[pikilily]

Ok now i have a new problem!!!!  they are fighting over the equiball. They have gone mad for it!!!!  It has sent them CRAZY!!! 

So, they very quickly learned that there was food inside and how to get to it.....but  i now have to hang around cos they send it rolling thru the electric fencing....argh!!

LOL Emma

[Hilarysmum]

They sound like fun.  They are not bored.  Bored pigs would find a way out of their field, onto the neighbours land and have a whale of a time making a maize maze.
 

[Hilarysmum]

".....but  i now have to hang around cos they send it rolling thru the electric fencing....argh!!"

teach them the offside rule !!!

[pikilily]

i think they are more into rugby actually!!!  they like to tackle me - ouch!  i have had to train them not to nip/chew/bite my feet and wellies!! .....so i suppose the offside rule is not beyond their ken!!
Emma x

[Tudful Tamworths]

One tip re. calf hutches. I bought a batch years ago on Ebay and I find them great as shelters for pigs up to pork weight (and occasionally, temporary accommodation for the odd smallish sow).

They're great because they are so portable, but the downside is that the pigs quickly find that out, too. What we did was to attach a wooden floor.

As someone said earlier, the hutches normally have holes for pinning them down to the ground, so we used these to fix to the wood. Makes the hutch a lot nicer and more comfortable, but also gives extra weight and stability. You can either fix permanently or add a shackle that can be undone when you need to move or clean. Look at some of the conventional arks which have removable floors. That'll give you an idea.

Good luck
Liz

[pikilily]

Wooden base secured to hutch/arc - check
Arc adorned with tyres to weigh it down - check
Pilates ball, equiball, and logs in run - check
WALK AWAY AND LEAVE THEM TOO IT - CHECK

LOL Emma T

[Eve]

Come back to see hut's been moved after all and both balls have made it to neighbouring field - check! 

They're having a whale of a time, your lot, it's great!


Eve 

[pikilily]

LOL 

the stress of not checking them every ten minutes is killing me!!

i'll have to watch TV now

Emma T

[Eve]

Welcome to the world of pig addicts - you've clearly got a full blown case of pig-a-mania!! (As do we all, grin, grin!!)
Good idea to watch tv right now - River Cottage is on, he might show a porky dish just to make you dream of The Pigs - Stage 2! 

Eve 

[HappyHippy]

The busier and more occupied they are Emma, the less chance there is of their minds' wandering to thoughts of escaping  And once they've finished with the footie they'll be too knackered to even attempt a break out 

They have just about 'used' the ground they are on, which will then get rested until the next lot in 18mnths time!

Ah, you'll be looking at their empty spot in February thinking "och, another two would be okay" 

[Tudful Tamworths]

Sorry - I assumed when you said they had been moved off their wooden bases, they weren't secured. Maybe my floors are heavier than yours - or you have stronger pigs. Was only trying to be helpful.

[HappyHippy]

Emma, having just been out chasing through darkness looking for 3 escapee GOS crosses can I just say how important it is to keep them amused !  Once they start getting bored they start getting curious about the outside world  Slap on the wrists for me (and a big one for hubby who's job it was to check fencing/gates) I should have known better 
Lesson learned ! (The hard, muddy, sweaty and swearing way !) 

[Hilarysmum]

But you still wouldnt be without them HH ...

[HappyHippy]

Nooooooooooooo I'd never be without them HM 
Until Thursday that is, providing I can get them booked in at such short notice 
They were really good (considering they're my meat pigs and I haven't been doing lots of petting and socialising) they followed the bucket all the way to the VERY secure pen in the shed and there they shall stay - UNTIL they figure out how to open gates 

It's funny how they always seem to wait til hubby's at work before doing the escaping trick  At least I'm not heavily pregnant now and fit to chase them