Nervous Behaviour after Outside Time...

[Storm1974]

Bramble and Herbert went outside today for a good few hours in their run (Separated because they fight if put together) and Herbert really doesn't seem to like it, because most of the few times they've been in their run (They've been out in it around half a dozen times max) he has just mainly stayed in the one place where we put his pile of hay, hiding, sleeping and eating in it, and barely venturing out to explore or eat grass. Then since he's been put back in his cage tonight, he has been acting quite nervous hiding away in his arch quite a lot and running from us if we put our hands anywhere near him, as if he is terrified of being picked up and put back outside again!

Bramble is much more active when he's out in his half of the run, and just acts pretty normal, rumbling through the bars at Herbert, as soon as Herbert moves, which is exactly what he does when he's in the cage , and he also eats grass, and explores around the run a lot more than Herbert ever does.

I think they did both get a bit freaked out today with some bird noises and our dog barking at the neighbours briefly, so that may be part of it, but I am just wondering whether they actually enjoy going out in the run, or maybe they are happier staying in their cage? It would be a shame for them to not want to go out because I hate them being inside when it's lovely and sunny and warm outside, but if they're really not enjoying it, should we just leave them in their cage instead and not bother with the run again?

I do feel it's good for them to have the fresh air and also have a break from their cage because they can't free range inside and Bramble does almost constantly bar bite (directed towards Hebert mainly) when he's in the cage, so surely it's better for them to be outside when possible and having a change of scenery?

Their run (Separated into two) is quite a bit smaller than each of their cages, so they're not going out there to have more room, just fresh air, sunshine and a break from their cage..... But I'm really not sure they enjoy it that much.

 

[Storm1974]

Ok, so now Herbert is acting totally normal again, letting me scritch him on the head, doing zoomies around the cage etc. So think he was just tired earlier after being awake most of the day with all the stimulation of being outside....Even if he just stayed in one place hiding in his hay the whole time!

Still not sure if they enjoy being outside in their run though and whether we should put them out in it all this week while it's supposed to be nice.

 

[piggieminder]

I'd stick with it for now and see how they go, they will probably love it once they work out what it's all about and that the strange noises won't hurt them. Even my older boys that have been going out for years are nervous at first. This year has been particularly hard to get them back into the change of routine because of the inconsistent weather. They've been out about 6 times with huge gaps between garden trips and 4 out of the six are still unsure and are staying in their carriers, just eating the grass they can reach out of the doorway. I'm hoping if the weather stays good for a longer time now they can go out for a few days in a row and become used to the garden again.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Mine have barely set foot outside this year.
My two younger (coming up 2 years in September) boys are absolutely fine with it but my 6 year old hides for a large stretch of time when they first go out. He wanders about eventually but would rather Eat the grass in his hide until it’s bare than go after the rest of it!

Make sure to cover the cage with a blanket to provide them with some protection

 

[KathT]

I had a similar and strange experience with one of my pigs last week. After being out on the grass, I brought my girls Ebony and Florence in, but Ebony went mental as soon as I put her back in the cage, running blindly in sheer panic. There was nothing untoward about their cage and Florence was okay it a bit quiet with Ebony panicking. All the others were quiet too so she was obviously giving vibes of something untoward being close, but I don’t know where it came from. She even jumped out of the cage and I found her on the floor (luckily they are at ground level) when I checked on them an hour or so later. It took her about three days to get back to normal. She was off her food for a while too. The others were fine by the next day, even Florence, though she was giving Ebony a wide berth! Don’t know what it was but everything is back to normal now.