Potbelly Pig question

[jlquick30]

We adopted a baby potbelly pig the first week of November - she was about 4 weeks old at the time. She's been living inside since she was so small, but she's already up to 12 pounds and ultimately we want her to live outside. She eats and drinks fine, out of a regular pet bowl, but I'm worried about her staying warm through the winter.

We live in east Texas - we rarely get below freezing temperatures, but it does happen. The average daytime temp is around 50-60, although it's been in the high 70s lately. We have a barn -- one side is completely closed, the other side opens to our chicken coop (so gets the wind, but is fenced in). We were planning on putting her in one of the horse stalls -- wood walls and doors, dirt floor.

What all would we need to do to equip it for her to stay warm? Or is she just too young? I would feel awful if anything happened to her. We do have an enclosed porch where our dogs sleep at night that we could move her to until the spring, but it would cost $$ to equip it and then more $$ to fix up the barn stall.

 

[redhen]

I'd be sad to put her outside by herself since shes been used to inside and company..
I'd get her a friend if you are going to move her outside..she'll NEED the company(its cruel to keep a pig by themselves with nothing for company..)... and warmth..(they will snuggle up together at night.. even if they hate each other during the day time..lol)...
OR find a way to keep her inside..maybe the porch you mentioned..
She'll need PLENTY of hay/straw..to TOTALLY burrow herself deep inside of it... and a sometimes a heat light/barn heater also...
Actually i think shes still WAY to young to go outside in the winter all alone.. you might find a dead pig one morning..
PLUS... shes been inside all this time..so she didnt get a chance to build up her natural thicker winter coat..
Usually when you move an inside animal to outside you do it in the spring time... so they have the whole summer/fall to build up their natural winter coat...
So I'd never, ever move an inside animal outside in the winter time..
Best of luck!

 

[jlquick30]

So before I even read this response, I started feeling bad about kicking her out. We bought a dog kennel-type enclosure (open top) and cleaned out a big space in the enclosed porch for her. I bought her a dog bed and blanket, she has a litter box, and her food/water dishes. Plus plenty of space to play with her toys and the sun shines in bright every day. There's a space heater out there set on automatic so that it stays the same temp as the house. She loves it so far! We go out and visit throughout the day and she hasn't cried once. I feel MUCH better about this arrangement, at least until the spring comes.