I Need To Get A New Hutch Help Needed With Transition Please

Betsy

Betsy

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I need a new hutch for my piggies as my current one is rubbish. I need to save up for the one I want (will have enough money Feb/March time) as it is around 200 quid for a 6ft x 2 ft x 2ft two storey hutch. I need two storeys as at the mo I have 2 boars living with 3 sows (as some of you will know). If the boars ever fall out my contingency plan is to separate the boys and then decide which of the girls will live with which boy, I don't have room in my garden for 2 hutches. How do I make the transition as smooth as possible? I know that a change of residence leads to a new sort out of the hierarchy. I have a very delicate balance of hierarchy at the mo and I would like to keep it that way. I know I just can't shove them all in the new hutch and hope for the best. Do I keep some of the old hutch bedding and add it to the new hutch to help make it smell the same? Any thoughts would be appreciated. I know Feb/March seems a long time away, but 6 months ago Christmas seemed a long way off too. I seem to have blinked and it is less than 5 weeks away!
 
I think I would be tempted, as you said, to trying to get the hutch smelling as much of them as possible.
 
I am not sure of your exact set up, but is there some way to give them access (via a run or play pen) to both hutches for a couple of days?
Or attach a run to the new hutch and use it for floor time for a few days, and put them back in their old hutch to sleep, so it is a more gradual change?
 
Betsy said:
I need a new hutch for my piggies as my current one is rubbish. I need to save up for the one I want (will have enough money Feb/March time) as it is around 200 quid for a 6ft x 2 ft x 2ft two storey hutch. I need two storeys as at the mo I have 2 boars living with 3 sows (as some of you will know). If the boars ever fall out my contingency plan is to separate the boys and then decide which of the girls will live with which boy, I don't have room in my garden for 2 hutches. How do I make the transition as smooth as possible? I know that a change of residence leads to a new sort out of the hierarchy. I have a very delicate balance of hierarchy at the mo and I would like to keep it that way. I know I just can't shove them all in the new hutch and hope for the best. Do I keep some of the old hutch bedding and add it to the new hutch to help make it smell the same? Any thoughts would be appreciated. I know Feb/March seems a long time away, but 6 months ago Christmas seemed a long way off too. I seem to have blinked and it is less than 5 weeks away!
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Betsy may need a new home up in Scotland - just while you make the new hutch smell beautiful for them! Lol
Seriously though, I agree with @Flutterby putting some of their own bedding in will probably make it homely for them. They will probably be distracted running about smelling everywhere anyway! Plus the usual two of everything and lots of hay to hide in.
 
Oh wow exciting times! I didn't do anything special when I got mine, just plonked them in and away they went :)) are there bigger hutches available at all? Only 6ft x 2ft is the min RSPCA recommended size for 4 piggies so if you can go bigger the extra space would certainly help maintain their bond
 
Lady Kelly said:
Oh wow exciting times! I didn't do anything special when I got mine, just plonked them in and away they went :)) are there bigger hutches available at all? Only 6ft x 2ft is the min RSPCA recommended size for 4 piggies so if you can go bigger the extra space would certainly help maintain their bond
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The only 7ft hutch I have found is way out of my price range and I have done lots of research.
 
You carefully pick them up, mind that if one jumps, it could cause serious injury.
Now this is the hard part, you open the cage & loveing place them in the cage.
If you've managed this first time, well done.
Sorry Betsy I couldn't resist. :yikes:
 
Tiamolly123 said:
You carefully pick them up, mind that if one jumps, it could cause serious injury.
Now this is the hard part, you open the cage & loveing place them in the cage.
If you've managed this first time, well done.
Sorry Betsy I couldn't resist. :yikes:
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What are you like @Tiamolly123! Honestly some people!
 
While I'm down taking Betsy for her Scottish hols my husband could make you a hutch as big as you need!
 
Does he know this? My husband hardly knows one end of a hammer from another! My late Mum's partner made the hutch for my rainbow piggies but he is now 86 and cannot do this anymore and I wouldn't want to ask him as he would want to but couldn't.
 
As has already been said put in some used bedding that already smells of them. Also add all the hides, bowls etc from the old hutch unwashed so it's all very familiar and smelly. Leave the new hutch outside to air and loose the new wood smell before you use it. A good time to do it would be when they have been in their outside run for a few hours and are returning 'home', with a bit of luck they won't even notice it's changed!
 
When I bonded my quad of rabbits I left their litter trays dirty and out the hay from the bonding pen i to their new home (shed). They were fine.

Hope you manage a smooth transition.
 
flowerfairy said:
When I bonded my quad of rabbits I left their litter trays dirty and out the hay from the bonding pen i to their new home (shed). They were fine.

Hope you manage a smooth transition.
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Thanks won't be for a while but I just want to be prepared so I can introduce them to their new hutch and I won't be panicking!
 
Lady Kelly said:
Oh wow exciting times! I didn't do anything special when I got mine, just plonked them in and away they went :)) are there bigger hutches available at all? Only 6ft x 2ft is the min RSPCA recommended size for 4 piggies so if you can go bigger the extra space would certainly help maintain their bond
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Here is my dilemma now I have done a bit more research:-

I can't find nor could I afford a 7' two storey hutch. I can find and afford a 7' single storey hutch. I can find and can afford a 6' two storey hutch. The 7' single storey hutch is big enough for my 5 guinea pigs. The 6' two storey hutch is a bit small for my 5 guinea pigs. At the moment all 5 get on (2 boars and 3 sows) which I know is a very rare thing. If on moving them all to the new hutch and the boys fall out over the new shift in hierarchy because of the new place and I have bought the 7' single storey hutch I have a problem cos I don't have enough room in my garden for two hutches (nor can I afford two hutches). If they still get on then that's fine and I'm worrying over nothing. If they do fall out and I have bought the 6' two storey hutch then I can just block up the hole in the floor and decide which girl is going to live with which boy and every thing will be fine. I have to get a new hutch as my current one needs to be replaced. I have a very happy herd of piggies at the moment but that could change tomorrow if the boys decide that they suddenly don't like each other. They have all been living together quite contentedly for over a year now.

Advice needed!:ple:
 
Can anyone advise please? I need to make a decision. One day I think everything will be fine I'll get the 7' single storey hutch and the next day I'm thinking what if they fall out? I need a plan B! I don't know what to do! :help:
 
Betsy said:
Can anyone advise please? I need to make a decision. One day I think everything will be fine I'll get the 7' single storey hutch and the next day I'm thinking what if they fall out? I need a plan B! I don't know what to do! :help:
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Do they sell 3ft 6 hutches? You could get 2 and place them side by side then get help to make an entrance at one end which would enable you to put them together. X
 
ive a neutered boar and 4 sows living in a 6 feet double storey,they all get on well.i find if they need time out they use the ramp and go to the bottom level.it is not ideal but it works well.ive a ramp tunnel that velcros on and they all use it,even two piggies that are 7 years old.the other hutch is 6 feet long and ive blocked off the hole and use this as two seperate hutches.:)
 
eileen said:
ive a neutered boar and 4 sows living in a 6 feet double storey,they all get on well.i find if they need time out they use the ramp and go to the bottom level.it is not ideal but it works well.ive a ramp tunnel that velcros on and they all use it,even two piggies that are 7 years old.the other hutch is 6 feet long and ive blocked off the hole and use this as two seperate hutches.:)
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Thanks @eileen this is really helplful! where did you get the ramp tunnel from? I think I really need to get the 6' two storey hutch just in case so that I have a plan B.
 
I got the ramp tunnels from c and e cosies,19 cm for the length ! mine are 3 years old and just showing wear !
 
they were all ready made,need to wash once aweek, the velcro is already on the tunnel.my chartwell hutches ramp has a side,so i only fix it at the top of ramp,as the side of the ramps secure the rest of tunnel. i have 3, i gave one away.mine are well used ! they have a cotton outer and fleece inner,so bedding does not stick to the outside of tunnel !
 
Betsy said:
Here is my dilemma now I have done a bit more research:-

I can't find nor could I afford a 7' two storey hutch. I can find and afford a 7' single storey hutch. I can find and can afford a 6' two storey hutch. The 7' single storey hutch is big enough for my 5 guinea pigs. The 6' two storey hutch is a bit small for my 5 guinea pigs. At the moment all 5 get on (2 boars and 3 sows) which I know is a very rare thing. If on moving them all to the new hutch and the boys fall out over the new shift in hierarchy because of the new place and I have bought the 7' single storey hutch I have a problem cos I don't have enough room in my garden for two hutches (nor can I afford two hutches). If they still get on then that's fine and I'm worrying over nothing. If they do fall out and I have bought the 6' two storey hutch then I can just block up the hole in the floor and decide which girl is going to live with which boy and every thing will be fine. I have to get a new hutch as my current one needs to be replaced. I have a very happy herd of piggies at the moment but that could change tomorrow if the boys decide that they suddenly don't like each other. They have all been living together quite contentedly for over a year now.

Advice needed!:ple:
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Sorry I did see this earlier but have been thinking on and off what I would do. It's a difficult position you are in as obviously meeting the space guidelines is going to increase the chance of your piggies remaining happy together but then as you pointed out with two boars in with the females there is never a guarantee that things will remain peaceful. Should the worst happen you definitely need a back up idea and if there is absolutely nowhere else to plonk a second hutch or cage then I think I would be inclined to go for the smaller two level hutch. Did you search for large rabbit hutches? I found when I was looking that searching for guinea pig hutches only brought up the smallest ones so I stuck with a rabbit search that said I can't remember seeing any larger than 6ft (apart from shed style ones which were expensive)
 
Lady Kelly said:
Sorry I did see this earlier but have been thinking on and off what I would do. It's a difficult position you are in as obviously meeting the space guidelines is going to increase the chance of your piggies remaining happy together but then as you pointed out with two boars in with the females there is never a guarantee that things will remain peaceful. Should the worst happen you definitely need a back up idea and if there is absolutely nowhere else to plonk a second hutch or cage then I think I would be inclined to go for the smaller two level hutch. Did you search for large rabbit hutches? I found when I was looking that searching for guinea pig hutches only brought up the smallest ones so I stuck with a rabbit search that said I can't remember seeing any larger than 6ft (apart from shed style ones which were expensive)
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Yep.I searched for rabbit hutches and found largest were 6' too.
 
All I needed to do with my pigs is put their smelly toys in the hutch! There was some rumbling but that was all!
 
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