What do YOU do with a bored Pig?

Rooting box

This time of year, we’ve all got pigs who would much rather be out in the grass or chewing the hay than staring at four walls - so would we! What do you do?

Many of us have tried rooting boxes - it’s a box filled with clean, smooth stones, medium or large-sized (so as not to be swallowed). We sprinkle a little feed or cereal in among the stones and the pigs go for it, rooting away for the tidbits. The problem with the rooting box is it’s heavy and hard to keep clean and the stones can damage floors. And - your cats may mistake it for a litterbox - yes this has happened!!

Try this: get a plastic storage box such as an "under the bed" box, about 18 by 30 inches long or so, 5 or 6 inches deep; fill it with the brightly colored plastic balls commonly used in "ball pits" at the indoor play areas for kids. They can be purchased at most large toy stores; we paid about $20 for a bag of 100. The balls are about three inches in diameter and very lightweight so the box is easy to move around and the balls can easily be cleaned in the bathtub. The pigs stand right in that box and dig around, bouncing the balls to all corners of the room. They get their exercise, and so do we, collecting the balls at the end of the day!

Send us your bored pig tips !

 

Any questions that you may have on training please feel free to write the staff of Swine On Line.