OK. sorry if I sound a bit thick here - I am still learning.
But how do i know if my piggy is going through puberty, and what age does this happen?
I dont understand about the grids thing, but I will go read about them.
I just have a standard large pet shop cage which has a lid that the front bit lifts up.
I keep this open during the day as Snuggles doesnt like it down. But i close the cage at night and put a cover over it. Is this an ok think to do?
I am not sure about puberty. I googled it, and it told me around 5-6 weeks for females, and 8 weeks for males. But I wouldn't trust it too much.
Now about the cage. If you mean covering it with a blanket or something. No, it's not okay. Imagine if you were in a cage, and someone would put a blanket on top of the cage. It gives them less air to breathe. Plus it's gonna be hotter inside the cage.
What we mean by grids, is by making a c&c cage. There are several tutorials about how to do it.
It's basically, a much cheaper way of getting a large cage. Which is better then any pet stores cage.
For 60 dollars, I made a cage that is at least 5 times the size of the largest cages they have in pet stores. Which they sell in pet stores for like 150-200 dollars.
Also if you are using wood bedding. Like pine or any type of disposable bedding. And you are looking to save some money, and make your pigs happier. You can look under the bedding section and learn about the fantastic fleece method.
Also quick tip, when you are making a c&c cage. Make sure the grids are the good size. Some people have bought the wrong sizes, and their piggies got their heads stuck in the holes.