My two pigs were inherited from the lady next door, (actually, I think I might have kidnapped them) because we both knew that their winter quarters were far from ideal.
They are very nervous, (lack of handling and incorrect handling by children). I have attached photos of the home I have provided for them. I have put the run in an ex pigeon coop, weather proof, with a clear corrugated plastic roof. I keep my delicate plants in there for the winter. They have two shelters inside to hide in, and the run is off the floor and well insulated.
This is not going to be warm enough, so I have purchased an Elixir 70cm heating tube which is fitted inside the run but at a height that is out of reach of the pigs.
Putting electrical items inside the run was certainly counter intuitive. I use an extension lead with a cutout feature and there is no possibility of the pigs getting to anything that could be chewed.
They have 2 'hutches' (is that the right term?) inside the run. One hutch has a 32cm x 40cm Pecute heating mat inside, designed for animal use. The lead is armoured but it is also inaccessible for the pigs. It is waterproof, with a fleece lining that I cover with an old pillow case which I can change. I have tested the heat of this pad, it is gentle and they appear to love it. The other hutch is their 'bolt hole' for when I clean them out.
I rarely see them. I know it's not personal but I hope to get them to warm to me at some point. I have let them have a week of complete non-interaction but I know I will have to handle them at some point to check them over.
I was talking to my husband about this, who has been very clever with regard to setting up housing etc. (He is a very kind person and accepts all the animal waifs and strays I tend to end up with.) So, for my birthday, he bought a 'piggiecam'. A Wansview WiFi camera (about £25) which we have placed near the run (must be within wifi range) which is fantastic but such a time waster! I especially like that I can observe them to check that they are eating, drinking etc. I was worried that they were scared all the time, but the camera shows that they are happy, until I turn up, that is.
I have a question about the drinking bottle height. Should the pigs reach up for water? I watched them both drink this morning and they had to stretch a bit on their hind legs. Also, their pee has a little patch of white, almost chalky residue in the centre of it. Having read bad things about calcium, is this normal? We are in a soft water area btw.
One of the other things I got for my birthday was a thermometer that connects to my phone, so I can check the temperature of the hutch. Govee room thermometer with bluetooth about £15.
So, that's my winter viewing sorted. I would highly recommend the camera.
They are very nervous, (lack of handling and incorrect handling by children). I have attached photos of the home I have provided for them. I have put the run in an ex pigeon coop, weather proof, with a clear corrugated plastic roof. I keep my delicate plants in there for the winter. They have two shelters inside to hide in, and the run is off the floor and well insulated.
This is not going to be warm enough, so I have purchased an Elixir 70cm heating tube which is fitted inside the run but at a height that is out of reach of the pigs.
Putting electrical items inside the run was certainly counter intuitive. I use an extension lead with a cutout feature and there is no possibility of the pigs getting to anything that could be chewed.
They have 2 'hutches' (is that the right term?) inside the run. One hutch has a 32cm x 40cm Pecute heating mat inside, designed for animal use. The lead is armoured but it is also inaccessible for the pigs. It is waterproof, with a fleece lining that I cover with an old pillow case which I can change. I have tested the heat of this pad, it is gentle and they appear to love it. The other hutch is their 'bolt hole' for when I clean them out.
I rarely see them. I know it's not personal but I hope to get them to warm to me at some point. I have let them have a week of complete non-interaction but I know I will have to handle them at some point to check them over.
I was talking to my husband about this, who has been very clever with regard to setting up housing etc. (He is a very kind person and accepts all the animal waifs and strays I tend to end up with.) So, for my birthday, he bought a 'piggiecam'. A Wansview WiFi camera (about £25) which we have placed near the run (must be within wifi range) which is fantastic but such a time waster! I especially like that I can observe them to check that they are eating, drinking etc. I was worried that they were scared all the time, but the camera shows that they are happy, until I turn up, that is.
I have a question about the drinking bottle height. Should the pigs reach up for water? I watched them both drink this morning and they had to stretch a bit on their hind legs. Also, their pee has a little patch of white, almost chalky residue in the centre of it. Having read bad things about calcium, is this normal? We are in a soft water area btw.
One of the other things I got for my birthday was a thermometer that connects to my phone, so I can check the temperature of the hutch. Govee room thermometer with bluetooth about £15.
So, that's my winter viewing sorted. I would highly recommend the camera.
We have a night camera that we used to watch hedgehogs, we used to sit there for hours. Sadly they have not been around much lately, although keep seeing the odd hedgehog poo so there are some about. The thermometer is an excellent idea too, so you can monitor the temperature
)