What Ground Material Do You Use Outside If Your Pigs Live Outside?

[kerry]

My pigs have their own section of the garden, they are free range and hop in and out of their hutches whenever they want to.

At the moment there are plastic paving slabs which are fine in the summer but with the rain and the winter coming, it gets a little bit muddy and I do not want to let them walk in it.

Shutting them inside is not an option, they protest and bite the bars and throw a massive tantrum. They have always had freedom of the outside, even though their hutches are large enough for them to stay inside comfortably.

Anyway, my question is what do you use on the floor? Grass or pavement? I know people who keep chickens use sawdust but putting this on top of mud is just asking for soup.

Please any suggestions are welcome!

 

[lawz]

Hi @kerry ,
spoilt piggies want their freedom all the time now
What about a thick bedding of straw in muddy parts….i agree wood chips wouldn't do much at all. Or a strip of the chicken wire mesh thats used on hutch doors, maybe use some of that to lay across muddy parts with straw onto, so then stops straw soaking into mud too much.
I know with horses in muddy fields we bed the muddy areas down with plenty of straw thats all.
Mine only have grass time at week ends providing the ground is dry, and if grass is damp but patio dry then they go on patio, with a fleece blanket on concrete.
I know some owners are reluctant to use straw due to eye pokes, but they can get poked by hay also.
Failing the above…you will just have to toughen up and not let them get their way