It's winter soon!

  • Thread starter Thread starter next_croc-hunter?
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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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I have moved mine into the garage today. I'm hoping it will be better in there for them.

Thanks for all the great tips summerleaze!
 
i know u dont think the shed is making much of a difference but let me paint u a picture....
its the middle of december and u come to find your locked out... uv no coat, would u rather wait outside or in the shed? trust me, theyll appreciate it, and ud never forgive urself if something happened them because of the cold! in the shed there wont b draughts and theres less damp and no chance of a snow build up.... it gives u somewhere warmer to go with your pigs for snuggles and cleaning too O0
 
next_croc-hunter? said:
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
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what i would do is sit them on your lap and hold a water bottle to their mouths,they will soon know that it has water in,I have used this method when looking after a poorly piggie.
 
wheek said:
i know u dont think the shed is making much of a difference but let me paint u a picture....
its the middle of december and u come to find your locked out... uv no coat, would u rather wait outside or in the shed? trust me, theyll appreciate it, and ud never forgive urself if something happened them because of the cold! in the shed there wont b draughts and theres less damp and no chance of a snow build up.... it gives u somewhere warmer to go with your pigs for snuggles and cleaning too O0
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Yep its horrible cleaning them when the grounds wet and your knees are soaked and the wood shavings and hay stick to the ground and you cant feel your hands
We put them in the garage last year (We have a little front partition that can be easily tidied and we keep them in that) and although it was only a few degrees warmer neither of them got colds
Plus when its out of the rain you can drape towels over the back and sides of their cage
Last night we pinned a towel around the sleeping compartment on the outside and inside it it seemed much warmer than the rest of the hutch
Just my luck though the one night I do that there isnt even a frost where I live ::)
 
I've just insulated by hutch in the shed by sticking bubble wrap all around the outside and over the roof (but not over the mesh door!) and I also have a blanket over the top of that. I'm going to put some vet bed in too. Someone also suggested insulating it with those silver heat blankets that you use for survival training/after a marathon!
 
Great idea about the bubble wrap O0
Just spent a few mins looking and found a massive roll behind a cupboard
When living in my house you learn to search for things in the oddest places ::)
Anyway will be wrapping my hutch this afternoon :)
 
if you are not sure on the poll [lease just put your thoughts here

Thanks
 
Another thing you can use for insulation is that polystyrene (sp?) stuff that you get in boxes O0
 
next_croc-hunter? said:
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
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I put extra bedding in my hutch in the winter - I have a paper shredder at home and shred everything that I can - this makes perfect bedding along with extra hay. In the real bitter cold I would put a piece of carpet over the hutch - especially if it's got wire or mesh door. (Beware though cos this would make most guineas a bit more reclusive than normal - good idea to use it at night though or if frost if forecast for the early morning.)

Good luck x
 
Well i don't have a gp ( yet! ) however Mopsy, my rabbit has a shed which keeps her warm and dry =] xx
 
you i apsolutly stuff the bedroom with shredded paper and i put about an inch thick of hay so they are comftable, plus they are getting pretty fat now (lol) so they shud be pretty warm pls the place they are in gets virtually no rain or wind
 
My boy piggies have an insultated piggy shed their hutches have lots of hay in and i cover their houses that are in their bedrooms in fleece for added warmth. I like to add the fleece around their houses as hay just gets trampled down within a few mins of putting more in so i wouldnt just rely on the hay to keep them warm. I also cover the front of their hutches with a sleeping bag that is doubled over.

Have you got a snuggle heat pad for yours they are from Pets at Home they are great you pop them in the microwave for a few mins and they keep warm all night.

My girls are in the garage and again they have lots of hay and fleece blankets and a heat pad and they have an old quilt over the top and front of their hutch.

My piggies def recommend the heat pads! :smitten:
 
the only part that gets rain is the roof so their hutch is completely dry trust me they are never wet and we had some REALLY HEAVEY rains the otherday and they were just fine and they were dry so thats ok O0
 
If thats the case you could put a tarpaulin or a (clean) pond liner over the top of the hutch to keep the rain off
 
next_croc-hunter? said:
the only part that gets rain is the roof so their hutch is completely dry trust me they are never wet and we had some REALLY HEAVEY rains the otherday and they were just fine and they were dry so thats ok O0
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Even if they're not being rained on themselves they are still being exposed to damp which is far from ideal.
 
I just told you that they are always dry and the inside of the hutch is also dry no wind so the rain cannot be blown in they have a large bush covering them so the only are that gets wet is the ROOF plus the roof would be dry if the bush diddnt catch the rain and dripp like i sed it is large.
 
next_croc-hunter? said:
I just told you that they are always dry and the inside of the hutch is also dry no wind so the rain cannot be blown in they have a large bush covering them so the only are that gets wet is the ROOF plus the roof would be dry if the bush diddnt catch the rain and dripp like i sed it is large.
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The air when it rains is highly damp - it's nothing to do with them actually being wet. This is NOT good for pigs and it's this and draughts that make them ill.
 
I have a huge hutch outside, sheltered from the wind and rain, with hutch huggers, extra layers of insulation and snugglesafe heat pad thingies. I deliberated for ages about what to do with my piggies. I have no shed, and our garage isn't suitable because of the cars.

They came inside 2 weeks ago! I couldn't bring myself to leave them out when I knew it was going to get so cold outside. I really worried about losing my piggies or them being poorly. I'm fairly new to all of this, but I know I would be absolutely devastated if anything were to happen to them. I love them being inside!

I would consider letting them be outside if I had a well insulated proper shed with heaters ... but as far as I'm concerned it's not worth the risk.

michelle x
 
Can i just point out that they live in the andes in the wild not the meditteranean they will be running around in deep snow and getting wet all the time. So i just say that you should try to keep them a bit warmer you dont need to go the whole hog and put cardboard all over and nearly suffocate the poor piggies.

And i know someone has said this in earlier posts and they were told that these are domesticated piggies so therefore need to be kept warm.
1) If they are kept outside all the time they will be used to cold (Do try to keep the bedding and stuff dry though)
2) Animals do adapt but not that drastically in 400 years they might have adapted to the extra warmth given by our warmer climate but they will still be able to keep themselves warm!
3) The less you fuss the less streassed they will be (therefore not endangering thier immune systems- stress can lower immune systems)

And another thing someone touched on... you DONT get a cold from being cold you get it because the cold lowers your immune system therefore making you susceptible to disease...and this coupled with the added stress of a strange brown box being put on the cage or a bang on the top oof the cage every night WILL give your piggie a cold or worse!
 
The problem with that Luke is that our pigs are domestic animals and not wild creatures. Personally I wouldn't keep them outside in winter, but I am a worry wart. So much so that mine are all indoors from the shed, I like to see them all the time. :)
 
Hi just a quick question withoutn starting a new thread, where else can you buy those heat pad things? My pggies are in the shed out of the wind and damp but its not much warmer. Is there anywhere you can buy them except pets@home?
 
Racheylcg said:
Hi just a quick question withoutn starting a new thread, where else can you buy those heat pad things? My pggies are in the shed out of the wind and damp but its not much warmer. Is there anywhere you can buy them except pets@home?
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There's a couple of sellers of them on ebay if that's any help?
 
Actually the cold is nothing to do with it being cold afterall you can still get it when it is hot. It is an airborne virus and the only reason you contract it more in the winter is because you are inside more so the virus is in a confined space and thus you get it more...


Anyway I personally wouldn't keep my piggies outside not so much the cold but the damp.
 
Mine are in an insulated and heated shed, which is lovely and warm they also have towels and plenty of hay, I would love them inside but unfortnately I am not allowed. But the shed keeps them away from draughts and from rain and anything else so its okay, would ever keep them actually outside though without any shelter.
 
two point's...
SunshineAndTwinkle said:
The problem with that Luke is that our pigs are domestic animals and not wild creatures. Personally I wouldn't keep them outside in winter, but I am a worry wart. So much so that mine are all indoors from the shed, I like to see them all the time. :)
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Refer to point two on the original

gp-d said:
Actually the cold is nothing to do with it being cold afterall you can still get it when it is hot. It is an airborne virus and the only reason you contract it more in the winter is because you are inside more so the virus is in a confined space and thus you get it more...
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plus the cold lowers your immune system therefore you are able to get it as well
 
Mine live outside all year round.If they live out side my mum says it makes them' hard etc xD.This will be the first winter i've had them i turn them round in a corner facing the other peoples fence.Put a carpet over them etc.I put loads of hay and fluffy bedding stuff in too.Sometimes when i stroke crispy in the morning shes actually quite warm!.If it gets so cold into the - they obviously go in the garage.
 
daz94 said:
I put loads of hay and fluffy bedding stuff in too.
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I hope this isn't the stuff intended for hamsters. This poses a serious choking threat to all animals and is not something that should be sold let alone bought.
 
If by fluffy bedding you mean the coloured cotton wool stuff then DFS is right, its dangerous and shouldnt be used
 
Well my piggies were outside the last ight and the temperature was -3 and they were up and about being their usual chubby selves so i think this proves lukes point they are native to the andes and it is in their uinstinct to keep them selves warm an instict is somthing that cannot be took from any animal i think. thanks for all comments ill keep you updated.
 
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