Guinea-Pig Wedding at 70s House ;)

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Today , we decided the day was ideal to marry our guineas.
It was nice out with no threat of rain, so DD and I could put them out (still in their respective runs) while we emptied, cleaned,disinfected and neutralised the Pighouse.
We put a good layer of Ecobale (equine cardboard bedding) on the floor and the Haybox plus a trug full of hay.

In the run they've been sitting together at the bars chatting.
So when they were introduced (in the kitchen) GP6 (our boar) was highly delighted sniffing the girls (All of them, no favourites )

They all piled into the Pig Wedding Cake, there was alot of hoiking food from each others mouths.

We put them in the Pighouse , they were all Yeahhhh at the space and a bit When was this decided at the Ecobale, it's funny to walk on.
GP6 decided the trug was his ManPad.
He tried to get up close and personal with GP8 and got kicked, both legs, wallop.
I've just peeped through the window. All in the haybox scoffing naice hay. After breakfast, a day of grazing,a Wedding Buffet, they have room for hay

DD has taken photos so I'll upload once she's emailed them.

Hello 70. After much lurking could not resist the lure of a GP wedding as brings back fond memories of ours - do you remember "middle aged guinea pig is looking for lurve".

Well the latest is that Beyonce, having outlived her man, now has two adopted babies - well actually no longer babies but burgeoning young sows. There has been much in-fighting over the last year.

Beyonce no longer has problems with her luscious long hair as one of the other girls, not sure which but have my suspicions, is eating it. Still don't know who is top GP but am sure that the babies brought the lovely Miss B a new lease of life. She is at least 9years old now.

Oh, yes, I remember the Wedding of Beyonce and your boy.

9 yo she's obviously having a good life of riley there.

I want to make the introductions for our herd work, at the moment they have half the Pighouse each group (so 6'x3') which isn't as good as a whole floorspace but I want to maybe bond them two at a time.

Sows are awkward little swine at times

I know we can give Tilly and Tarragon a good , lardy lifestyle, and I'm sure once they are 100% happy with each other they'll be fine.
Also, I want them all in the big run, my DH has secured the run to the hutch I bought to give them shelter.
At the moment, the two new girls have the chrome bars bit of the 4x2 , the others aren't using the hutch, I want to make it neutral.
Plan to put them in the opposite side of the Pighouse to get used to the other pigs' smells, then wash/bond the Alpha pigs first.

Interesting about the hair, in Rescue when they met, Tarragon hoiked a piece of fur from Tilly (her cagemate) and ate it.
No idea why, I know they barber each other but to eat hair ......

GP6 has been washing the ears of GP5 - she tolerates his clumsy advances.

Tonight DD and I swapped the pigs round ( the new ladies had one side of the Pighouse, the Resident Hogs had the other)
We gave them fresh bedding and a new layer of Ecobale but left the base bedding.
Like the theory of putting some dirty bedding in the other cage.
We like to bamboozle our hogs by moving things.
They were but sniffed about a while then went to their plates then their beds.
I'll see what kind of moods they're in tomorrow.

We've had them side-by-side for a week now so they've had a chance to chatter and sniff each other.

How were they this morning? If I know pigs, they were probably fine and enjoyed the change, but won't let you know that and so they looked suitably sad, deprived and neglected this morning so you'll feel sorry for them.

I had to check them last night Fernie we had a tremendous thunder storm.
They were muttering darkly.
This morning, GP6 was gazing whistfully at his new girls (or he might've been gazing at the fact they had the bookcase run and he...didn't )

They all do a good line in Judgey Faces .

How do yours cope with thunder? Mine barely notice. I always run through to check on the boys and Current Bun is usually fast asleep in his basket and the pigs are normally eating something or sleeping. Same with fireworks.

Glad they'll are fine with the new arrangement

They're fine with thunder/lightning as long as they can hide under hay.
Fireworks are different, they're relentless and I think I worry more about them than they do.
We always bring them in for the firework season (can't even say Guy Fawkes Night, it goes on for days) , put them in the little bedroom with a radio on.

They certainly didn't seem fazed last night though (Brave little sausages)

we tried again today - in the big rabbit run, lots of space, really nice deep grass. Moved it to a new patch (we've had loads of rain recently so it was 'neutral', no piggie Calling Cards )

GP6 tried it on with GP8 (my new little tricolour girl) She chattered her teeth like a little timebomb and pootled off.
Undetered, he tried with GP4 and GP5 (his cagemates) who told him to S*d Off. He took the hint and started eating.

Seemed ok, we were keeping an eye on the two bigger sows.....but GP5 (my Himmy) started chattering at GP7
GP8 leapt 12" in the air
GP6 was in a corner with GP7 and GP4 (the bigger sows) ........we called Time and I sent DD in to get them (Disclaimer - I can't fit in the run, but I was outside on shoo-ing duty in case they got an evil glint.

I think, to keep harmony, they'll be a 3+2.
It seems all the sows have the angst with each other in a group (and my "thinks with his gonads" boar isn't smoothing things over

As a 3+2 they are sweet. They chat through the divide. We cuddle them in their groups.

(Need to get another run+hutch though. DH will be thrilled not he has the job of customising them)

Sorry to hear it didn't work out. Sounds like they'll be happy as a slightly divided herd. And your DH needed a project, I'm sure - he'd just be relaxing at the weekend otherwise and would soon be bored.

We had a deluge of rain this week and now have some really deep grass too. I plonked my boys in it this afternoon and they're currently eating their way out.

Thanks
I'm not saying never but if they don't gel as a herd it's no biggie, they all have each other for company. (And five voices are good when it comes to wheeking )

I have ordered a run (about 4'x4') and a wooden housie with a ramp (I bought some of those screw in loop/hooks so we can secure it ). That'll give DH something to do , as well as assemble it.

They are so lovely when they plough their way through long grass, like tiny little wild lions

'Lions'? Mine are more like tiny weeny hippos just trampling down everything in their path (they're hippo shaped too).

Glad to hear you've ordered stuff to keep your DH busy - idle hands and all that. The pigs will enjoy supervising assembly and then spending weeks complaining and muttering darkly to each other about 'nail B' being fractionally too far to the left, thus leaving them vulnerable to the cold, so they'll need to bulk up for insulation.

So sorry to hear Bert's herd is now 2 separate harems. But seems you've found a way for harmony

Our grass is so long and lush, it's been 5 days since it saw a guinea pig so I have high hopes for substantial mowing today. Small children could currently be lost in the growth.
Sadie is delighted to be out once again and has already raced about a bit Mollie is more.
They're off to Norfolk for 3 weeks next Saturday, hoping the grass there is lush and to their liking.

Our run/housie arrived .............and they don'r bleeding well match up even though they were sold together.

So, ('cos I am full of good ideas, just not doing the actual work, very Gemini) I suggested swapping the housie/run arrangements.

So now we have Big Run+ Small Housie (the doorway is smaller with a lower step so the ramp can sit properly)
And Small Run (which is 4'x4' so good size) + the Rabbit Hutch Housie which we had to put a tunnel in rather than a ramp.

I can swap them round when I move them/clean them so that each group doesn't stake their claim on one or the other.

Our lawn is now a menagerie of cages and hutches.

Me thinks Bert is going to be permanently bemused