How to introduce piggies to the kids?

[Djakarta]

Few more pigtures.
Higgin and Anastasia http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...t=IMG_0080.jpg

Anastasia ready for her close up http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...t=IMG_0086.jpg

Higgins doing her impersonation of a sheep. http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...t=IMG_0094.jpg

[PiggieMom]

Aww. They're really cute. I love the all white one.

[nonamian_girl]

They're so beautiful, I LOVE the piggie kiss picture!

[Djakarta]

We've started allowing my sons to hold the piggies in their laps . I have the boys sit in the pen alongside the cage and I drape their laps with soft material- fleece or towels. The boys have treats for the piggies, usually grass, the current favorite. I then place the piggies in the boy's laps ( neither of my sons is allowed to pick the piggies up yet). The way the fabric is draped, the piggies are free to leave the lap and to return. When the piggies are in their laps, the boys may pet them, but not restrain them if they want to leave. The boys will coax Higgins and Anastasia back and forth. Anastasia will often come to investigate what is being offered to Higgins. If Higgins can't see Anastasia, she will become agitated and cry for her and/or leave the lap to look for her. They love the treats, but look more like they are merely tolerating the contact, they don't yet enjoy petting. Anastasia is the friendlier and more dominant. Poor Higgins is more timid. Fortunately, my sons have decided that Anastasia belongs to my younger son, and Higgins to my older son. My older son is more patient and less in a hurry to be able to pet and handle Higgins. How should we proceed? Since Higgins is more shy, should she be handled more frequently or less? Should we attempt lap time every day ? Is it best to stick to a regular schedule --same sequence of events, same time of day?

[Aertyn]

The more you handle a pig, the better they get at being handled. Keep it to short sharp sessions, say 10 minutes, and always give her a treat. If she starts enjoying it, and knowing that she will get back into her cage quickly it becomes easier, and you will be able to lengthen the amount of time you bring her out. And yeah, I'd keep it to around the same time of day.

Below is the picture my aunt took of my cousin, feeding Charlie some Parsley during their introduction. It sounds like you are doing something similar to what we did.

[Djakarta]

It's the 1 month anniversary of Anastasia and Higgins' homecoming!! The girls are settling in well. They have gotten used to the laptime routine. We usually prepare by putting a piece of fleece down next to the cage. I've been using one of the boxes in their cage to lift them out into the petting pen. My boys call this box "the piggy elevator". Yesterday , we were setting up for lap time, and found Higgins waiting patiently in the elevator, ready for transport ! Here are some more pictures. The initial 2 by 4 cage, the new configuration with the second story loft, Anastasia enjoying the fleece, cute piggy feet, Anastasia and Higgins from the first week, the girls now (Hasn't Higgins grown!!) and my younger son with Anastasia.
http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...ollagecopy.jpg

My son has told me that Anastasia's name should remain Anastasia, "Hannah" is just his special nickname for her.

[nonamian_girl]

They're so cute! Your son looks so happy in that last picture.

I really like the second story, how did you make those support posts?

[Djakarta]

Thanks. I used 3/4 inch PVC pipe for the supports. Each piece is capped off with a 90 degree coupling that is smooth on one side to join the post and threaded on the other end. The threaded end is screwed into another 90 degree coupling which is secured to the under side of the top level with a zip tie. This allows me to swing the post supports to the side when I'm changing the fleece. I used wire shelving for the floor since it seemed to sag less than the cubes did. This was my second attempt at a second level. With my first try, the girls wouldn't go near the ramp, and I didn't like the way the second level was sagging. This time I covered the end of the ramp with a shoebox to form a tunnel and the girls zoomed right on through. I caught Anastasia contemplating the top of the shoebox later on. I swear she was thinking about sliding down the top of it, the same way a child contemplates sliding down a banister. Needless to say, The shoebox was removed.