Is my cage good enough?

[Alivia.davis.23]

I would just like to make sure this cage is okay for them. It’s a 4x2 CC cage. With a custom built bottom with liners under. They have 2 water bottles, 2 food bowls, 2 hay racks and separate houses with treats. I can’t help but feel like I need to add or do something, so if anyone has any recommendations, feedback, or tips please help out. Thank you.

 

[Piggies&buns]

If you’ve got two sows, then a 4x2 c&c is a perfect size for them.
If you’ve got two boars, then a 4x2 is the absolute minimum size and a 5x2 is recommended

it does look like they would benefit from something more to do - some more tunnels, multi exit hides added for example.

Personally, I don’t use hayracks and instead I just put large piles of hay around directly on the floor (mine are also bedded on hay). I find that they eat so much more hay when they don’t have to use a rack. Plus, a big pile of hay on the floor is a lot of fun for them, they can run through, burrow and hide into it and forage through it in a much more natural way. i mix their one tablespoon per day of pellets and their veg into the pile of hay rather than using bowls as it again, encourages foraging.

Depending on your piggies, using enclosed hides like you have can be problematic. It is recommended that all hides have two exits so no piggy can get trapped in one by the other, particularly if your piggies are teenagers.
I have boars (not teens anymore) and always go for plenty of hides so they have lots to do and use several tunnels for them to run through and chew. I’ve got got a couple of cardboard boxes in their cage with two or three holes for doors cut in for them to play with.

What are those coloured things hanging either side of the hay racks? Are they those hanging seed treat things? If so, then I’d recommend you remove them. They aren’t suitable for piggies.

 

[Siikibam]

That bowl of pellets is too much. They should only be getting a tablespoon each a day. I agree with regards the hay racks. They’d much prefer to be able to run through and even sleep in the hay. So two big piles would make them very happy.

Do you have sows or boars? And what are the actual measurements of the cage? If sows it should be 120x60cm. If boars it should be 150x60cm or bigger.

 

[Tara95]

It looks quite spacious as they've got a nice open space in the middle but as said above boars do require a bit more space. (And I'm sure it would be in your best interests to make it bigger before the little pig becomes a teenager and issues could arise over space and territory making it more likely that they may have to be split up in the future). I have found with my cage there's hardly any disagreements due to it being fairly large, the pigs can go to different ends of the room and keep their distance if annoyed.

I would add another two squares at the end to make a hay room personally. For example you could use a litter tray or some correx with fairly high walls to keep the hay out from the rest of the cage. This will allow them to burrow and play in the hay. They'd also he eating alot more hay. It also wouldn't look out of place and would be easy to clean. Love the wooden bottom cage design btw!

Personally I would also add some hideys that have two exits or more so if there is any tension in the future they can easily get away from each other. I have attached a picture below of an IKEA bed that has more than 4 exits underneath
I would also add some tunnels too! Lavinia on here makes lovely fleece corner tunnels and other cosy items
Good luck! Love the two water bottles to prevent issues!
Also edit* for enrichment I would recommend the haycube you can buy them online for £3.50 and I always buy a few at the same time. They would last you a fair while as you have two pigs. Mine love their hay cube and I also continue to stuff hay through it every few days so it's a kind of fun hayrack which they can use to file their teeth down

 

[Claire W]

It looks lovely but I agree about the hay piles. Your piggies would much prefer two big hay piles on the floor rather than in hay racks I would also add some more hides and perhaps some tunnels.

I think I see a couple of seed sticks hanging in your cage? They’re really not suitable for piggies as they shouldn’t have seeds as they’re a choking hazard

 

[Sweet Potato]

I agree with all that is said above my Spud is always the first to claim a hide so I make sure there's at least 3 so Gundham also gets a choice. My boys don't spend much time in the open space unless they've got the zoomies and instead prefer to shuffle about between hideys, tunnels, corner hammocks and cardboard boxes so I make sure there's lots to do in this regard.

I think I was quite late switching from hay racks to a hay tray but it's definitely worth it they eat more and they're less likely to get haypoke (bits of hay in their eyes)

 

[VickiA]

It’s a good size for 2 sows, but will be a bit small if they are boars. I agree that hay is best in largish piles as they need tonnes of it each day. I have mine in hay trays. They are shallow cat litter trays with a bit of newspaper in and a handful of wood shavings then hay oiled up on top. I have one at each end of the cage.
for enrichment, you could also add toilet roll tubes stuffed with hay, tunnels, and more hideys perhaps made from cardboard boxes with doors cut into the sides. Your piggies will love the extra things to do and to chew.

 

[Alivia.davis.23]

That bowl of pellets is too much. They should only be getting a tablespoon each a day. I agree with regards the hay racks. They’d much prefer to be able to run through and even sleep in the hay. So two big piles would make them very happy.

Do you have sows or boars? And what are the actual measurements of the cage? If sows it should be 120x60cm. If boars it should be 150x60cm or bigger.

Their both sows. One is about 21/2 years old while the other one is almost 6.