# 1 piggy, 2 piggy, 3 piggy...4??...6! No, wait, 7!!



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Yup......I made the mistake of peeking into the cavy pen.

Meet Sprinkles!

"I'm invisible..."








Sammie



Abbie



Trixie




Divided up to get used to each other. 


I've had cavies for 20+ years.


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They were all piled up napping.

I woke them up...

Even the chinchilla got up to zoom around for a bit.


 



DH called the one on the left a rat...


 


How many oinkers can fit in 2 huts?


 




 


 

 

Good evening, pigglies!
I wanted these two as well...


 Or just take them all home....


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## AmberLops

They're adorable!!
I love Guinea Pigs but I have the hardest time convincing them to get along with eachother…
I tried raising Skinny Pigs about a year ago and had 1 litter. They were so fun to watch but it was just too difficult having to keep just 1 per cage because they would all fight 
What's the trick??


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I tried keeping/breeding meat pigs a few years ago. Culling one that was suddenly very sick was nearly impossible. Besides being terribly awkward to hold to euthanize them in any way, I just couldn't flip to the eating side of owning pigs. Rabbits took awhile, but some of them were mean bastards, which made the process easier...
So, I didn't get very far with that idea, but I did have boars, sows & pups together in a 4x12ft pen. I would put up a divider for mom and newborns for a week or so, then remove it. New sows were also quickly accepted. Never had any bad fights. 
There were no hiding huts in this pen. They were in a shed above rabbit cages and I needed a ladder to get to them. They did great w/o the huts.

With the ones in the house, rarely an issue. I never buy or accept a rescue boar. Divider up for however long it took to get them all to get over themselves and get along. Sometimes a week, other times 3mo of constant "maybe today" tests and rotating them around into the other divided sections. I had 8 rescue sows once, got them 2 at a time, all as adults. They lived in a 3x7ft pen peacefully once the queen ahole calmed her crazy butt down, lol.

Having no huts helps, since they will fight over them and claim areas around them. Sometimes even if there are 8 huts and 5 pigs, they still decide to have a cow and hog them all.  I get rid of the huts for awhile and just cover part of the cage with a towel. Then after some weeks, reintroduce several cardboard huts and monitor how they interact with each other. 

The 8 had 2 bottles and two pellet bowls, one big hay rack in the middle. While the breeding group had 3 bottles & bowls.


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She didn't understand grass yesterday, today, she figured it out quickly.


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## AmberLops

secuono said:


> She didn't understand grass yesterday, today, she figured it out quickly.
> View attachment 62546


What a cutie!


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## animalmom

When I die I want to come back as an animal owned by @secuono.


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## AmberLops

animalmom said:


> When I die I want to come back as an animal owned by @secuono.


Right?? Ha ha!


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Another day, another green meal!


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## AmberLops

Happy Piggies!!


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Today is cleaning day, but not before lunch!


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First introduction!
More videos uploading.





Abbie is most tolerant, only has a fit if Sprinkles moves quickly near her.

Trixie is least friendly, but okay with her as long as she keeps away, mostly...

Sammie is mostly Meh about her.


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Koi watching.


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Today's dinner snack, Mulberry.


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## AmberLops

Lucky piggies!!


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14 or 15 different plants for dinner!


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They've been getting home grown peas for breakfast and got home grown cucumber slices for lunch today.  The tropical fish also got some.


 
I don't like cukes nor peas. I do love the pickles I make, but haven't had enough cukes grow to bother for about 3yrs. 
Tried to buy some from other farmers, but no luck.


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Pig vanished!


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Got them a 2nd hay feeder and a new hut.
She escapes Trixie by going upwards.


 

 

I need to make another level...


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They've still been living separately. Trixie is an absolute a$$ to her. But then Sammie has decided to be nasty towards Trixie all the time. 

Anywho, trying again today.


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A second level with built in underneath house sections would still be best...


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Finally planned it out. 
3 sides will be closed up through 2nd floor, front will be open. I'll attach the ladder I have to the front. It will have 3 solid walls underneath to make 4 hiding caves. I'll add a couple of their current hiding caves onto second floor.


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## AmberLops

Cute!! I like your plan


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## MiniGoatsRule

Always go with taking them all home. Take it from a tween on BYH with not much reasonable logic.


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Gonna be a bit smaller-


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The second floor will be 46" by 18". Ten inches shorter, but two inches wider. 
Wood is cut & screwed together!
Cut the carpet runner, just need to glue it down.
Then, I can place it in & take lots of pics to share!
Oh, guess I need to make a wood hook of sorts to keep the ladder in the right place. Then it'll be done! 
Pics once it's in place. Hopefully, later tonight!


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Glue drying...


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Miscalculated. Only 2" between wall & ladder, almost not enough room to pass, but the right end doesn't have a full wall, so that helps. Shorter 2nd floor would be too narrow with the huts. Hmm
She's a climber & jumper!


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Built the 2nd floor. She doesn't use it a ton and now they all seem to mostly be getting along.


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They're finally getting along!
Removed the 2nd floor I made them.
Probably could of removed it a week ago.
12-13 weeks to learn to get along.


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## AmberLops

YAY!


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## AmberLops

How did you get them all to pose like that??
They're adorable!


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Sprinkles is walking forward in the pic.
I kept placing them back and hoping they'd stay still long enough for the camera to get a clear picture. 14 pics later, this was the best one.
Two were more cooperative than the other two..


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Mani pedi day!


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## Duckfarmerpa1

secuono said:


> View attachment 68751View attachment 68750
> 
> 
> View attachment 68755View attachment 68754View attachment 68753View attachment 68752


I had two long haired ones when I was in high school...fun!   My hubby says..all the time. That our shu tzu , Muggswants one!!


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Sammie didn't want to be photographed today.


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Duckfarmerpa1 said:


> I had two long haired ones when I was in high school...fun!   My hubby says..all the time. That our shu tzu , Muggswants one!!



I've had a lot of cavies the last 17~ years.
My first dober loved them all, they were *his* babies.
Hard to find old pics of him and all his pigs.
These are one of the oldest.


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## animalmom

Thank you!  You and your delightful piggies just made my day.


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animalmom said:


> Thank you!  You and your delightful piggies just made my day.



Your very welcome!


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6×7 foot new pen!


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## MiniGoatsRule

secuono said:


> 6×7 foot new pen!
> View attachment 82513View attachment 82514


Good to hear you know the real size requirements for a guinea pig cage! Most people won't follow the 7.5 square foot per pig rule, but you went over. Nice!

Also, I don't know if you have to spay and neuter, like rabbits, but you can litter box train guinea pigs, just in case you get sick of mucking out a 42 square foot pen. Look it up, it'll change your life


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MiniGoatsRule said:


> Good to hear you know the real size requirements for a guinea pig cage! Most people won't follow the 7.5 square foot per pig rule, but you went over. Nice!
> 
> Also, I don't know if you have to spay and neuter, like rabbits, but you can litter box train guinea pigs, just in case you get sick of mucking out a 42 square foot pen. Look it up, it'll change your life



Too much hassle. Tried to train rabbits before, but they refused.


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## MiniGoatsRule

secuono said:


> Too much hassle. Tried to train rabbits before, but they refused.


I'm in the process. It's a living hell!


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When two pigs need a new place, you bring them home!
Babies at that!
And today, they got to freely be with everyone else.


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Pretty sure the huge amount of space is what really helped them integrate seamlessly!
They spent time separated, a lot less than before, and then let em go! 
If only I could make an even larger pen! 

They are slowly learning what treats, fresh foods & grasses are. I forgot that new babies have no idea what anything except hay & pellets are!


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Someone got a name!




Other turned out to be a male and was sent away immediately. Talking with a few breeders, there's hope that he was too young and the three eldest sows are too old to catch.


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Addie & Sprinkles died. 
Sammie is okay, Trixie got severe diarrhea, but recovered. Have until about mid November to know if they're pregnant or not for sure. 
Cleo had a baby boy. He is being separated and sold on the 4th of November or dog food if no one buys him.


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Sammie had 1 pup, believe it's a male.


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He identifies as a golf ball.


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The boys left to anew home together.


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Idk if I introduced Sharkie. 100% girl piggy.


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Introducing Tilly & Milly


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Back up to 6 girls! Feels much better to have a herd of them.
Video goes black when I turn light off,but fades back in after a few seconds.
Trixie, Sammie & Chloe got handfed treats. Sharkie sometimes is brave enough. New girls haven't figured it out yet.

New girls, Tilly & Milly


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Newest water bottles leak like a witch while they drink! Full clean out & swapped one of the hay feeders & bottles. Then added a boot pan to control the mess. 
4 hay feeders, 3 water bottles, 3 pellet dishes, 6 hidies & 6 piggies. 2 box hidies were chewed too much & gross, so they got tossed.


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Sevn is here! 
She almost took a treat from me earlier, but another pig ran into her and spooked her. 🤦🏽‍♀️


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Clockwise, from bottom left-
Trixie, Cleopatra, Tilly, Milly, Sammie, Sharkie & Sevn.


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Tilly, Milly & Trixie all passed. 
I was monitoring Trixie, as she was old & it showed, so I was up there often to check in.
Lost Tilly on april 29th, fed/watered in AM like usual, came back an hour later for paperwork & she was gone.
Then May 1st, Milly was gone in the AM.
Maybe a genetic issue that hits young store pigs, FB is full of posts about 6mo-15mo store pigs randomly passing. I sent out Milly's body for necropsy, but they found nothing of interest. 
Then Trixie died on May 4th. 

Fast forward to a weekend in late September and someone had 2 girl pigs for free. One had severe respiratory illness and passed before Monday morning came around. The other sister breezed through QT and is living with the others. 

Recently cleared my phone of excess pics n vids, so no pics of the latest pig.


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## BuckzBarnYard1983

Nice Pigs.  Had a white one as a kid named Gus.  Miss the little bugger.  Best of luck.  Buck.


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## BuckzBarnYard1983

secuono said:


> Tilly, Milly & Trixie all passed.
> I was monitoring Trixie, as she was old & it showed, so I was up there often to check in.
> Lost Tilly on april 29th, fed/watered in AM like usual, came back an hour later for paperwork & she was gone.
> Then May 1st, Milly was gone in the AM.
> Maybe a genetic issue that hits young store pigs, FB is full of posts about 6mo-15mo store pigs randomly passing. I sent out Milly's body for necropsy, but they found nothing of interest.
> Then Trixie died on May 4th.
> 
> Fast forward to a weekend in late September and someone had 2 girl pigs for free. One had severe respiratory illness and passed before Monday morning came around. The other sister breezed through QT and is living with the others.
> 
> Recently cleared my phone of excess pics n vids, so no pics of the latest pig.


I am sorry for your losses.  I hope you rest easy knowing that you gave them as good of as a life as thy could have gotten.  Bless you.


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