New piggies - how to clean cage when they're scared

[Jbck]

Bought 2 boars on Wednesday, they‘re pretty timid but getting better, taking veg from our hands yesterday.

I’ve been picking up poo and scooped out shavings each day and they’re not delighted 😀

Wanted to fully clean today, to get into weekly routine easier on a Sunday, but we haven’t picked them up yet and don’t want to distress them any more than necessary.

Was thinking try and get them into big tube with treat, then lift out to outer play area.

Any tips?

Shameless bump 😃
TIA

Hope you managed the clean okay. Honestly I'd just pick them up and put them in their run or a box. If they're taking veg from your hands then they're pretty settled. No pig of mine has ever appreciated being picked up even after 5 years of us. They just don't like being picked up - they're prey animals. But once being held they're usually fine.

Hope you enjoy your new pigs

How's it going, did you manage it? I'd just go for it and grab them, the sooner they can get used to being handled the better all round. I think it's more the sensation of being caught and picked up than the being held that bothers them, my two girls are 4/5 now and love coming out to be held and played with, yet still flee in a panic when it comes to the moment of being caught, I think it's just a vulnerable prey animal's instinct TBH, particularly as in the wild they are vulnerable to birds of prey swooping on them so anything which comes from above is particularly scary.

If you can try and grab them in one smooth motion rather than chasing round and round the cage but don't worry if you 'miss', just persist!

Forgot to come back to this, we managed using a big tube and they were fine. Hay everywhere but it can only get better.

Tonight they went to sleep on DDs lap in a wee cosy fleece, played around on it dozing on and off for about 2 hours.