Size Building a New Cage and Getting a 4th Pig

[Saylavi]

About a month ago we got Aurora, and have been keeping her with Luna and Stella in a 14'2 cage, but there's a little bit more dominance behavior than I would like, so I was going to use part of my student loan refund to build them a bigger cage.

(*backstory, feel free to skip*) we got Aurora because I had always wanted a 3rd pig, and always wanted a texel, but Andrew wanted an Abby. It just so happened we stumbled across Aurora, an Abby from a rescue, and got her. My goodness has she made our lives wonderful, but I was still keeping an eye out for a texel for myself. Idk what it is, but I am just dying for a texel. Well yesterday I found one, but it's Friday or nothing. If I don't get her on Friday, when she can be transported with someone going to the pa farm show, I cannot get her. So I jumped the gun and said yes, I am getting her, and since I am making a new cage anyway I will just make it bigger than planned.

Anyways, new cage, for 4 piggies, going by the chart on our main page I need at least (bare minimum) 13 square feet, but going by guineaLynx I need between 13 and 17 square feet. I want as much space for them as possible, but I don't want to take up my entire apartment with a cage, plus the larger they get the more Coro I would need, and some of these would Be tough to clean. Here are the cages I would be able to build for $60-$100. 1grid is 1foot.

I really do want to give them as much space as possible, but my living room is 11feet wide... Plus like I said the cage gets more expensive as it gets larger...

I guess im looking for opinions on just how much space 4 young sows would need and which configuration people like best. The ones in green are the ones I think would be most expensive or most difficult to clean. I'm leaning towards the 27'2 and 26'2 configurations, but knowing I could give them more would make me guilty...

 

[bpatters]

I have three sows in a 16 square foot cage, and they've got enough room. A fourth probably would work for me, because all of mine are seniors. If you've got young pigs, I'd do a configuration that has at least 20 square feet.

 

[Saylavi]

Looking at the room again I'm now thinking of doing a 3'x10' cage, idk. Just knowing I can give them a 36'2 cage makes me feel like 25'2 is a rip off, but then I'm sure the cage will look much larger in person than on paper

 

[LoveMyPigs25]

I have 5 sows in a 3x8 c&c and its plenty of room for them.

 

[Danichuck]

I have two males in a 4'x4' cage and that's way to much room for them but I see it as the more room the better. I would go bigger if I had the room but I don't want more pigs either.

 

[Saylavi]

I had my two sows in a 4x4 on the floor for a little while, but it was in a room with carpet...
I'm pretty sure at this point that I will do a 3x10, my only hitch is i wonder if the liner would fit in the washing machine...

 

[bpatters]

Make the liner in two or three pieces. It's easier to fit in the washer, and sometimes you don't have to replace the whole thing at once.

 

[Saylavi]

Make the liner in two or three pieces.

the only reason I will try not to do that is because Stella loves to bury under fleece, I have a two piece liner that I never use because I always find her halfway under it lying in a pile of poo.

 

[LoveMyPigs25]

the only reason I will try not to do that is because Stella loves to bury under fleece, I have a two piece liner that I never use because I always find her halfway under it lying in a pile of poo.

All of mine are burrowers. That's why I use one big piece of fleece and two layers of full size uhaul underneath and tidy mats on top throughout the cage.
today the little stinkers moved both the litter boxes to the middle of the cage and flipped over and hid under the tidy mats
and for some reason didn't eat their carrots but threw them all over the place. Bad piggies lol

 

[Saylavi]

All of mine are burrowers. That's why I use one big piece of fleece and two layers of full size uhaul underneath and tidy mats on top throughout the cage.
today the little stinkers moved both the litter boxes to the middle of the cage and flipped over and hid under the tidy mats
and for some reason didn't eat their carrots but threw them all over the place. Bad piggies lol

Awww that is too cute (and familiar)