Engel's Herd

Piggies&buns said:
that’s fine, as long as they can see each other (although their eye sight isn’t great) but it’s also about being able to smell each other
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Ugh ok.

Would a hutch in the greenhouse be ok through winter? If I get the bluebell hutch with a run attached to the front. Move pig on top floor to the run during the day? Put something on the floor to insulate. Lots of hay and snuggle safe.

OR

2 SEPERATE hutches with run which is open all night so then can go back and forth it needed? (Again with covers, hay and snuggle safes)
 
Engel said:
Ugh ok.

Would a hutch in the greenhouse be ok through winter? If I get the bluebell hutch with a run attached to the front. Move pig on top floor to the run during the day? Put something on the floor to insulate. Lots of hay and snuggle safe.

OR

2 SEPERATE hutches with run which is open all night so then can go back and forth it needed? (Again with covers, hay and snuggle safes)
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I'm concerned about the greenhouse – the condensation and damp worries me
 
Engel said:
If I got a bluebell they'd have a floor each, so 5ft?
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that’s fine -a single piggy needs a minimum of 4ft.
(of course if you end up with two boars together then the 5ft could be too tight.)

sorry, remind me, if they are in the shed, can you provide for some side by side interaction, it just won’t be 24/7?
 
Piggies&buns said:
that’s fine -a single piggy needs a minimum of 4ft.
(of course if you end up with two boars together then the 5ft could be too tight.)

sorry, remind me, if they are in the shed, can you provide for some side by side interaction, it just won’t be 24/7?
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Little bit but it'll be a squeeze.

I could make the bottom level slightly smaller to allow the top piggy to come down the ramp into a sectioned off area and interact through the mesh.

Another option would be to split the hutch in half vertically have a ramp each to get to the second floor and still interact through mesh. Not ideal as technically they'd only have 2.5x2 feet of space but they do have another level. That way then you're not relying on top piggy coming down the ramp.

It's difficult I'm either compromising on space or interaction. Which is more important?
 
Engel said:
Little bit but it'll be a squeeze.

I could make the bottom level slightly smaller to allow the top piggy to come down the ramp into a sectioned off area and interact through the mesh.

Another option would be to split the hutch in half vertically have a ramp each to get to the second floor and still interact through mesh. Not ideal as technically they'd only have 2.5x2 feet of space but they do have another level. That way then you're not relying on top piggy coming down the ramp.

It's difficult I'm either compromising on space or interaction. Which is more important?
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Both of those scenarios - splitting vertically and sectioning off at the bottom of the ramp both mean that either one or both piggies living space will be below minimum welfare standards.
2 x 2.5 ft of space is simply never going to work. Upper levels don’t count, each piggy needs 2ft x 4ft (while they are single) on one level. And as per my measurements, if you do the section at the bottom of the ramp, then the bottom piggy will only have 90 odd cm x 50cm.
 
I think you may have to put them on each level of the bluebell (block up the ramp hole). and then bring one down and make a playpen at the front of the hutch so they can interact as much as possible through the mesh of the hutch doors
 
Will they survive if I put them out in the week? It's dropping colder now so I do worry as they were originally outdoor pigs but I've had them indoors for 2 weeks.
 
Engel said:
Will they survive if I put them out in the week? It's dropping colder now so I do worry as they were originally outdoor pigs but I've had them indoors for 2 weeks.
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if you can pick a time when the night is as warm as it is going to be in the week, give several snugglesafes, loads of hay etc.
have you got everything you need for them to be outdoor piggies - the hutch and thermal hutch cover, snugglesafes etc ?
 
On other thing, I’ve you’re getting the bluebell, then make sure you use plastic or something to line the floors and protect from urine. It’s thin plywood.
 
Piggies&buns said:
On other thing, I’ve you’re getting the bluebell, then make sure you use plastic or something to line the floors and protect from urine. It’s thin plywood.
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I was thinking of lining it with correx? As it'll stop the bedding spilling out and add as a layer to help keep warm, I know it's useless on its own but if I layer newspaper, correx, newspaper, shavings then hay it'll help with warmth?

How many snuggle safes should I get? I was thinking of one each putting it in the main sleep area and have a hide without one so they've got somewhere else to lie if they get too warm?

I haven't got anything yet other than correx, shavings, newspaper, hides and hay. I know I'll need more hay. Am I able to use a cheap hay as bedding or is straw best?

Many years ago when I had an outdoor rabbit (well she was my sister's), we used straw as bedding but it was so pokey and sharp. What's todays views on straw? I personally don't like it and if I can use hay I'd rather use that.

I need:
Snuggle safes
Hutch and thermal cover
More hay

What hides are best for retaining heat? At the moment they have cardboard boxes. I don't like plastic as they get condensation. Wood can go mouldy. Are fleece hides ok I'm winter? Will they still wick if dried properly before use?
 
There’s no need to put the newspaper under the correx. Mine was always just plastic lining, newspaper and then hay. My new hutch is different so I just use a good layer of aubiose and then hay on top now.

Cheap hay is fine for bedding but you still need to make sure it’s nice, green and non dusty as they will still eat it. Piggies must never have straw, it’s too sharp and can cause injury.

One each should be enough but you’ll have to see.
I have four snugglesafes between my two piggies (so effectively two each). i use wooden hides and then pop a piece of fleece over the top of the hide and the snugglesafe under the hide. The fleece helps with keeping the warmth from the snugglesafe trapped in.
ive never found wood goes mouldy if the hutch is well kept. I’ve had rabbits for 30 years and never had an issue with it.

Having fleece they sit on outside can be problematic as it can soak moisture from the air and as theyll pee on it, it doesn’t always dry properly in winter. My two do have a fleece tunnel each but I remove them each morning, bring them indoors to ensure they are dry, before giving them back to them at night time. (Actually four fleece tunnels l can rotate in and out to allow for washing).
 
Piggies&buns said:
There’s no need to put the newspaper under the correx. Mine was always just plastic lining, newspaper and then hay. My new hutch is different so I just use a good layer of aubiose and then hay on top now.

Cheap hay is fine for bedding but you still need to make sure it’s nice, green and non dusty as they will still eat it. Piggies must never have straw, it’s too sharp and can cause injury.

One each should be enough but you’ll have to see.
I have four snugglesafes between my two piggies (so effectively two each). i use wooden hides and then pop a piece of fleece over the top of the hide and the snugglesafe under the hide. The fleece helps with keeping the warmth from the snugglesafe trapped in.
ive never found wood goes mouldy if the hutch is well kept. I’ve had rabbits for 30 years and never had an issue with it.

Having fleece they sit on outside can be problematic as it can soak moisture from the air and as theyll pee on it, it doesn’t always dry properly in winter. My two do have a fleece tunnel each but I remove them each morning, bring them indoors to ensure they are dry, before giving them back to them at night time. (Actually four fleece tunnels l can rotate in and out to allow for washing).
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Ah ok so is that just a scrap bit of fleece or is it made to fit that hide specially?

I'll leave fleece cosies for warmer weather then. I always check the hay before I buy it. I always buy the most green and nice smelling (yes I smell inside the packaging, people probably think I'm nuts) I only buy dust extracted.

Someone's selling organic bales of Timothy and ryegrass for horses near me. Fresh from this year. Would this be safe for pigs? It's just £5 a bale!
 
Engel said:
Ah ok so is that just a scrap bit of fleece or is it made to fit that hide specially?

I'll leave fleece cosies for warmer weather then. I always check the hay before I buy it. I always buy the most green and nice smelling (yes I smell inside the packaging, people probably think I'm nuts) I only buy dust extracted.

Someone's selling organic bales of Timothy and ryegrass for horses near me. Fresh from this year. Would this be safe for pigs? It's just £5 a bale!
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theyre just small fleece dog blankets which I use over hides. i use the bendy log bridges as hides

timothy can be too sharp to use as a bedding. You reallyneed soft meadow hay for bedding. Timothy is fine for eating.
 
Piggies&buns said:
theyre just small fleece dog blankets which I use over hides. i use the bendy log bridges as hides

timothy can be too sharp to use as a bedding. You reallyneed soft meadow hay for bedding. Timothy is fine for eating.
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That's simple enough.

Ok I'll keep that in mind.
 
I'm looking to get a thermometer. Am I able to have on that goes into the hutch? So I know what the temp is in the hutch? Or shall I just keep one just in the shed?
 
Yes, just ensure it’s out of their reach.

I have my thermometer cable tied to the wire door on the outside of the hutch, so that when I pull all the hutch covers down I still get the reading from with it the hutch space itself.

I also have a thermometer in the shed, plus one outside. This helps me know how much of a difference there is from directly outside to inside the shed to inside the hutch.
 
@Wiebke I'm pretty sure Oreo is definitely pregnant. Her belly is big, eating like a horse, drinking like a fish, spends a lot of time lay down and I swear while having cuddles with her just no I could see AND feel baby movement in 2 balls on either side of her stomach! It says in the guide that this happens in the final 2 weeks please tell me I have an extra week to prepare myself 😬
 
I managed to get a video of it btw


There's a lot of movement at the 1 min mark. I know that you can't say for certain but is it reasonable at this point to assume that's baby movement. From what I've gathered it's in the right place. She'd be 7-8 weeks (assuming she mated on first heat at 3-4 weeks old).
 
Engel said:
@Wiebke I'm pretty sure Oreo is definitely pregnant. Her belly is big, eating like a horse, drinking like a fish, spends a lot of time lay down and I swear while having cuddles with her just no I could see AND feel baby movement in 2 balls on either side of her stomach! It says in the guide that this happens in the final 2 weeks please tell me I have an extra week to prepare myself 😬
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Hi!

Since a lot depends on the size of a litter, all we can say that you are somewhere in the later stages of a pregnancy but we cannot predict the birthing date. Please make sure that you put everything in place that you need to. If the balls are still moving and you cannot feel the babies' bodies directly through the mother's skin, you should have some days' grace to get your act together.

All the best.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

Since a lot depends on the size of a litter, all we can say that you are somewhere in the later stages of a pregnancy but we cannot predict the birthing date. Please make sure that you put everything in place that you need to. If the balls are still moving and you cannot feel the babies' bodies directly through the mother's skin, you should have some days' grace to get your act together.

All the best.
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In the pregnancy and orphan threads it mentions teats. What should I look at getting? Also beaphar do a small animal milk replacer I'll link them here and you can tell me what you think

Beaphar Small Animal Milk, 200 g 12145: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007W98R9I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_97NSFbYAB0CBX
 
Engel said:
In the pregnancy and orphan threads it mentions teats. What should I look at getting? Also beaphar do a small animal milk replacer I'll link them here and you can tell me what you think

Beaphar Small Animal Milk, 200 g 12145: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007W98R9I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_97NSFbYAB0CBX
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Hi!

Please don't panic. If your sow is well cared for and has been for weeks, these things won't be necessary at all. Babies from well cared mothers are usually not runts that need extra care. If problems happen, they are usually birth-related and the babies don't generally require extra feeding. Orphans in a good home are very rare, and so are very small babies - the latter is more common in repeat births and large litters from over-bred sows. Keep in mind that our pregnancy section is not quite representative - we are often found and contacted over complications. when you only look at pregnancies that we have supported over the duration, you will get a very different picture. ;)

These things you are mentioning are useful for people who take in sows from bad backgrounds on a regular basis. You can order/buy them very quickly in the UK in the case that you really need them, but otherwise they are just wasted money.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

Please don't panic. If your sow is well cared for and has been for weeks, these things won't be necessary at all. Babies from well cared mothers are usually not runts that need extra care. If problems happen, they are usually birth-related and the babies don't generally require extra feeding. Orphans in a good home are very rare, and so are very small babies - the latter is more common in repeat births and large litters from over-bred sows. Keep in mind that our pregnancy section is not quite representative - we are often found and contacted over complications. when you only look at pregnancies that we have supported over the duration, you will get a very different picture. ;)

These things you are mentioning are useful for people who take in sows from bad backgrounds on a regular basis. You can order/buy them very quickly in the UK in the case that you really need them, but otherwise they are just wasted money.
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Ok thanks for that. I don't really know how well she was cared for before I got her. This upcoming Sunday will mark the 3 weeks that I've had them. Would the muesli mix she was on have a negative impact on the early stages of pregnancy? I know the diet she's on now is basically perfect but as she hasn't had it throughout the whole pregnancy, just the last trimester.

I won't bother with the milk then. I'll still get critical care and some syringes/spoons though. So if Oreo needs a pick me up that'll help her too right? Or will mushed up pellets do?
 
As it seems she is definitely pregnant then is there any way you are able to put off their move outside? Pregnant mums and particularly newborn babies should really be indoors in the warm.
 
Engel said:
Ok thanks for that. I don't really know how well she was cared for before I got her. This upcoming Sunday will mark the 3 weeks that I've had them. Would the muesli mix she was on have a negative impact on the early stages of pregnancy? I know the diet she's on now is basically perfect but as she hasn't had it throughout the whole pregnancy, just the last trimester.

I won't bother with the milk then. I'll still get critical care and some syringes/spoons though. So if Oreo needs a pick me up that'll help her too right? Or will mushed up pellets do?
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What your mother needs is a handful or two of alfalfa hay in addition to her normal hay. The more hay she eats, the better for her own health. Unless she was acutely neglected and underfed, the babies should be fine. The big weight gain is happening on your good care where most of what you are feeding now is going towards them.

Please keep your piggies indoors; pregnant piggies and babies are at much higher risk of illness and death when outside. it would be best to treat them like tender plants and wait until next April/May with some transition weeks of up and down weather/cold nights.
 
Piggies&buns said:
As it seems she is definitely pregnant then is there any way you are able to put off their move outside? Pregnant mums and particularly newborn babies should really be indoors in the warm.
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I'm trying to. When would it be safe for young pigs to go outside? 8 weeks old? Takes us to February? In a hutch in the shed with covers, snuggle safes and everything. Or try to get until the end of march?

Out of curiosity and a bit of fun, how many do you think she'll have? (No one can say for certain but think of it like a human pregnancy and people guessing if it's a boy or girl)
 
Wiebke said:
What your mother needs is a handful or two of alfalfa hay in addition to her normal hay. The more hay she eats, the better for her own health. Unless she was acutely neglected and underfed, the babies should be fine. The big weight gain is happening on your good care where most of what you are feeding now is going towards them.

Please keep your piggies indoors; pregnant piggies and babies are at much higher risk of illness and death when outside. it would be best to treat them like tender plants and wait until next April/May with some transition weeks of up and down weather/cold nights.
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Ah ok. Shall I start the alfalfa now or after the babies are born?
 
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