It's winter soon!

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So who thinks that all the evidnece shows it is safe for piggies to be outside during winter?

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next_croc-hunter?

Hi all i was wondering as i live in middlesbrough if i could keep my guineas out side for the winter if i made sure there is loads and loads of hay in their bedroom and more than usual elsewhere.

Thanks for all comments
 
Its gonan be really hard for you to clean them out and just think of them outside in the freezing weather ~ Would you like to live in a hutch with hay in the cold weather ? Hay doesnt really keep them that warm :-\ I know i have 6 piggys in a 4 tier hutch but as long as you keep them warm with blankets etc on top and enough ventilation they should be ok but cause you only have 2 I'm sure you could possibly fit 2 piggys in a cage in your house somewhere just until its slightly warmer ? O0
 
It gets too cold in the winter in the UK to have them outside year round. Not just the cold but I'm afraid hay can't keep out damp and drafts. You also won't be able to bring them in for cuddles if they live outdoors which would be a shame for you and them.
 
Do you not have a shed they can go in, i wasn't allowed mine in the house but managed to get them in the shed instead it's much warmer for both us and the piggies, it will be horrible trying to clean in the wind and rain aswell.
 
Yes, I agree with what everyone else has said, if your not allowed them in the house, are you not allowed them in a shed?! I am not allowed mine in the house either but they have a heated and insulated shed to themselves now :smitten:
 
I do agree woth u guys but the thing is the garage has the car in it (fumes) and the shed has a petrol lawnmower in it and is to small but i dont agree with the fact i cant bring them in for cuddles of corse i can! my friend uses a plastic covering they use for the plants (like a greenhouse) and he just puts small holes in it so they can breath so tht would be alright for night times ?

PS I'm sure they can stand the cold they live in the andes so extra cold in winter!

Thanks for all your replys guys O0
 
These aren't wild guinea pigs these are domestic guinea pigs. Two very different species. They CANNOT cope with fluctuations in temperatures. If you bring them in from the freezing cold to a house that's room temperature that's a change of 20 degrees C THEN you're putting them back out again. I did this when I was younger and ended up with a dead guinea pig. I hope you take the advice given here and don't find that out the hard way.

Go and sit outside in just a sweatshirt and see how comfortable you are with the temperature.
 
I advised you when you first joined here :) I told you to cover the lawnmower up and empty it of petrol and then you could move your piggies into the shed and that is what you were going to do :)
 
i dont think we are going to get a winter LOL

Sat out inthe garden today enjoying the sun listening to my 5 girls chirp away and enjoy some moist grass :)

A couple more weeks thou and I will move them to the garage.

On another note, we have a hutch huggy that fitted the small cage but now we have 5 we upsized. Anyone interested? Only used for 1 winter, in superb condition and I think it still has the original packaging :)

Drop me a pm
 
right i understand what you mean by the temperatures but we have a conservatory so it is only about 5 degrees difference will that be ok?
 
In that case could they not over-winter in the conservatory? Protected from wind, rain, damp, snow, frost. You could even heat it on extra cold days. Surely you and your family use the conservatory considerably less in the winter? It could save their lives. :)
 
The area they are in is completely sheltered from direct wind and gets no rain (it has a large bush covering it plus the consevertory help shelter it) they can't stay in my room because they have a massive outdoor hutch, we have no spare room in our house
 
Also could some one just answer my question i totaly understand you guys are trying to help me and thx but all i want to know is if i provide a bit of extra hay (or alot) is it possible for them to last the winter?
 
I know you're all concerned that they'll get cold but if they cant go inside then he has to settle for them outside.
You can still give them cuddles (If you're willing to sit outside for 20 minutes a day) but dont take them inside.
DFS is right-hay isnt that warm. They do need it so still give it to them but if you feel the hay then its the same temperature as the air. A good thing to do is use shredded tissue paper(the one intended for small animals) and fill they're sleeping compartment with it-it will keep them warm and they can tunnel in it.
Also a huttch snug would be useful but they're very expensive.
If its out of the rain then you can drape old towels over the top, back and sides of the hutch and over the front as long as you leave a reasonable gap for air and light.
Mine have to live outside year round too and I dont like it but they're only allowed in during snow and fireworks :(
 
Thanks for input there racheylcg O0 that is another thing snow and bonfire night i cant take them in at all :-\ what should i do?
 
I know everyone says guinea pigs should not be out all year round and none of mine are out but my sister has 11 piggies of her own and her oldest Pair of Boars have been outside all their lives.They are covered with a hutch hugger and the water bottle has one of those thermal covers to prevent it freezing and stand under a car port,At almost 6 yrs old they are in excellent health.Ok you have to be 100% totaly commited to stand outside in sub zero temperatures cleaning them out and making a fuss of them but she does.
I would also say they get a much thicker coat than any of the indoor ones
 
This is tricky
Some animals are better than others at fireworks night so hopefully yours wont get too scared
There are two things you need to do-light proof and sound proof
To light proof drape an old sheet, towel or another opaque cover over the front and hold it a bit away from the front with a few bricks for air
Sound proofing is harder-lots of hay for them to snuggle in when they're scared is a start, but theeres not much more you can do if they're outside
 
kezza30 said:
Do you not have a shed they can go in, i wasn't allowed mine in the house but managed to get them in the shed instead it's much warmer for both us and the piggies, it will be horrible trying to clean in the wind and rain aswell.
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I'm exactly same, not allowed them inside so when it gets colder I'm going to put mine in the garage.
 
thanks sokel and rachey lcg i guess they will get used to fireworks night through out the years any tips for the snowy parts of winter (if we ever get one again ;D)
 
You can get these amazing blankets that are fleece on one side and waterproof on the other so you can put them around and on top of the hutch
Leeave an over hang so that snow wont blow into the hutch
You can buy something called a bottle snug which keeps your bottle from freezing
Or you could plead with your parents-from experience once they see the little piggies shivering in the snow they usually weaken and let them come inside for the night ;D
 
I always think it warmer once it snows (usually 0 deg) rather than some of the really freezy/icy -4or5 that we had last winter,and the shed seemed warmer once it had snowed......perhaps a proper pigloo ;D ;D
 
That is another poblem my piggies were brought up on a water bowl (although I'm trying to wean them on to a bottle) if i cant wean them then what should i do?

Thanks O0
 
You should be able to wean them-guineas pig's noses sense where the water source is, so they should sniff their way over and work out how to use it.
 
In an ideal world of course all piggies would be inside for the winter but I would guess that generally speaking most guinea pig owners keep them outside but as Sokel said you have to be 100% dedicated to their welfare.

If they are to remain outside try thinking about different ways to keep them warm, rather than just thinking extra hay.

Perhaps first you could look at where the hutch is situated, could it be moved to a much more sheltered spot? Is it truly out of the prevailing wind and rain? Keep an eye every night on the temperature charts on tv so that you will know when it really does turn icy cold.

Think about getting it raised abit more off the ground and covering it with insulting material and waterfproof outer sheeting.

It's also worth looking at the sleeping compartment - is the door letting in cold air? Is the partition too big? Is your bedding thick enough? Look at every aspect and make changes where possible.

Cardboard is a good insulator so save every bit you can and line the bedding area, perhaps put a cardboard box inside it too stuffed with hay. If you can invest in some vet bed you could put this on layers of newspaper/cardboard and chopped straw. If you have an oversized piece you can turn it up against the door to stop any draughts coming in. If the partition lets lots of cold air in you could put a tunnel from the bed area to the rest of the hutch and seal off the remainder with some timber. The aim is to give them one area where they are cosy and can keep warm overnight.

A snugglesafe hot water bottle is a really good investment too as they keep their heat for several hours, you could pop that in last thing at night. And of course make sure they have lots and lots of hay and extra food.

I would persevere with the water bottle, you can put an old sock over it to keep it from freezing but if you have your hutch front well insulated it shouldn't anyway.

So there are a few suggestions to help you on your way, I hope it helps. It is "do able" but just requires a bit of lateral thinking and some effort on your part.

I'm not saying they should be kept outside but if that's really the only option please do everything you can to ensure they are ok, be responsible.

Without exception all the piggies I have ever rescued have come from homes where they lived outside 12 months of the year so clearly it happens but I think it is also a deciding factor too that people just don't want one more winter cleaning out the piggies, if their heart isn't in it it's a good excuse for them to be rehomed.

Hope some of these suggestions have helped :)
 
Wow thanks for those tips
I'm moving the pigs into the shed today but its only a couple of degrees warmer in there
Only problem is I'm having trouble finding a box that fits snugly in the sleeping compartment :(
 
Racheylcg said:
Wow thanks for those tips
I'm moving the pigs into the shed today but its only a couple of degrees warmer in there


I have a thermometer in my shed,and you'd be surprised what a difference it does make :)
Click to expand...
 
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