Author Topic: Toys for pigs?! (Read 5083 times)

Mel · « **on:** April 03, 2011, 07:32:28 am »

Hi all

I read an article on the web advising that pigs must have toys! to include things like chains and snak-a-balls and so forth.Do any of you pro or regular pig keepers have toys for your pigs? I need to be ready,we have our arks coming next Saturday and then we shall be getting our piggies soon after,I wanted to get everything in place prior to getting them!

oaklandspigs · « **Reply #1 on:** April 03, 2011, 08:55:30 am »

Under the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) 2007 schedule 8

“To enable proper investigation and manipulation activities, all pigs must have permanent access to a sufficient quantity of material such as straw, hay, wood, sawdust, mushroom compost, peat or a mixture of such which does not adversely affect the health of the animals.”

The welfare of pigs code states :

“Environmental enrichment provides pigs with the opportunity to root, investigate, chew and play. Straw is an excellent material for environmental enrichment as it can satisfy many of the pigs’ behavioural and physical needs. It provides a fibrous material which the pig can eat; the pig is able to root in and play with long straw; and, when used as bedding, straw can provide the pig with physical and thermal comfort. Objects such as footballs and chains can satisfy some of the pigs’ behavioural needs, but can quickly lose their novelty factor. The long-term use of such items is not, therefore, recommended unless they are used in conjunction with materials such as those listed above, or are changed on a weekly basis”

Obviously if pigs are being kept outside on earth then they already have environmental enrichment in the land, and will have straw/hay as bedding in their ark, so do not need other materials.

So “pigs must have toys” is not a true statement, either in law or to satisfy their needs for an outdoor system.
Some people do provide toys, and there is no particular reason not to, but like a 5 year old, they do tend to get bored quickly.

Mel · « **Reply #2 on:** April 03, 2011, 09:05:11 am »

Thank you Oaklands Pigs,That is the article I read!I placed a question about space earlier and wish for them to be happy in that area without getting bored.

robert waddell · « **Reply #3 on:** April 03, 2011, 09:22:35 am »

it should be noted that the regulations are mainly guided towards intensive reared pigs(to prevent fighting and tail biting)
as oaklands has said outdoor pigs get enrichment from there surroundings they improvise for themselves

a lot of time and money would probably have been wasted in producing these quoted articles had they observed free range/outdoor pigs they could save time and money and not so many BSC in pig management and welfare just my view

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #4 on:** April 03, 2011, 09:24:48 am »

As above BUT Digby has a football, a dog pull, a box of old feed sacks and a hessian shopping bag. Hilary has an old tyre and a very very large branch in any paddock she is in, otherwise she chews the bark on the trees, rips up the roots and trashes them when they fall. Our normal piglets find their own fun with sticks, maybe the feed bucket, leaves and anything else in the field.

bloomer · « **Reply #5 on:** April 03, 2011, 09:33:59 am »

are you saying digby and hilary arn't normal??

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #6 on:** April 03, 2011, 10:28:05 am »

little blue · « **Reply #7 on:** April 03, 2011, 05:26:58 pm »

ours have a selection of branches, tyres, footballs, road-cones (don't ask!) feed sacks (stuff them with stray or hay while theres crumbs of food at the bottom - keeps them busy for ages!) a patio & different height rocks to clamber on.

This on top of straw, hay, shavings, newspaper, shredded paper in the shed ... and still they have chewed the floor down to the concrete!! though thats probably as their food ends up there!

Eastling · « **Reply #8 on:** April 03, 2011, 07:00:19 pm »

Ours have a tyre, a dog kong, dogpull, squeaky toy they tend to eat newspaper so we dont give it to them. They also have great fun chasing each other and play fighting oh they also have a piece of garden hose tacked high in a fence post. Both are quite keen on old branches dug up and carried around or taken into the stable for chewing. Also chew chalk that they have dug up!

loosey · « **Reply #9 on:** April 04, 2011, 09:34:29 am »

I got my OH to bash a huge post into the middle of our pig paddock and we screwed a horse sratching mat to it (like rubber matting with big pimples sticking out!). They love it for scratching on ... I then screwed a baton to the top and I use this to hang swedes on baling twine to (a bit like swing ball!). They get all our bits from the garden and the veggy patch to play with too and once the grass is gone in the summer I normally chuck the core form the horses haylage in for them to play with. I often put feed in the rim of their tyres for them to play with ... failing that, they love playing chase with us!