[Gpdd] CARE Outdoor Pen

[Penny Charlesworth]

Janna,

My Piggyfriends love to go outside on a nice day - what I call a deckchair day - when I hope that it will be warm enough, but not too warm and when rain is not expected.

I have one big static pen, originally for all the girls, although these days I have more boars than sows and several smaller arks for pairs of boars, which can be moved around so that the piggies can mow the lawns.

They are always watched very carefully when they are in the garden as, since the passing of my last precious dog, predators might enter the garden. My dogs have always been " pig guards " and would watch over them so carefully.

In my big pen are several hutches for shelter should there be a sudden rainfall. These have been donated over the years by people who gave me their pigs and, although I would never use them for the purpose for which they were intended, they are useful for this occasion. One hutch had legs so I sawed them off short, leaving a gap under which piggies can hide. Others sit flat on the grass and I move them around so that the grass does not suffer. I put newspaper and hay in the hutches.

In my boars' arks I put cardboard boxes of hay for shelter and naps and everypig has a pipe or two through which to run, though some like to nap inside.

Lawn mowings ferment very quickly and can cause tummy upsets if not the dreaded bloat so keep these away from the piggies. I cut grass for them with hand shears as I have a herd but you could use scissors for just a few piggies.

Piggies love tasty weeds. I don't know what grows in your part of the world but favourites amongst my herd ( in England ) are dandelions, sow thistles, plantains (both the round and narrow leaved ones ), groundsel, chickweed, clover, and shepherd's purse ( particularly good for a piggy with the runs ). Watch out for buttercups in your lawn as these are poisonous. There are many poisonous plants to avoid in a garden but if you keep the piggies on the lawn, they are unlikely to be able to reach potential hazards in the flower bed.

Make sure that you can identify safe plants and introduce them one at a time. 

I never, ever treat my "pig lawn" with any chemicals or fertilizers but all those little poos make for a lush lawn. 

When the piggies come in again, I rake up all the stray hay and compost it.

I attach water bottles to all the enclosures but with all that juicy grass to eat, they are seldom used. I also put a bowl of their dry food in each run.

I nearly forgot....... In my big pen is a frame from an old garden hammock, an A framed thing. To this I attach old bedsheets with pegs and peg the other ends to the side of the pen to make a tent over part of the pen so that the piggies can get out of the sun. This is very popular with the piggies and they often congregate under this section. Although they love to go outside, I think that they prefer to be out of the sun as they can overheat very quickly ( even in England ).

The boars' arks have lids so I put a towel over half of the "roof" section and they can choose whether to be in the sun or not.

Hope that this is of some help.

Penny and the Piggyfriends, indoors again today as it is raining.