Dividing the cage dangerous

**DaisyGP** · #1 07-11-07, 11:19 am

I know that it is a common practice to make a wall within a cage (out of the grids) to divide the males from the females, or just keep certain gp's away from each other. My concern is that, a lot of times, these walls don't get installed properly and often brake or the pigs get stuck in them. I've used the grids to make a barriers to keep my pigs seperated, in the past, and have had lots of problems with these types of set ups. I've had adult pigs get their heads stuck in them. I've had many of them brake because they usually are hard to support them.

I think more people need to be aware of the dangers these walls can have. I think it is a better practice to either; make seperate cages, or keep the walls small and add cloroplast on both sides, not only for extra stability, but so they pigs don't get their heads stuck in them. I make all the cloroplast walls in my cages extra high so the pigs can't reach the bars. So their heads don't get caught in them. I've only had this happen once, with a adult gp with a more narrow head, but I don't want it to ever happen again.

Just a little heads up

**PiggleLove** · #2 07-11-07, 02:22 pm

Great advice! I will definitely keep this in mind if I need to make walls in the future-

**Cat24** · #3 07-12-07, 02:30 pm

I found that if you use a zig-zag pattern for the barrier it's easier to secure and more stable as well... I like the choroplast idea though...next time maybe

**DaisyGP** · #4 07-12-07, 10:52 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat24

I found that if you use a zig-zag pattern for the barrier it's easier to secure and more stable as well... I like the choroplast idea though...next time maybe

I've used the zip-ties along with the cube holders on all the walls I've made. Making a wall can still be tricky depending on the size and configuration of the wall. There's still also to potential hazard of "slender-faced" pigs getting their heads stuck.

Just a heads up for everyone.

**Cat24** · #5 07-12-07, 10:58 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaisyGP

I've used the zip-ties along with the cube holders on all the walls I've made. Making a wall can still be tricky depending on the size and configuration of the wall. There's still also to potential hazard of "slender-faced" pigs getting their heads stuck.

Just a heads up for everyone.

yeah, the head thing i get....i was refering to the configuration of a wall...

this is gone now, but it was quite stable

**DaisyGP** · #6 07-12-07, 11:11 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat24

yeah, the head thing i get....i was refering to the configuration of a wall...

this is gone now, but it was quite stable

That's a interesting idea. I guess I wasn't clear about what I was talking about. Sometimes, certain cage designs don't allow for a zig-zag divider. I've made a couple cage designs in the past where it wouldn't have been possible. Unfortunately I never took pictures of those cages. Probably because I got tired of dealing with the problems so I re-designed them.

I think your zig-zag idea would eliminate the problem, when the design of the cage allows for it, but in the cases when it doesn't, its best to reinforce the wall with cloroplast or make seperate cages.

**Cat24** · #7 07-12-07, 11:14 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaisyGP

That's a interesting idea. I guess I wasn't clear about what I was talking about. Sometimes, certain cage designs don't allow for a zig-zag divider. I've made a couple cage designs in the past where it wouldn't have been possible. Unfortunately I never took pictures of those cages. Probably because I got tired of dealing with the problems so I re-designed them.

I think your zig-zag idea would eliminate the problem, when the design of the cage allows for it, but in the cases when it doesn't, its best to reinforce the wall with cloroplast or make seperate cages.

Yeah, fair enough. I just figured I'd post a pic of a sucessful one as a suggestion..

**DaisyGP** · #8 07-12-07, 11:16 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat24

Yeah, fair enough. I just figured I'd post a pic of a sucessful one as a suggestion..

It's a great idea and I think it would be good for most cages

**aqh88** · #9 07-13-07, 10:33 am

Up until recently I have always had a wall seperating at least 1 male from the female cage or 2 males from each other. I had bad luck with males. Out of 4 not any would get along. We neutered 2 and divided them into 2 groups with the females and a divider between them. Then put the 2 remaining males in a divided cage until 1 was rehomed and the other was put in a divided section off the main cage with the 2 female/neutered male groups. I never had any trouble with dividers. However I do think ahead. When I had a pig that liked to shove it's nose into the grids to try to bite the others I double gridded, when I had a pig that looked like it might climb or jump I put on a top, and when I had pigs that would shove the edges I cut holes in the coro so I could connect the grid at the middle and bottom instead of just at the top above the coro. Done right dividers work just fine. I had a couple stand for years with very obsessive and agressive pigs on the other side. I've always redesigned my cage long before the dividers were in danger of breaking.

**hotnetty5** · #10 07-13-07, 10:53 am

I'm glad to see this post. I am having a problem with all 3 of my males fighting all the time. So I'm being forced to separate them all, after building a 2 level cage for all 3 to share; thinking this would help them. I thought maybe they were in to small of a space hence the fighting. Now I figure they just don't all get along. Harry bit Spot so I enclosed Harry away from Spot and Popcorn. Only to find Spot and Popcorn fighting; yet to see blood. Now I'm having to figure out how to design a home for all three so that they can "see" each other but can no longer get at each other. I am thinking of three story; like I have now. Just adding dividers between each boy. What I need to know is do I count the upper floor as "floor space" for what they need? I'm looking at 4 grids for the first floor but 3 grids for the top for each one so that I can make a ramping device for each of them. Boy testostrone can sure be a pain can't it? :-)

**aqh88** · #11 07-13-07, 10:58 am

You need to 1 solid level of preferably at least 2x3. Upper levels can add some but they are not counted into the initial space. Your smallest level for each boy needs to be 2x3 and then you can have extra levels. Pigs can't get up speed and popcorn very well when there's a ramp in the way to go up or down or when their space is divided into 2 small sections instead of 1 large one. They have to cut speed and they really need a straight line of flat space to popcorn without hitting anything.

**hotnetty5** · #12 07-13-07, 11:03 am

Thank you for that reply. I never thought of that one. Now I'm going to be having a real problem with "floor space" for people! Well my hubby always said my animals were more important than the people in the house; guess he was right!

**TX_2_Pigs** · #13 07-13-07, 11:47 am

If you aren't seeing any blood you probably shouldn't separate. What you are seeing is probably just normal continued dominance rituals. Increased age and space will eventually calm things down.

**DaisyGP** · #14 07-13-07, 01:59 pm

Here's an idea for a cage design hotnetty5

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