We Are NOT World Travelers

Chick Weekend included a pair of sows along with the human gals.  Cannoli and Boadicea came along for the ride so I could wrestle pills into Cannoli and track her weight.  Unfortunately, the weekend wasn't quite as fun for them as it was for the humans.

First, it was a long ride down, since I stopped to visit with a friend on the way.  They did so good in the car, but the poor pigs were a bit strung out when we arrived.  (So was I.)  Sorry about that!  I had hoped Noli would recognize the familiar cage and setup since she'd been to the Cape before.  However, she was freaked out over the sounds and lighting.  I'm glad I brought along the Critical Care - she ate so little the first day I mixed some up and she wolfed it down.  Even Boadicea lost some weight (although you wouldn't notice it on that pudgy pig).

First Day Out

Cannoli and Boadicea finally had a chance to get outside on Memorial Day.  Cannoli arrived on the scene like a seasoned veteran - she hit the ground eating.  Meanwhile, this was Boadicea's first time out.  It took a few moments to come out of the cozy.  I wasn't sure what she'd make of the grass and clover.  Boadicea continues to act like I'm poisoning her each time I give her something new to eat.  But this?  Hey!  This is good stuff!  Boadi didn't even bother to verify with Cannoli before she began to dig in.

Watching Boadi eat grass was pretty funny.  All my other pigs just snip it and chew.  Boadicea was determined to get the whole blade of grass, right to the roots.  She'd grab hold and pull.  Grass can be tough - Boadi had to give up a few times when the blade of grass failed to pull loose.

First outings can be frightening.  I've had some pigs scared stiff.  Boadicea was a little cautious at first, but within a few minutes she seemed perfectly at home.  Typical Boadicea!

Who Let the Pigs Out

Wheek, wheek, wheek-wheek!

This summer has been pretty good for spending time outside in the yard.  Pinniped and Cannoli had several afternoons in their pen while the weather was dry and sunny.  But we had rain and thunderstorms last week, so they had to stay in.  Friday cleared up and was a perfect day for an outing: sunshine, not too hot, and dry.  There was much happiness!

The grass had grown quite a bit from the rain.  Pinni wasn't sure what to eat first - the wide-bladed grass or the clumps of clover.  She kept chewing as she moved from one spot to the other.  Cannoli preferred whatever she could find under the house.  She's so hard to photograph!  That chicken runs and hides whenever I come near (Pinni, as you can see, could care less).

Dunderheads

Finally!  Weather that's warm and grass that is green and dry.  When I let them outside on Sunday, Pinniped hit the ground chewing.  Such a typical guinea pig reaction.  When I returned a little later, I found Pinni and Cannoli stuffed in their cozy.  What silly pigs.  All that lovely grass and clover to eat and they're hiding.

The Boston Pignic is a month away.  They better start working out if they want to eat their way through the afternoon with the other Boston area guinea pigs. 

Have Cage - Will Travel

Bags of grids, bedding and food

We were off for a few days so Pinniped and Cannoli got to visit my sister for a sleepover.  When I came to pick them up yesterday, I was promptly told by my nephew that they would be glad to pigsit for me anytime.  Yup - those two pigs can be quite the charmers!

I love C&C cages for travel.  A bag for grids, a bag for bedding and a bag for food.  Throw down a shower curtain, some towels and fleece and set up a 2x4 set of zip-tied grids and voila!  instant cage.  I brought a handful of binder clips to create fleece sides to contain the poo.

Pinni was busy making herself at home by the time I left them at my sister's, but Cannoli was pretty nervous.  I figured it would take a while for her to settle in.  So my sister's family had only a little exposure to Cannoli's wheekiness.  I was told that chopping on the cutting board briefly set her off and there was some squeaking for breakfast greens the next morning.  Cannoli slowly adapted to the new surroundings and sounds.  I guess I'll need to plan a longer vacation sometime so they can get the full Cannoli experience. 

Boston Fall Pignic 2013

The Boston Pignic seems to be on a trend of more people attending than guinea pigs.  I'm not complaining.  Having experienced several pignics with large amounts of humans and pigs, I prefer Sunday's turnout of 40-ish people and 28 pigs.  It made for a relaxing afternoon.

As usual, I fretted about the weather as the day approached.  It was a cool start, but the sun was warm and the pigs looked quite comfortable as they wandered around.  We had several first-timers arrive early, and one pignic-goer was kind enough to bring cupcakes to share, all decorated as guinea pigs!  (The cupcakes were all gone by the end of the pignic.)

Guinea pig cupcakes, pigs and people enjoying the day, and a round pig on the scale

All That Grass

Pinniped and Cannoli have been enjoying the weather and the bounty of our yard.  Just look at all that green!  The two of them were total noodges on Thursday and wheeked loudly at us any time we walked towards the kitchen.  After being cooped up inside for three days, they wanted fresh grass and sunshine!  Friday was warm and dry again, and they got to go out.

Cannoli has decided that being outside is quite nice and she tries to keep pace with Pinni eating all that grass.  She seems relaxed as I watch them from the window, but when I came close to take photos, Cannoli ran away from me.  It was very difficult to get a shot of her face.  Many of the photos I took featured her butt or a nose peeking out from behind Pinniped (because it's so easy to hide behind Pinni).

On the Green

The view from my desk, and the girls enjoying the grass

We've finally had some nice weather and I let the pigs out for the first time in the new place.  Their initial reactions were pretty funny.  Pinniped hadn't been outside since last fall and this was Cannoli's first experience with the great outdoors.  I had to lift them both out of the basket and onto the grass because they were too scared to hop out on their own.  Pinni, true to form, started to eat the grass as soon as her nose touched it, even before I had managed to put her feet on the ground!  Cannoli approached the whole thing in classic guinea pig style:  scared to death, but if there's any chance of dying, she'd prefer to die eating. 

I can't comment on the taste of the grass here, but it certainly looks a lot more lush and heartier than the stuff at our old place.  Although it was new grass and new sounds, Pinni quickly recognized this as outdoor time.  She lounged and ate as she pleased, and seemed quite content.  Cannoli was calm enough to eat as long as she was safely under cover, but was obviously wired when I tried to bring her back in the house.  I suspect it may take a few more outings before she adjusts to outdoor life.  I'm sure all of the sights, smells and sounds were a bit overwhelming.  Overall, it was a good first excursion.  I'm looking forward to having them out more often.

Major Move

We have arrived.  After nearly two weeks of unpacking, the place is starting to look settled.  We still have several boxes of stuff and two rooms that look like a tornado hit.  There's plenty of space, but not enough convenient storage.  So I'm shuffling stuff around as I figure out where it should go, and search for a set of shelves for our books and my teacups.  We'll get there, eventually.

The first day in the new house surrounded by boxes and debris

Pinniped and Cannoli have just started to adjust to the new place.  They were moved in the day before everything else; we thought it would be less stressful.  This was their first trip sharing a carrier.  The half-hour drive was about 28 minutes too long according to both girls.  I had thought that sharing a carrier wouldn't be as scary as traveling alone but I failed to factor in the annoyance level.  Cannoli screamed during much of the trip because she kept invading Pinni's space and Pinni kept biting her.  Two very determined little rodents that weren't taking "no" for an answer.

They calmed down a bit once they were in their travel pen, but overall, I think the new sounds and smells were overwhelming.  Their regular cage was damaged during the move and it took a day or two to find the zip-ties to repair it.  Although they were happier being in their usual cage, I could see they were still confused:  the sunlight was all wrong, the kitchen was on the wrong side of the cage, and the sounds of the great room were so loud.  People walked by the cage all the time!  Panic!

Oddly enough, they calmed right down when I cleaned their cage last weekend.  They were skittish right up to that point, but the routine of being weighed, put on the floor (even though it was a new floor) and then returned to a clean cage put them at ease.  A day or two later, they started begging for morning pepper and wheeking for treats.  See?  The new place is not so bad.

Adventures at the Cape

Bertie and Pinniped came down to the Cape for Chick Weekend.  It works.  They're chicks... or sows... whatever.

You go first.  No way - you go first.

The drive down was uneventful, but they were unhappy on arrival.  I made scary noises unloading the car and setting up their vacation cage.  Even once in their cage, the newness was so overwhelming, they jammed themselves in the tunnel and made those cute little "I'm scared" noises.  I had to laugh.  They were not amused.

Eventually, though, they decided being on vacation wasn't so bad.  The porch was bright and airy.  My girlfriends checked in on them from time to time.  Pinniped made sure to remind everyone when their morning pepper was overdue.  They even got to meet a two-year-old boy who babbled at them and fed them corn husks through the grids.

Spring Pignic 2012

Pretty sows, all in a row (including a Willow look-alike)

For the first time in years, we didn't have to postpone the Boston Spring Pignic due to rain.  And, boy, did the weather gods smile down on us.  We had a beautiful afternoon to hang out at the Wellesley Town Hall Bowl.

This year we had about fifty people attend the pignic, bringing just shy of fifty pigs.  It was a first pignic for several of them, and I could see they were delighted to be there.  The pigs seemed pretty happy, too.  The Pig Patrol did their usual amount of clipping nails and doling out advice.

We had quite an assortment of pigs.  There were all sorts of shapes and colors, a few nekkid ones and several with long, unruly hair.  New people tend to bring young pigs, but we even had several elder-piggies - a few of them were five years old and one was seven.  I always enjoy seeing healthy, active older pigs.

Outdoor Pen How-To

These are instructions for building a portable lidded guinea pig pen that could be used indoors or outdoors.  Please note: This pen is not intended to be animal proof!  It is designed to keep guinea pigs contained and to slow down a passing predator that may see them as an easy meal.  When this cage is in use, it should be monitored at all times.

The measurements in these instructions are based on a 14" grid, so if you have grids that are a different size, you will have to adjust the lengths of the PVC pipe.  And the instructions assume you are somewhat familiar with cage building as seen on GuineaPigCages.com.

Three Amigos

My three sows have been living separately for a little over a year.  The last time I attempted cage them together, Pinni and Bertie harassed Willow like a pair of thugs:  taking turns beating on her, chasing her away from food and ousting her from the best sleeping spaces. 

When they're outdoors, though, it's a different story.  They can live peaceably together for several hours; nothing more than the occasional tiff.  I caught all three of them snuggled together under the stool yesterday.  I managed to snap this photo of them today.  Proof!  Look!  They can all get along.  Not only are they not fighting, they're actually sitting near each other.  Amazing.

As soon as they cross the threshold, the rules change.  We accidentally put Pinniped and Willow in the same cage yesterday.  No sooner than the two of them emerge from their cozies did the teeth-chattering commence.  I snatched Willow out of there before the hair pulling started.

The outdoor pen seems to be completely neutral territory.  They don't even spend time re-establishing pecking order.  It just is.  Even floor time in the kitchen isn't like this.  I wish I could bottle whatever it is about outdoors and use it while they're inside! 

Pen Improvements

Whenever I'm tinkering, I occasionally (heh - often?) need to adjust my plans as I see the final product taking shape (like when I miscalculate the yardage in a sewing project -  D'oh!).  But sometimes flaws only appear once final product gets used.  I really liked my new guinea pig pen, but the cover was not as sturdy as wanted it to be.  The wire hooks would unwind and the cover sagged if a lot of pressure was put on top.  It seemed a bad idea that it was the weakest part of the structure.  I wanted to ensure that if a hawk or one of the neighborhood cats parked its butt on that cover, the pigs could taunt it with impunity.

I found a heavier gauge of wire and redesigned the hooks for the PVC so that the won't come undone.  I also added another bar to the frame so the cover has more support in the middle.  The difference was dramatic - putting a lot of weight on the cover will cause the grids to start bending before anything else budges.  Much better.

As a bonus, with a little rearranging, I can make the same cage an attached pair of 2x2 pens.  Perfect for time-out pens at the Boston Pignic.  I hope to be giving this cage a good workout on Sunday, with setup up, take down and ease of getting the pigs in and out of it.

I've posted instructions on how to make the hooks and the frames as well as assembling the cage.  If you're interested, the instructions are on Outdoor Pen How-To.

Updated Outdoor Pen

For the last year, I've been using a 3x3 grid cage with a grid top to let the girls graze.  It's zip-tied and the top is all connected by grid connectors and it had a center support.  It is not intended to be animal proof, but I figured it was adequate to keep them in and slow down any hawk that thought it found dinner.

The design has several drawbacks:  it takes time to set up and take down; it is bulky even when collapsed; its hard to catch the pigs since the majority of the top grids were connected directly to the walls.  Anyone who has worked with those grid connectors knows what a pain they are get on or off the grids, especially if you're in a hurry.  I wanted something that had a quick setup and was still relatively compact so I could bring it indoors or throw it in the trunk of my car.  Which meant losing the connectors but somehow keep the rigidity that the connectors offered.  I also wanted a narrower cage so I wouldn't be required to run laps in order to catch a fleeing pig.

My first idea failed, but after some brainstorming, we came across the answer: PVC pipes.  Light weight and rigid, it offered the framing needed to keep the cage square and something for the lid to rest on.  The new design also allowed for flipping the top open either on the long side or the short side.  Bonus!

The sides remained zip-tied together, with connectors on the corners (it helps square the cage and the lid tucks under them).  I added hooks to the PVC, so they hang off the walls on the inside of the cage.  This helps keep the cage square and supports the lid.  The lid is one sheet of 10 grids, all zip-tied together.  A few binder clips help keep the top in place and prevent it from collapsing if something lands in the middle of the grids.  The new design is still not animal proof, but the cage is always in view/earshot.

The sides compress to a stack of grids, the top collapses to 2x2 square (and I'm sure I could stack it to a 1x2 pile).  The two pvc squares weigh nothing.  The whole thing can be hauled outside and set up in less than two minutes and taken down just as quickly.  Success!

First Outing of the Season

The temperature crept up to 69F this afternoon, with enough sunshine to dry out and warm up the back lawn.  Finally!  A chance to let the girls kick up their heels outside.  After a short, frantic search for grids and connectors, I had assembled the cage and started transporting pigs.

Heaven!  Pinni hit the ground eating.  Willow tried to eat as much grass as she could without budging from her cozy.  Bertie initially panicked, ousted Willow from the cozy and hid in it.  Silly pig.  A few minutes later they were all grazing contentedly in the bright green grass.

Unfortunately, the pigs only had about 10 minutes of sun before storm clouds rolled in.  Fifteen minutes later the clouds and the thunder became so ominous I decided to bring them back indoors.  In my haste to grab the girls, Bertie got loose.  She made a mad dash for the trees before I managed to nab her.  She lost a clump of fur in the struggle.  Poor traumatized Bertie.  Poor traumatized me!  I should have known better than to lift the grids off the ground to catch her.

Overall, a glorious time was had by all.  All three are thoroughly sacked out right now.  Amazing what a bit of sunshine, fresh air and spring grass can do to a pig.