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hi can anyone help

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Hi

Ive got three gorgeous piggy boys and was wondering if anyone else could help me. i have an indoor pen but would love for them to roam free at home like i hear on here, any tips on how to go about it or creating a larger run for them. also if they are out side in garden do you need a run or if your out there with them can they roam free! i only had one piggy last summer so wasnt so much of a issue but now with three i would love to give them some more room.
thanks for your help in advance x
 
Outside I guess it depends on predators you may have around and how secure your outside area is.

In my garden, for instance, they could escape under the fence and if kept running would hit a road. I also have cats and foxes which pass through my garden so its not an option for me. I have in the past used a covered run though. I do know of someone who's entire GP herd was taken by a buzzard (suspected but never proven).... so there's lots to think about.

Inside I have 2 dogs so again not an option but I would guess you would have to watch doors, wires and stuff like that ?

Id be interested to hear about this too (even though I cant do it) ... do people train them to litter trays ? otherwise would you be constantly cleaning up/standing in poop/pee from anywhere ?

xx
 
Might thought excatly! i have no other animals in house so that wouldnt be too much of a problem but wee and poo might be! anytips would be welcomed! outside out garden is ok they couldnt get out more worried about neighbours cats and getting the herd back inside again! i sat out with cocoa last summer in his pen to warn off any cats but wouldnt leave alone as that would be too risky! were do yours play then?
 
i found that when i let mine out they ate holes in the carpet, so now they are only allowed in the kitchen where its lino. easy to clean and no holes. if you do let them free range i would recommend blocking off any wires etc and any gaps you dont want them to get into.

Also outside i would supervise them and build them a big run. then they are safe from neighbouring cats and birds. i wouldnt let mine out in the garden unless they were in an enclsoed run. plus they dont like being aught so i'd never catch them again but that might just be mine lol
 
Mine tend to wee and poo where they are used to doing so - they wee on newspaper so wherever I put that they will use it as a toilet. (There's newspaper in their hay bit)

They also wee where they are settled down and in a hidey hole type of place, under something and partly hidden. So just be aware of this.

They also taste anything, paintwork, carpets, legs of stools, even bricks! You need to choose a place for them to run around in that has nothing precious in it so that it doesn't matter if one of them decides to have a go.

All that said, mine really like being free to roam around the conservatory and I think it does them good. It is a tiled floor, the carpets in there are basically there to be destroyed and a wire protector makes sure they can't get right up against the heater or at any of the wires.
 
Umm iv bought some cheap pvc table cloth fabric to put down on the floor when they are out for a run and a cardboard boarder around it. Mine really love the skirting board little rascals so they've been banned to run around the whole room on their own lol.
 
It depends on predators, inside and out! I could never let mine free range all of the time because we have a puppy who would think theyre a squeaky toy! They used to free range on the hall for a few hours each day until it started to get cold outside and then i had to stop bringing them in (they are outdoor piggys).

As far as the free ranging outside goes, i used to do it with mine, but only when there was someone in the garden watching them all of the time. I used to plonk boxes and hidey holes on the grass in the corner and they would just play around the boxes, when they ventured too far you just round them up and the scurry off into a bolt hole. We did loose them in teh bushes a couple of times and it took us until dark to get them out! :))

ETA: Mum used to go mad about poos and wees on her carpet, so i used to put hay in a big gift bag so it was dark and they would go in there most of the time (they do most of their poos in corners and dark places).
 
Hi MPG:)p, You say you have a puppy, why not get it used to your guineas whilst it is still a puppy. It will then look on the guineas as part of the 'pack' and will not look on it as a squeaky toy. I have 5 dogs all of whom I have taught not to hurt the guineas and I can let guineas roam outside on the grass free range. My guineas will walk over the dogs feet when they are lay down and the dogs do not bother at all. It is like people with cats, they say dogs chase cats but it is only the owner who teaches the dog to chase cats. Also the dogs will deter any cats or birds of prey from coming into the garden. I have a Dobermann who was 3 years old when I homed him and it took 12 months of patience and understanding but he would not hurt my guineas at all, in fact he will lick their bums clean, very gently mind:). Please give it a try.:)p
 
Hi MPG:)p, You say you have a puppy, why not get it used to your guineas whilst it is still a puppy. It will then look on the guineas as part of the 'pack' and will not look on it as a squeaky toy. I have 5 dogs all of whom I have taught not to hurt the guineas and I can let guineas roam outside on the grass free range. My guineas will walk over the dogs feet when they are lay down and the dogs do not bother at all. It is like people with cats, they say dogs chase cats but it is only the owner who teaches the dog to chase cats. Also the dogs will deter any cats or birds of prey from coming into the garden. I have a Dobermann who was 3 years old when I homed him and it took 12 months of patience and understanding but he would not hurt my guineas at all, in fact he will lick their bums clean, very gently mind:). Please give it a try.:)p

Because id be fighting a loosing battle against my dad. The puppy belongs to dad and hes already spoilt her, I'm sick of telling him. i have another dog, Jess who i rescued and she sees the guinea pigs as part of the pack, she licks them too! :))

Shes already got upstairs when dad was supposed to be watching her and she almost got one of my rabbits. I'm not even going to risk it again.
 
I am sorry to hear that, it is such a shame as it makes for a happier household when they all get along doesn't it. It sounds as if its your dad that needs the training then:)):)):)p
 
thanks guys for all your ideas think i will stick with the pen them rascles do love the skirting board and wall at the moment! i just wondered if there was an easy way with out poop and wee's all over the floor! i use an old bed sheet at the moment at hugo and ralphy have just started pulling at that done think the OH would be too pleased the same happening with carpets! think in the summer i will just take pen outside for them whilst I'm their as would leave them on their own outside far to risky. thanks again
 
thanks guys for all your ideas think i will stick with the pen them rascles do love the skirting board and wall at the moment! i just wondered if there was an easy way with out poop and wee's all over the floor! i use an old bed sheet at the moment at hugo and ralphy have just started pulling at that done think the OH would be too pleased the same happening with carpets! think in the summer i will just take pen outside for them whilst I'm their as would leave them on their own outside far to risky. thanks again

If poo and wee is the problem, i use EVA foam mats :) Easy to sweep the poos up and then you just wipe up the pee with a cloth and some disinfectant. I used to use it when the piggies had floor time, but now i use it in my rabbit cage. If they do pee in the joins, then i put bin liners under the mats so that it doesnt go onto the floor and then it all gets thrown out after. takes a bit of time to set up (5-10min) but takes a couple of minutes to put away.
 
My piggies have a room of their own where they are free range 24/7. They have their cage with a ramp in and out which is lined with fleece and a tray filled with hay...normally when they munch their hay they pee and poop. Out side their cage are their toys and hideys and another hay tray which is actually a plastic dog basket which is full of hay too, so more pees and poops there.

In the room I normally only have to clean up pees every couple of days as I have laminate floor and they rarely pee out of their trays. Also they maybe only do a couple of poops a day outside their cage :)

When they do get out doors in the summer they are free range in the garden but someone is always with them :)
 
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