Good points, thank you m'duck

No we wouldn't want them out all the time, summer or winter. It was more a 'where can they be and have more space without destroying everything around them when we're out' type thing.

Interestingly we seem to have turned some sort of corner. They're suddenly doing less in the pens and more outside, and even a few bits and bobs out on walks! I think they now associate the pens with doing their do. We've rearranged ourselves and our days so they can be out of the pens almost all the time we're home. It means someone with them at all times due to the power of their jaws and all the wood in the house, and to stop their play fighting becoming anything more, as they're getting to the age where they're working out who is boss between them - we step in before it becomes messy as they do need to sort themselves out just not get hurt in the process.

Still get the odd 'accident' in the pens, but nothing any more outside of them. I have my fingers very tightly crossed that we might be on the turn. We expect there'll be a few slip-ups along the way, but hopefully the angst is reducing all round