Overweight Bracken and Possibility of Shelving for Ferplast 140 Cage?

[Storm1974]

After handling Bracken (Just over 3 1/2 months old) and Bramble today, I noticed that Bracken (Who is definitely a boy) looked like he was pregnant, with quite a big belly! So, I guess I am feeding them too much (We will be weighing them tomorrow to find out their exact weight!), especially as Bracken is the more dominant pig so often gets a little bit more food than Bramble, it seems. They also don't seem quite as active as they were when we first got them, though Bramble does still race about the cage, but not quite as much as he did and Bracken seems to have almost stopped, though he does still popcorn quite a bit.

We were also thinking that, although we cannot really afford a different cage to the one they have, or have the room to get a larger one, is there a possibility that we could get/make some shelving for the cage we have, so at least they could have a bit more room to move about, especially as they get older and bigger?

Their current cage is a Ferplast 140 (As stated in the title).....Approximate Dimensions: 48 x 140 x 71cm

 

[Piggies&buns]

To gauge whether he is overweight (which is generally unlikely) you need to feel around his ribs, not his belly. This is called their heft. The number on the scales does not tell you whether they are overweight - it just tells you that they are eating enough.
If you can feel his ribs through a thin layer of fat, then he is absolutely fine for his size. If you cannot feel any of his ribs, then he is overweight. If you can feel all the ribs and no fat, then they are underweight.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

Adding shelving or upper levels does not change anything in terms of the space they have. Also unless they are able to jump up onto a shelf, adding a ramp will cut the floor space up and actually make their cage smaller.
As their cage is slightly wider, it means that their cage just meets minimum sizing for two boys.
Is there any possibility of you getting some c&c grids and creating a permanent extension to the front of the cage (with something like a shower curtain on the floor to protect your flooring) and leaving their cage door open all the time? It doesn’t have to be huge if space is tight, but it would have considerably more benefit to them than adding a shelf.

 

[Storm1974]

To gauge whether he is overweight (which is generally unlikely) you need to feel around his ribs, not his belly. This is called their heft. The number on the scales does not tell you whether they are overweight - it just tells you that they are eating enough.
If you can feel his ribs through a thin layer of fat, then he is absolutely fine for his size. If you cannot feel any of his ribs, then he is overweight. If you can feel all the ribs and no fat, then they are underweight.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

Adding shelving or upper levels does not change anything in terms of the space they have. Also unless they are able to jump up onto a shelf, adding a ramp will cut the floor space up and actually make their cage smaller.
As their cage is slightly wider, it means that their cage just meets minimum sizing for two boys.
Is there any possibility of you getting some c&c grids and creating a permanent extension to the front of the cage (with something like a shower curtain on the floor to protect your flooring) and leaving their cage door open all the time? It doesn’t have to be huge if space is tight, but it would have considerably more benefit to them than adding a shelf.

Thanks for the info on their weight, I don't want to get him out again now, but will do it tomorrow. I do think he is a bit overweight though.

My partner has just told me that was the wrong cage info I gave and the one we have is actually a little bit bigger 140L x 61D x 51H.
I don't think there's any way we could add any C&C grids though, because it has a deep plastic base and it's on a table.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thanks for the info on their weight, I don't want to get him out again now, but will do it tomorrow. I do think he is a bit overweight though.

My partner has just told me that was the wrong cage info I gave and the one we have is actually a little bit bigger 140L x 61D x 51H.
I don't think there's any way we could add any C&C grids though, because it has a deep plastic base and it's on a table.

Sorry I thought you meant it was 140x71cm which made it just over 10 square feet.

If it is actually 140x61cm then it comes in smaller than I thought at only 9 square feet which is considered too small for two boars.
Two boars need 150x60cm as a minimum (10 square feet), but ideally 180x60cm (12 square feet). Space really does matter to boars particularly as they become teenagers.

The plastic base doesn’t matter but being on the table obviously does!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Being overweight at his age would be unlikely - he would have had to have been fed incorrectly and not had any exercise in pretty much all his life.
Piggies in a good diet with plenty of hay and leafy greens and limited pellets generally do not become overweight.

 

[Storm1974]

Sorry I thought you meant it was 140x71cm which made it just over 10 square feet.

If it is actually 140x61cm then it comes in smaller than I thought at only 9 square feet which is considered too small for two boars.
Two boars need 150x60cm as a minimum (10 square feet), but ideally 180x60cm (12 square feet). Space really does matter to boars particularly as they become teenagers.

The plastic base doesn’t matter but being on the table obviously does!

Ok, we've just been looking at the Ferplast Krolick 200 cage, which is absolutely massive (13.24 sq ft) and we are considering getting this, but we would have to re-arrange the room a bit, to fit it in!
KROLIK 200

 

[Piggies&buns]

Ok, we've just been looking at the Ferplast Krolick 200 cage, which is absolutely massive (13.24 sq ft) and we are considering getting this, but we would have to re-arrange the room a bit, to fit it in!
KROLIK 200

It is a good cage for a boar pair.

Similar to the ferplast 160 which I have as a spare cage - it’s a nice cage - bit fiddly to build but ok if you go into it with time and patience!

 

[Storm1974]

Being overweight at his age would be unlikely - he would have had to have been fed incorrectly and not had any exercise in pretty much all his life.
Piggies in a good diet with plenty of hay and leafy greens and limited pellets generally do not become overweight.

They always have plenty of hay and leafy greens, but also quite a lot of yellow pepper and grass. We don't give them too many pellets either, though I do like to give them 'enough' as they are very good quality ones and I see them as a bit extra for vitamins/minerals they may be missing out on.

Also, I just feel like they're bored a lot of the time, so often give them a bit more than maybe I should, because they love to eat and make me feel so guilty that I'm not giving them enough!

 

[Piggies&buns]

They always have plenty of hay and leafy greens, but also quite a lot of yellow pepper and grass. We don't give them too many pellets either, though I do like to give them 'enough' as they are very good quality ones and I see them as a bit extra for vitamins/minerals they may be missing out on.

Also, I just feel like they're bored a lot of the time, so often give them a bit more than maybe I should, because they love to eat and make me feel so guilty that I'm not giving them enough!

If they get a bigger cage then there is more space for enrichment and mental stimulation which will help stop boredom.
I know it’s hard and you want to spoil them, but over feeding, even a little, on veg and pellets won’t do them any favours. Providing enrichment is better than providing excess food.

 

[Storm1974]

If they get a bigger cage then there is more space for enrichment and mental stimulation which will help stop boredom.
I know it’s hard and you want to spoil them, but over feeding, even a little, on veg and pellets won’t do them any favours. Providing enrichment is better than providing excess food.

Yes I know and we do try, but it's hard to keep them enriched enough. Many of the enrichment things cost quite a lot of money, but we can try adding things slowly once we get the bigger cage. They currently have a small willow hidey, a couple of tubes, plenty of hay and we get empty cardboard boxes lined with newspaper from a local petshop, for their other hidey houses. They also have a hanging metal ball we can put vegies in for stimulation, but again that's food based.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes I know and we do try, but it's hard to keep them enriched enough. Many of the enrichment things cost quite a lot of money, but we can try adding things slowly once we get the bigger cage. They currently have a small willow hidey, a couple of tubes, plenty of hay and we get empty cardboard boxes lined with newspaper from a local petshop, for their other hidey houses. They also have a hanging metal ball we can put vegies in for stimulation, but again that's food based.

I don’t find enrichment costs much. I use cardboard boxes when I get them but the most common form of enrichment I use is hiding their veg and pellets (when they get them) in big piles of hay.

Be careful with the hanging metal ball. I think Something along those lines is on our unsafe accessories list.

 

[Storm1974]

I don’t find enrichment costs much. I use cardboard boxes when I get them but the most common form of enrichment I use is hiding their veg and pellets (when they get them) in big piles of hay.

Be careful with the hanging metal ball. I think Something along those lines is on our unsafe accessories list.

Yes I do that sometimes too, but I just thought the veg in the hay would make it all wet. Plus I like to make sure the boys get equal amounts of their veg really, to make sure one doesn't get too much of a certain food and one too little.

Regarding the hanging ball, if it's because of the potential issue of them getting their heads stuck in the hole, we hang it high enough so it would be too difficult to do this, plus I think there heads are too big to get stuck! I've just gone out and picked them a load of grass and other bits of forage, so will put some of it in their ball rather than on the cage floor.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes I do that sometimes too, but I just thought the veg in the hay would make it all wet. Plus I like to make sure the boys get equal amounts of their veg really, to make sure one doesn't get too much of a certain food and one too little.

Regarding the hanging ball, if it's because of the potential issue of them getting their heads stuck in the hole, we hang it high enough so it would be too difficult to do this, plus I think there heads are too big to get stuck! I've just gone out and picked them a load of grass and other bits of forage, so will put some of it in their ball rather than on the cage floor.

You really don’t need to worry about them getting an equal share. Spread amongst hay they will forage freely which is mental stimulation. Perhaps one may get more one day but the other may get more the next. It’s never been anything I’ve been concerned about.
It doesn’t make the hay wet.

 

[eileen]

I've the 160cm x 60cm plaza from ferplast,it's a good cage ,as others have mentioned.i got mine from the website zooplus,its cheaper on this site.
I hope you find lots of cardboard boxes,toilet roll inners,cut down the centre of these and stuff hay in them mine love these,you do not need expensive toys.