Is 24hr access to run a good idea? (indoor GPs)

[hannahs26]

Hi, we rehomed 2 beautiful girls on Tuesday, and have had them in their 120 cage for the last 3 days, while completing their proper cage and run. They've been moved in to their new place today, with larger cage, and access to large secure run with hiding places and lots of space to run about, which they have loved exploring today :-) Fleece covers the flooring throughout their cage and run, and there are cardboard, cloth, and plastic hiding places, and a couple of door mats within their run.
My newbie question is, should they be closed in to their cage at night time (where they have all their essentials), or left with access to their run 24hrs a day? I wonder whether during the quiet of the night, they may feel more secure if contained within their cage, or whether at night time they'd appreciate the run more while there is quiet and darkness?
What do others do?
Thanks for your help :-)

 

[sport_billy]

Is it secure? If yes Is no reason why they can’t have access all the time be great to see photos of your setup I am intrigued! Our pigs are going to be jealous I bet

 

[sport_billy]

You’ll find as long as the run as hideys in, once they settle they will feel secure and you’ll see them out and about.

 

[Sophie B]

My pigs have (what I think is) what you’re describing, and they love it

 

[anyar.dris]

Mine has 24hrs access to the run. From 8am to 10pm, they also run around freely in our living room. They have a small area under our ratan chair and they go back and forth if they want. Gate of their main cage is closed at 10pm or whenever we are out for the day.

They are both upstairs at this moment after having their night meals.

 

[David Piggie Lover]

If it's safe then more space be great.
Welcome to forum. my piggies say

 

[Merab's Slave]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new piggies.
As others have said - so long as the space is secure and there’s access to hiding places give them as much space as you can

 

[hannahs26]

Hi everyone,
Bit late in replying I'm sorry, but thought I'd just drop in and say thank you to all who replied about my question of whether to allow access to the run 24/7. I'm sharing a couple of photos of the set up, as just did a bit of rearranging and changing of fleece etc this morning, and it's looking all tidy again :-)
The pic with the litter tray in shows the end of the run with the dog crate, open, to give the extra space for litter tray and hay rack, then the second pic is taken from the end of the run looking towards the crate end. The temperature at night in the sunroom is now down to below 14, so to save on heating costs, they are now in the lounge, in a traditional 4ft/2ft GP cage at night time, where they are much warmer :-)

 

[Merab's Slave]

That is awesome.
Lucky piggies

 

[Leafy Lou]

That's fantastic!

 

[Freela]

We have a similar setup, a ground level cage with a door and then a run area outside the cage (in our case it's a hallway with baby gates blocking it completely off.) I leave the door open in the daytime, but do shut it at night, simply for my own stress levels. They do go into the cage at night to sleep anyhow, I just close it up before I go to bed. I find mine will come out and putter around if there are treats out, but want to go back to the safety of their cage to rest or sleep anyhow.