Daytime Temperatures: Playing Outside

[mcgstar]

Hello,

We have popped our piggies out for a play in their run outside, but I am worried about whether they will be warm enough. A lot of the info and advice about keeping them warm seems to be about in their hutches and overnight.

The run is separate to their hutch so they can't have free access indoors/outdoors. However, I have put an old towel over one part of the run to create more privacy and keep out draughts, and they have some tubes, and hidey boxes. Plus I have put their carrier in one corner with some paper and hay bedding in so that they can snuggle up together in there if they are cold (and a small towel over to keep draughts from blowing into the air holes)

Am I right in thinking that they will go and snuggle in that bed area if they are cold, and that if they're running around playing and eating then they must be warm enough? We just got them yesterday so I don't know much about they're personalities yet to tell if they're ok or not. They are both still babies.

It's shady and north west facing in the garden, the air temperature is currently 12C, it's not very windy for a human but maybe a bit of a breeze if you're a piggy. The sun will come round in the afternoon and warm things up a little bit.

Thanks!
Laura

 

[piggieminder]

If they were mine I would only put them out in the afternoon when they have a little warm sun now the air is a bit chilly. My boars went out for an hour yesterday late afternoon when the grass had dried off and the air was a little warmer as soon as the sun went off the garden they cosied up in their hay boxes so I brought them in.

 

[mcgstar]

If they were mine I would only put them out in the afternoon when they have a little warm sun now the air is a bit chilly. My boars went out for an hour yesterday late afternoon when the grass had dried off and the air was a little warmer as soon as the sun went off the garden they cosied up in their hay boxes so I brought them in.

That's really helpful, thanks! I've relocated my greenhouse thermometer to help work out the localised temperature in the garden, and the boys have had a few good little playing out sessions on the grass now.

 

[Betsy]

Mine went out on the grass at around 10.30 this morning when the sun had dried the grass off and it was around 13 degrees. They love being on the grass and I am trying to get them out as much as poss atm as they will be in the hutch for most of the winter. It is well weatherproofed and they have lots of warm stuff inside. When it drops below 10 degrees I'll keep them in the hutch. I cover the hutch at night. I have a hutch hugger from Scratch and Newton and a blanket that goes over the top and down the front to keep out the chill. On the open run bit at the bottom, I have put bubble wrap on the sides and also I have put in a false floor as the run went straight onto the ground. The false floor is made up of a sarnie of weatherproof ply, 4" floor insulation covered in waterproof membrane and weatherproof ply. When I do the weekly thorough clean, I line it with a good layer of old newspapers and about 3" of hay.

 

[Janice C]

Hello,

We have popped our piggies out for a play in their run outside, but I am worried about whether they will be warm enough. A lot of the info and advice about keeping them warm seems to be about in their hutches and overnight.

The run is separate to their hutch so they can't have free access indoors/outdoors. However, I have put an old towel over one part of the run to create more privacy and keep out draughts, and they have some tubes, and hidey boxes. Plus I have put their carrier in one corner with some paper and hay bedding in so that they can snuggle up together in there if they are cold (and a small towel over to keep draughts from blowing into the air holes)

Am I right in thinking that they will go and snuggle in that bed area if they are cold, and that if they're running around playing and eating then they must be warm enough? We just got them yesterday so I don't know much about they're personalities yet to tell if they're ok or not. They are both still babies.

It's shady and north west facing in the garden, the air temperature is currently 12C, it's not very windy for a human but maybe a bit of a breeze if you're a piggy. The sun will come round in the afternoon and warm things up a little bit.

Thanks!
Laura

I always go by the old adage "if it's cold for you it's cold for piggies and vice versa!
Sounds though that you've every scenario well covered!
My babies only out when grass is dry and some sun warming the area as like human babies they're temps won't regulate as easy as older piggies.

 

[eileen]

my lawn is like a qaudmire,could skate on all the soggy mud !mine are going out in a run that has a bottom to it,i place blanket on it and mounds of hay,at least they get exercise that way !

 

[LozzyBee]

I asked my (extremely cavy savvy!) vet about them having time outside the other day as putting them out in autumn/winter is something that hasn't ever sat well with me, but the rescue we got one of ours from say it's very important to give them the option of going outside all year round. They say even if it's just for half an hour, it's important to put them out in a carrier and let them decide if they want to jump out on to the grass or not. Interestingly, one of mine jumps straight out no matter what the weather, the other isn't interested!

My vet was saying exposure to Vitamin D is as important for them as it is for us, so as long as the sun has dried up the grass then put them out with somewhere they can jump in to keep them off the ground if they don't want to be on it (such as a carrier).

I have the best of intentions every winter, but there comes a point when I chicken out and switch to giving them floor time indoors instead. May well reconsider this year though as I didn't really think about the vitamin D issue.