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How Many? Is four a crowd?

guineapiggiepie

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I'm debating whether or not I should keep the babies from our surprise litter of two girls two weeks ago. Bringing my couple of two to a herd of four. My current set-up is a 2x5 with a 2x2 loft. I have room to expand to a 2x6 with a 2x3 loft, but no more than that at the moment. Can this be done? It's tugging at my heartstrings. </3
 

bpatters

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It should work if you expand the cage. You've turned the babies over and compared them to mom to be sure they're sows?
 

guineapiggiepie

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It should work if you expand the cage. You've turned the babies over and compared them to mom to be sure they're sows?

What a relief to read! Yes yes yes :) I’ve been checking, re-checking and comparing. They’re definitely sows....at least for now. ;)
 

sallyvh

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I personally like having bigger groups of pigs.I have a group of 4 ladies right now who live in a 2x6 C&C who are very happy.

I would say expand the cage and go right ahead!
 

guineapiggiepie

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It should work if you expand the cage. You've turned the babies over and compared them to mom to be sure they're sows?

OH SHOOT!!! I mistyped!!!! I meant, I have a 2x4 with a 2x2 loft, and the largest I can expand to right now is 2x5 with a 2x3 loft. I'm taking it this wouldn't work? :\
 

guineapiggiepie

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I personally like having bigger groups of pigs.I have a group of 4 ladies right now who live in a 2x6 C&C who are very happy.

I would say expand the cage and go right ahead!

I mistyped! I currently have a 2x4 (w/ 2x2 loft) and the largest I can expand to is a 2x5 (w/ 2x3 loft). Do you think they would feel too cramped?

How is the poop situation with the girls? How much hay do you go through a month? How much veg?
 

sallyvh

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@guineapiggiepie a 2x5 is tight, but it's going to depend on how your girls get along. If your pigs all behave well together then they will likely be ok. Is there any way you could make your cage more of an L-shape to give them more space?

There cage obviously fills up faster will poop, but as I spot clean at least once a day and am happy with how clean it stays.

How much hay and veggies I use is hard to say, I have this cage of 4 but I also have 4 more girls (a pair and 2 singles), so I go through a lot of food with them. I guess if half the supplies I use, I would got through roughly 50lbs of hay in 4 months with 4 pigs. About half a head of red or green leaf lettuce, a small-medium pepper and then whatever other veggies you feed. I add in cucumber, radicchio, tomatoes and carrots.
 

guineapiggiepie

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@guineapiggiepie a 2x5 is tight, but it's going to depend on how your girls get along. If your pigs all behave well together then they will likely be ok. Is there any way you could make your cage more of an L-shape to give them more space?

There cage obviously fills up faster will poop, but as I spot clean at least once a day and am happy with how clean it stays.

How much hay and veggies I use is hard to say, I have this cage of 4 but I also have 4 more girls (a pair and 2 singles), so I go through a lot of food with them. I guess if half the supplies I use, I would got through roughly 50lbs of hay in 4 months with 4 pigs. About half a head of red or green leaf lettuce, a small-medium pepper and then whatever other veggies you feed. I add in cucumber, radicchio, tomatoes and carrots.

So far, everyone gets along. At what age will I know the dynamics aren't working?
 

guineapiggiepie

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If anyone else has any other info on this. I'd love to hear!
 

bpatters

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When and if it happens, you'll know. Nobody can tell you when, because they don't know.
 

guineapiggiepie

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When and if it happens, you'll know. Nobody can tell you when, because they don't know.

Ahh, so it's not like boars going through puberty when issues arise? All my sows are related and have been together from the start. I thought that might help with keeping the cool in the cage.
 

bpatters

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There'll be some squabbling when one is in heat, but that's usually just chasing and mounting.
 

guineapiggiepie

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There'll be some squabbling when one is in heat, but that's usually just chasing and mounting.

That's a relief! I hope the family can handle some squabbling. Is it typically better to keep the pups rather than adopting them out?

I'll be expanding their cage within the next week. This set-up won't be permanent either since I'm hoping to have a pup myself eventually and move into something bigger lol
 

pigmommy89

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Keeping them or not is up to you. I would definitely insist that they be adopted together or by someone who already has pigs if you do decide to rehome them.
 

sallyvh

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I would say there's a possibility for things to get a little dramatic around the 5-7 month mark in the "puberty" stage, but it usually isn't as bad withs sows.

All of my pigs that I had as babies were sassier than normal to their cage mates during that time, but girls usually work it out just fine.
 
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