Insulation Bedding for Outside Piggies

[Lemon]

My Guinea Piggies live permanantly outside, as my brother is allergic to them and we have a dog that would most definitley eat them if we let them roam or even stay in a hutch inside.

When it's sunny, obviously, my little Piggies are fine with just roaming around outside, munching on their grass and such; but when it downpours I get awfully worried about them.

We have a large plastic mat across the top of the cage to help keep the rain out of the main part of the run, but I'm worried that they'll get cold.

At the moment I line the hutch with newspaper, use a small layer of Woodshavings, then a larger layer of hay. Will this help keep them warm?

I would like suggestions from other members, I can't stand the thought of my Piggies getting cold and damp. >_<

Many thanks.

 

[stargrrlclaire]

A thick layer of hay will definately keep them warm! They'll use it like a blanket. Are they in a windy spot? Have you got a shed you can put them in perhaps? Windy spots aren't good for them. x

 

[Lemon]

Ah, we don't put them in windy spots, we make sure of that.

Many thanks for your advice. ^_^

 

[georgie-porgie]

Your doing fine, but extra stuff !

What your doing is fine rolleyes Its what I do anyway I get really worried in the winter months though :... So I pop a large BBQ cover over the cage and hold it down with planks of wood at night :p That should keep any wind, rain, snow, or hail out |)

Alan, George and Chalie :p

 

[Jane]

Sounds fine to me Aslong as the rain isn't getting into the hutch, therefore soaking the bedding, and they have lots of hay to keep them warm then that's fine.

 

[Hay-a-holics]

When I had piggies outside I didn't bother with woodshavings I found them too messy esp, if there was a gust of wind while you were changing them it would fly everywhere. I used a thick layer of newspaper and then a wee mountain of hay.

I found the best thing to use was a blue tarp, it's a good colour it keeps the hot rays of the sun off but also keeps the area dry. You can drape it over a run or hutch (away from nibbling teeth).

I drape it over the top of the run and weigh it down with rocks or tie it down with strong twine.

It's also cheap and cheerful you can drape it over the sides so it protects the top and sides of the section of the run where the hutch is. Depending on the size of the tarp you can drape it over the back as well.

You can get it in Argos or in a hardware shop, usually used to cover cars with.

Must root out a piccy of the set up. I found it excellent in sunny weather and great in rainy weather.

 

[Nemo]

I keep my piggies in a shed in their hutches but my rabbits are outside and what we do is put a rug over the upper storey of their cage and a thick tarpaulin over that to keep them dry and then shavings and hay in their hutches. On particular cold nights I have two snugglesafes that I use for them but I might be using them for the piggies this time because rabbits can stand the cold more than they can I think.