I feel guilty I don’t put my crew outside for grasstime.

[Hannah_xx]

Hi all!
Summer is here (sort of..). And I’m just too nervous to put the pigs outside for grass time in their runs. I’m worried about many things.
1. I can’t work out what most of the weeds are, but I know there is capeweed out there which wouldn’t be good for them. There is also a lot of clover.
3. We have a beautiful bottlebrush tree that drops foliage everywhere. I’m scared this would be toxic to them. There is also a peppercorn that drops leaves too.
3. Snakes. A red-bellied black snake was seen in my garden about 5 weeks ago. But of course, I would be checking them every 5 mins if the pigs were outside!
4. Bloat. I’m scared to death of bloat. I know I would have to gradually build up the grass time from 10 minutes to slowly get them use to grass again. But I’m still ultra paranoid.

I just feel so bad! The pigs love grass time and it’s so good for their mental and physical well-being to have fresh air and the grass beneath their feet. But I’m just too worried about creating a problem!
The pigs do get picked grass a few times a week, (though most the long grass is in seed now so they’re not getting much as I’m also paranoid the seeds will harm them). And they do get regular floortime for a good play and stretch.

Do you think I’m being over the top? The grass/weeds is browning off already. And soon it will probably be too hot to put them outside. I feel so bad and so silly, I have all this land and I’m too scared to put my piggies outside!

 

[Roselina]

No you’re not being paranoid …..my two boars don’t have grass time - I pick grass for them and they have a lovely home and floor time.
Piggies live for the moment and I don’t think they know what they’re missing. Bloat is a worry as is overheating.
I agree about the possible problems ….you would be very stressed and worried and that’s not good for you !
Snakes and vermin are a real concern .
Give them grass and you’ll feel happier knowing they are safe and can enjoy it.

 

[Hannah_xx]

No you’re not being paranoid …..my two boars don’t have grass time - I pick grass for them and they have a lovely home and floor time.
Piggies live for the moment and I don’t think they know what they’re missing. Bloat is a worry as is overheating.
I agree about the possible problems ….you would be very stressed and worried and that’s not good for you !
Snakes and vermin are a real concern .
Give them grass and you’ll feel happier knowing they are safe and can enjoy it.

Thanks Roselina!
Thats very true, the do live in the moment! And they have lovely big and fun cages which they seem happy with. And they enjoy floortime a lot!
I did manage to get them outside a little bit last year, so hopefully I will at least have a few days this summer where I feel confident putting them out for a little while..once the grass is a bit more..grassy.. lol. And once the trees have stopped shedding..

 

[Roselina]

That’s sounds good …. I do understand tho we love our piggies

 

[Betsy]

Mine don't go outside as there are foxes in the garden during the day. The outside runs claim to be predator proof but I'm not going to chance it because we all know how determined a fox can be! They go out in the run daily (except for the last week when they have been confined to the hutch) as it's too cold to let them out in the run in the garage. When the grass starts growing they will have loads daily as half of my garden is wild and grass grows like mad. Last year Lexi ran off in fear when she saw grass for the first time, brave Lexi decided to try some then very gingerly, Lexi tried some and found to her great surprise that she liked it. I bet she won't run away next year!

 

[Cheekypigs]

You sound like you've got yourself in a knot where all your worries come from trying to do the best for them, and then you accuse yourself of not doing your best for them. I recognise this as I've been there. Try your very hardest to give yourself a break - you are doing your best for them. That's all anybody could ask and they must be very happy pigs with this much love being lavished on them. If you are too worried to put them out, that's ok. Not all pigs get grass time. Plenty live in places where there are no gardens.

Give yourself a hug. You're doing good.

 

[piggieminder]

Don't feel bad Hannah your piggies have an amazing life in those lovely big cages. Mine do go outside weather permitting but this last summer it was either too wet, too cold or too hot! They hardly went out at all. I felt sorry about that as they don't have huge cages any more due to having to split cages when they decided they preferred not to share!

 

[Merab]

Mine never go outside either.
I‘m concerned because we have too many seagulls around.
It’s about putting the safety of the piggies first and yours have great space indoors.

 

[Bill & Ted]

All my four piggies have grasstime out in the runs in summer but to be honest I don’t think they are that bothered after about 15 minutes once they have gorged themselves with grass and would be happy to go back into their cages again. Bill and Ted loved being out in their run but this lot really aren’t that bothered

 

[Guinea Pig Magazine]

Our lot are not impressed with outdoor grass time, they prefer to have a pile of grass dumped in their pen.

 

[Swissgreys]

Everyone is just doing the best they can with what they have Hannah, and no one is perfect.
Some of us have huge, safe gardens with lush grass and some of us live in flats.
Some of us have unlimited budgets for toys and treats and some of us are counting every penny.
Some of us have herds of piggies handsome of us have a pair.

I think the main thing to focus on is how loved and well cared for all of your piggies are.
If you feel putting them outside is too risky, then they really are not sitting there feeling resentful about that.
They are stuffing their faces with wonderful hay and bouncing around their large cages pooping everywhere.
Your piggies are fine and you are doing a wonderful job.