Guinea Pig Pellets

ruthie1982 said:
What if it’s in a shaded place can u give them lots of cool veg will that help
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Being in shade still isn’t safe once it gets to 25 or more. Sun heated breezes still raise the inside hutch temperature.
They don’t need lots of veg to keep cool
- they need to be in a space which is being kept cool (in a cool room with curtains and windows shut). Suddenly giving lots of veg can cause diarrhoea.
Frozen bottles or ice packs wrapped in towels can be used, but if they are being kept in a space which is already too hot then they are at risk of overheating. An ice pack won’t cool then down or keep them safe

Please do read the guides I linked
 
I think I have an ice pack in the freezer would of it be best to put in the top or bottom layer of her hutch
 
ruthie1982 said:
I think I have an ice pack in the freezer would of it be best to put in the top or bottom layer of her hutch
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It is best that she is not left in the hutch at all.

An ice pack is not going to help keep her cool if the hutch is too hot inside. Besides, an ice pack will thaw out and go warm very quickly outside .
An ice pack is only useful to offer if she has been brought into the house and the room is already cool enough.
You can then use an ice pack to help further cool the air around it; but a piggy who chooses to sit by an ice pack is showing you that they are already overheating.

The straight up reality is that if she is kept in a hutch outside when the temperature goes up to 25 or more then she would be at risk of potentially fatal heatstroke.

If you still have that indoor cage then it is much safer to bring her indoors
 
Shall I leave tangos hutch cover down as it’s quite windy here in Aberdeen. Still haven’t found a companion for her but she seems to be coping well on her own
 
ruthie1982 said:
Shall I leave tangos hutch cover down as it’s quite windy here in Aberdeen. Still haven’t found a companion for her but she seems to be coping well on her own
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If it is above 15 degrees then don’t leave the cover down as it can cause the hutch to overheat.
Unless you are talking gale force winds, then there is no issue with her having a summer breeze.

Sorry to hear you haven’t been able to find a companion as yet
 
ruthie1982 said:
So keep it down when it is 15 degrees or below
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It’s not quite as easy as the moment it drops to 15 degrees the cover is needed - it depends on the conditions; this time of year even though it may be cooler in Scotland than it is where I am, it is still warm enough that a cover isn’t needed at all. You will start to need the cover as night time temperatures drop when we get through September and into October.
The general rule is if you are warm enough then the piggies are warm enough and you do not need to take any action.

The only time a cover is going to be needed during the summer is if there is a torrential thunderstorm for example (a bit of a shower and i would not use the cover) and rain was heading into the hutch. Even then the cover should only be down while it’s raining. The moment the rain stops and sun comes back out the hutch would heat up within minutes if the cover isn’t removed.
 
ruthie1982 said:
I feed my guinea pig two handfuls of the tiny farm Gertie guinea pig nuggets .
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I feed my two piggies a total of 1/8th of a cup (I think). They don't even eat all of it between the two of them. They both would get 1/4 of a cup a day, and they usually get it in the morning and their veggies in the evening.
 
Piggies&buns said:
It’s not quite as easy as the moment it drops to 15 degrees the cover is needed - it depends on the conditions; this time of year even though it may be cooler in Scotland than it is where I am, it is still warm enough that a cover isn’t needed at all. You will start to need the cover as night time temperatures drop when we get through September and into October.
The general rule is if you are warm enough then the piggies are warm enough and you do not need to take any action.

The only time a cover is going to be needed during the summer is if there is a torrential thunderstorm for example (a bit of a shower and i would not use the cover) and rain was heading into the hutch. Even then the cover should only be down while it’s raining. The moment the rain stops and sun comes back out the hutch would heat up within minutes if the cover isn’t removed.
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Tango is currently out in her run it’s 19 degrees but quite windy will she be ok
 
ruthie1982 said:
Nope she seems to be doing ok on her own . X
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I’m glad she is ok but do keep in mind that lonely piggies can actually hide their loneliness. An owner would never know how lonely a piggy is.
It is very rare for a piggy to show loneliness and if they do show signs, then it is because they are so deeply lonely and desperate for company that they simply are unable to hide it any more. Waiting to see signs of loneliness is actually too late

ruthie1982 said:
Is it normal for her to be lying on her side
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Impossible to say whether it’s normal for her - it can just be that she is relaxed or it can sometimes be a sign of serious illness.
You would have to gauge whether she is ill or not
 
I have left tangos hutch cover off tonight as it’s warmer the 10 degrees is that ok
 
Is it ok to leave the hutch cover off if
It’s going to be 10 degrees over night
 
I give mine about 1 tablespoon of nuggets per day, shared between 2 piggies.
The like Science Selective Grain free.
By limiting the pellets as I do a bag lasts a very long time.
 
ruthie1982 said:
If it’s below 15 degrees should I keep the hutch cover down
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As I have answered this before, it depends on the situation - during the day they will feel the same as you do so if you are comfortable with being outside in a t shirt then they won’t need extra protections. For example if it is 15 degrees but sunny and not breezy then they will probably be fine without the cover. If it is 15 degrees but wet and windy then they will need the cover but not necessarily any other protections.

At night time if it is 10-15 degrees then add the cover. Below 10 degrees then also add extra bedding, hay and heat pads will also be needed.

It is 15 degrees here today, I haven’t and won’t do anything to extra protect mine at this point as it is still too warm. They’ve still got the stable door open for ventilation today.
So it’s not necessarily as simple as 15 degrees being the ultimate cut off as it depends on other factors
 
I see it's 12° today in Aberdeen, tho feels like 10°, and it's windy. Well, that's what my app is saying, I am of course not there on the ground to check.

Is the weather very changeable in your part of Scotland? Or is that just west coast? If very changeable, I'd factor that in too, especially the wind / wind chill factor. I realise that may not make your decision easier.
 
I always keep the cover down when below 15 degrees to keep tango warm as she is an
Older guinea pig she’s 5 know I think
 
ruthie1982 said:
I always keep the cover down when below 15 degrees to keep tango warm as she is an
Older guinea pig she’s 5 know I think
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Yes you have to do what works for the situation you are in while also making sure you leave yourself places to go.
If you throw too many measures in too soon then when it gets colder you have no other options to keep her warm (except bringing her inside but once she is in she would then have to stay in until April/may)
 
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