Hi.
I keep my two pigs Nacho and Cheese outdoors. They have a bed area stuffed with hay, and fleece over the areas they run around and feed in. They have two 20w outdoor-safe heat pads for the colder weather, one under the hay they sleep on and one under the fleece so the rest of the hutch doesn't get frosty (honestly the best things I've ever bought for them).
The setup is perfect for them and summer was great as they have an attached outdoor run to use all day but as it's their first winter outside I'm thinking they won't be able to use their run due to the cold and damp ground.
I'd like to know if it would be cruel to them if they stay in the hutch over winter as moving them indoors for exercise wouldn't work for a few reasons, but mostly because I've read that sharp temperature changes can be difficult for them to adjust to.
Any advice is much appreciated
I keep my two pigs Nacho and Cheese outdoors. They have a bed area stuffed with hay, and fleece over the areas they run around and feed in. They have two 20w outdoor-safe heat pads for the colder weather, one under the hay they sleep on and one under the fleece so the rest of the hutch doesn't get frosty (honestly the best things I've ever bought for them).
The setup is perfect for them and summer was great as they have an attached outdoor run to use all day but as it's their first winter outside I'm thinking they won't be able to use their run due to the cold and damp ground.
I'd like to know if it would be cruel to them if they stay in the hutch over winter as moving them indoors for exercise wouldn't work for a few reasons, but mostly because I've read that sharp temperature changes can be difficult for them to adjust to.
Any advice is much appreciated