Making pigs comfortable

[shades]

I've noticed that my pigs are more at home when they've got floor time. When they're out their cage, they appear more active, more inquisitive and generally less tense (resting for a while and enjoying the underfloor heating) even though they're in what I'd class as a more vulnerable place.

One big difference is the floor covering. In their cage they've got fleece. At floor time I'm using an old sheet that was used to keep us cool in summer. It's fabric, a little hard, is cool to touch, and maybe better underfoot. The only downside is that it absorbs pee.

I'm thinking that the fleece is actually too warm and soft underfoot and that they don't like it very much. It doesn't encourage them to be active. They just prefer to lounge around.

Any thoughts?

[Bean]

If they spend a lot of time in their cages (which most pigs do - even if they have a few hours floor time a day, that's still 21 hours in the same confined place) it's just less exciting. They know what's there without looking.

Getting out and exploring somewhere different is stimulating and that's great as it gets them active and excited. But if they lived where they had their floor time, you might see it become less thrilling after a few days? Of course more space is great and most pigs will be more active if they have a bigger area to use and interesting things to play with. But I'd be surprised if the fleece was bothering them - it's a great choice of flooring for a pig as it's soft and they can grip on it too.

Have you tried rotating what they have to do in their cage a bit more to see if that makes them a little livelier? I think as they get older, they do enjoy relaxing more and it takes more to get them giddy! You could always trial a different flooring if you think it might be that. I alternate between fleece and disposable beddings and don't really notice any difference in activity - besides them enjoying a change as it's something different to investigate. That wears off after an hour or so of the newly made up cage though!

[3piggles]

Fleece is an absorbent layer that wicks liquid off the surface to an absorbent layer below. It does get warm during the hot months. You can use any porous material to put underfoot, as long as it's soft enough to not hurt their feet, and doesn't have holes big enough to catch a piggy foot or hand. Look around when you're in stores, and see what might do the job. I've thought about using shelf liner over the wood granules. www.walmart.com/ip/Duck-20-x-6-Select-Easy-Liner/16486847 For the summer, it would be much cooler than the fleece. It's also soft under foot,

If it gets really hot in the house, the pigs will definitely prefer cool floor tiles to fleece, and in winter, heated floor tiles would be great under foot. I think you have a great cage, but there probably isn't a perfect cage, so think about what you might be able to do to add new play options for them. I've been thinking about putting a long, low loft along the back of Pigloo City, so the girls can jump on and off it, run along it and under it, etc.

[jolovespiggies]

Our piggies are cleaned out every couple of days but in between that time, quite a lot of extra hay is placed in their pen where they spend hours making nests which they will not allow the other one to go into LOL! The also have a couple of hidies and cuddle cups. Ours will sometimes just lie on the floor if they are feeling a little too warm but usually they are cuddled up in their hay or in a hidey.

Hugs
JO xx

[3piggles]

I removed the fleece from Pigloo City last night, filled the whole thing with hay, and added a couple of pigloos. The girls are loving it I won't leave it that way, but after suggesting you consider some options, I thought I would, too I have pictures on my phone, so I have to figure out how to load them. I took a short video of them bouncing the hay around, jumping on it and generally have fun

[jolovespiggies]

Oh wow, I am so flattered Piggles love. I don't come up with good ideas very often LOL!! I would love to see the photos, in fact I think I may have some of them on their hay or if not I will take some. They do love it, sometimes you just see the hay moving, perhaps just a cute little nose and a lot of chattering which means there is an argument

Hugs
JO xx

[3piggles]

There's been a lot more chattering, but only a few arguments. Pigs have conversations, too, and they've had a lot more conversations. They're also a lot more active, so changing to the hay has brought out the best in them. Over the winter, when it's really cold, I would still use the fleece, just for an added layer of warmth under foot.

I also found that all of my wood pellet bedding has turned to granules, which have packed down like outdoor dirt and are soft underfoot like dirt, so I'm considering removing the screen, and letting the pigs run around on the granules. I use a dust pan and brush to sweep up the poos and hay, and only disturb the very top layer of granules. If I can get a picture, I will. Right now our connection to load pictures is down. Not sure what I did to it, but I'll have hubby fix it, tonight. I use these wood pellets, which are very similar to pellet stove pellets, but lower quality and much less expensive: www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/equine-fresh-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb I used to wet them and turn them into granules before I put it in the cage, and may start doing that again. I seldom replace the granules, and they continue to absorb liquids and odors for months. Once the granules get saturated, they start to give off an odor that tells me when to replace them.

[jolovespiggies]

There has been a a lot of nattering today, so much so that my friend and I had to stop to see what was going on in there LOL!! It started off peacefully but became a bit more animated later on. I am glad it has worked Piggles love, they certainly love their hay. Sorry, it wouldn't let me access the link.

Hugs
Jo xx

[3piggles]

It was just a link showing what the pellets look like. You have Verdo, Aquamax, 5 Star, Sorbeo and Guardian wood pellet horse bedding in the UK, same thing. Wet it and turn it to granules, and use it as bedding. Very absorbent of both liquids and odors. It doesn't take much to make guinea pig or rabbit bedding, but for anyone who is disabled, it's heavy, wet or dry.

This is a video Guardian has on YouTube: