The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: patchy1990 on March 01, 2011, 10:49:24 am
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Anything you do in particular for your pigs? I want to keep them stimulated but am running out of ideas! They are kept outside during the day, but i always bring them in during the night, well until it heats up a bit.
I just have the two GOS at the moment, and do things such as hiding fruit and veg around there field, even put some under the turfed up grass, gave them a couple of footballs with pig nuts that fall out etc.
Thankyou
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A new bale of straw will keep them busy for a few hours.
How large is the outside area?
We use the snack-a-ball too, it took one of the pigs about a nanosecond to find out how it worked, another didn't get it for several days and just seemed to think that that thick plastic ball was in his way :D
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We banged a fence post/stake into the ground in the pigs paddock and they use it for a good scratch. They also like to dance & play fight round it. They also have a fallen tree (only a sapling) but gives them loads of fun.
HTH
mandy :pig:
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Digby has a sofa, not for everyone but he does so enjoy pulling it apart.
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Digby has a sofa, not for everyone but he does so enjoy pulling it apart.
im starting to think you have the most spoiled pigs in the world!!!
;D ;D ;D
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The snak a ball is good if the ground's dry or it's used indoors otherwise it gunges up in no time.
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Ah yes, our snack-a-ball never makes it to the muddy bits but I can imagine it would indeed clogg up if it did. Will remember that for future use, so far it's been attached to the top of a really big metal ark to stop it rolling past the electric fence - slight issue with the ark, now, in that it's bent a bit after having to put up with the pigs' football! ::)
HM, clearly Digby is showing gratitude that you get him a nice, tasty sofa, not a cheap one with bland filling. ;D He must be the luckiest pig in the world! :pig: :love: :pig:
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Parents have pallet boards (though they stand on them when its muddy, again the boar has paving slabs so he can walk on them from his house to the gate, as he also hates mud), but they have carpet.. which the boar tends to use as a back rest, tyres and a big log. In the boars pen is also 2 plum trees that he uses as scratching posts and 3 blackcurrant bushes which he will shake when they have very ripe fruit on.. so we have to get there first ;D
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mine disappear into the woods for hours on end, no idea wot they do in there cos the trees are too low and dense for me to get in. ??? ???
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Balls, crumpled newspaper or an empty feed bag can be very entertaining. A dog toy like a short thick piece of rope with a knot in it, some really like it. I nailed it to the inside of the stall and they love to play tug of war and shake it just like a puppy. My 400 pound boar loves his homemade tether ball using a T-post and a soccer ball. He also loves playing with any sized beach ball he can rub his nose in. He has a ribbed piece of conduit he pushes around and climbs on as well. For my smaller pigs I take dog balls, or a cluster of tennis balls etc and macrame a little net for them out of bailing twine then hang them from the roof of the stalls for the piglets to bat around and try to chew on.
Good Luck!
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I stuff hay into almost empty feed bags - they can smell the food at the bottom but have to work to get at it.
tyres, footballs, trays they chuck about.
I love to watch them after they're mucked out.... if you just pile up the bedding (shavings, shredded paper. straw here) they'll sort it out themselves.
I give them newspapers whole - Mildred can open it and separate every sheet, then carries it round into each and every corner of the shed!!
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Newpaper seems like a god hit! Will put some out for them tomorrow, am also going to try the hay in the feed bag, and the tyre! Thankyou everyone ;D
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I use pig nuts in the rim of an old tyre as a cheapskate snack-ball device
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Our youngsters love an old tyre just for the fun of it.
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An old eed bag keeps them occupied for hours They shake theri heads back and fourth and make the bag make a noise. I think they like the sound. A fresh bag is better than an old bag as it does not come to pieces as readily. Or a pice of thick tarp they just cant help themselves.
What about a water hole.. or a piece of large polly pipe they will chew on this for hours also
the indoor boys use a chain that dangles on a wire and the pigs pull at this suck on it and just generally chew it. some every use a milk bottle and dangle this in their pens. I dont use toys I run outside and they have great fun just chasing each other, digging holes to China and then filling them in.
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R eading this appears that TAS pigs are the luckiest in the world.
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mine spend along time chewing haylage, then spitting out chewed up lumps where they feel like!
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I sometimes stick the core of a haylage bale in for mine - they love diggin in it, chewing it, lying on it etc
They love playing chase with me but I have to be careful now they're getting so big!!
A swede on the end of a rope is fun to swing around for them.
In the summer I froze apple juice in freezer bags and gave them giant ice cubes.
Failing that I let them out to play in the muck heap ... their favourite!!
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Oh loosey I have a mental picture of a pig's behind sticking out of a massive pile of compost. Can you post a picture?
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I'll try. They're not quite big enough to slow down just yet. When I let them out you just have to stand up out the way as they have a tendancy not to look where they're going!!