Tips on helping pigs out of hutch

Sally Newbie

Sally Newbie

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Hi. I have a Chartwell hutch which has quite a drop from the rim of the door when it's open. This is good in one way as it's pretty difficult for the pigs to escape when feeding. So I am thinking about them accessing their run from the hutch. I have a ramp to attach to the outside which I have turned into a tunnel w a shoebox which might tempt them out to the run. But any ideas on how they could get to the ramp from inside the Chartwell?
 
Will do tomorrow, getting a bit dark outside now! It just must be something other members must have thought about if they don't take them in and out of their hutch and just let them make their own way out to the run when they fancy it.
 
I just can’t picture why they wouldn’t be able to access the run from inside but can from outside - it might just be me not reading and taking in your post properly!
My boys hutch/shed set up has taken on many forms over the years but their first hutch was also off the shed floor by quite a bit so I made a ramp out of bent c&c grids and hooked it onto their hutch so they could come and go from their hutch onto the shed floor as they pleased. Their set up is different now as their hutch is on the shed floor so they just hop in and out without the need of a ramp (and to get them into their run on the lawn from the shed, i carry them in a pet carrier)
 
It's just that I have bought a separate ramp for the outside from hutch rim to grass but nothing for the inside from inside hutch to hutch rim. Might have to buy another ramp for inside that only gets put in their hutch when they can go out.
 
Here's a pic of what I have got with a Chartwell hutch, can't believe they will hoist themselves up there! Like I say, I have covered the ramp with a shoebox so it is now a tunnel.
 

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Ah I see what you mean. They should be able to get up it. My piggies have just over a 3 inch space between the ground and their hutch floor and hop up and down onto it without any problems. (It’s the depth of a brick which my bricklayer husband tells me is 65mm plus the thickness of the wood).

You could try to put something on the hutch floor just in front of of the ramp which is half the depth of the step up which will help them

Definitely best to make that a tunnel - without it the edges are too exposed (it can scare them, plus it’s a risk of a fall). I’d also suggest putting something on the ramp for them to grip too - they are unlikely to want to walk on it as it is just bare wood
 

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I was going to put straw on the ramp for today and a treat half way down and another at the bottom! Shoebox tunnel will be fixed to it.
 
Not straw though, hay is the only thing they should have. The treats will help!
I meant they might need something grippy between the wooden steps though - like carpet tiles or pieces of vet bed stuck on (with Velcro so they can be removed for washing)
 
Well this afternoon I piled the hay up inside the hutch, placed chopped carrots down the ramp and after creeping down to fetch carrot and reversing back into the hutch 4 times, Puff came down the whole ramp onto the grass! Result! We let her eat the grass for 15 mins, I detached the ramp from the hutch, then tempted her back into it w carrot, closed the shoebox doors behind her and gently tipped her back into the hutch! So no chasing round after her, although I had bought a tunnel to do this with but they are too big for it and I didn't feel comfortable with their teeth right next to me hand. So perhaps will do 1/2 hr on grass tomorrow? Cheese showed interest but stayed in the hutch. I was hoping she might have a little run around for 'exercise' but she just stuffed as much grass in her as possible.
 
That’s good! It’ll take time but they will get there!

As I mentioned previously, build up grass time slowly until you are sure their tummies can handle it
 
Ok, Puff had 15 mins today so that's why I was thinking 30 tomorrow? Weather looks a bit rubbish after tomorrow so they probably won't have a chance again after tomorrow.
 
Sally Newbie said:
Ok, Puff had 15 mins today so that's why I was thinking 30 tomorrow? Weather looks a bit rubbish after tomorrow so they probably won't have a chance again after tomorrow.
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I’d do 15 mins again as Claire has suggested. You don’t want to do too much too soon. I’d stick to 15 mins for a week just to check they are coping with it and the build it up.
 
Yes, it's better to be safe, I'll do 15 mins for tomorrow and then Friday again by look of weather forecast. Then it looks a wash out til Monday.
 
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