

 

[Wheek! Wheek!]

Thanks, it's good to hear from someone who's tried the indoor/outdoor combination! That's a great idea, trying them in the run together to see if they get on. I was sad for them both when they started fighting, because I loved seeing them snuggled up together and didn't like them having to live separately. So maybe time outside in the run might be a chance for them to be nice to each other again!

 

[Beans&Toast]

When you say fighting do you mean as in they were attacking each other, did blood result from this?

Sometimes boars just don't get on with other boars because they can be too dominant and territorial, but odly enough they can sometimes get on well together on neutral ground.
Even if this isnt the case, as long as they are able to see/hear/smell each other, this should be enough to keep them company, along with plenty of hugs from the humans!

 

[Wheek! Wheek!]

Yes they were attacking each other for sure, no blood but little clumps of fur came out every time I tried putting them back together. A couple of times they flew at each other, and locked together rolling around the floor in a ball at high speed! That was the last straw for me, especially when I grabbed one of them to try to split them up, and the other one was hanging on by his teeth to the other one's fur! I started thinking they could really hurt each other badly. But they're right next to each other now (a couple of inches only between cages) so they have company that way, and they sometimes stand and look at each other through the cage bars. They get plenty of hugs from me!