Can anyone advise me please? All words of wisdom gratefully received! What kind of hutch? When can they go out and when do they go into a shed etc? And anything else you think I should consider!
Keeping piggies outside
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CiaraPatricia
Adult Guinea Pig
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I'm not really sure when to move them to a shed, I guess just whenever you think the weather is getting too cold. I always have kept my guinea pigs outdoors in a hutch and run (never knew before this year that it wasn't advised) and they were fine . . . this winter I'll give them heat pads and hutch covers or move them to the shed . . .
You could try using snuggle safe heat pads in the shed in winter at night. And give them lots of hay to burrow into. Or you could have a heated shed. You can insulate the shed too. Make sure the shed has lots of light though and some ventilation.
I know that plywood hutches aren't very warm, and the hutch should be off the ground.
You could try using snuggle safe heat pads in the shed in winter at night. And give them lots of hay to burrow into. Or you could have a heated shed. You can insulate the shed too. Make sure the shed has lots of light though and some ventilation.
I know that plywood hutches aren't very warm, and the hutch should be off the ground.
W
Willowzee
Heya!
We always kept our old guinea pigs outside and they were fine, well covered in colder weather though with thick carpet etc.
So this time around we got an outside hutch again, as we don't really have the space indoors, and also didn't know that it was "preffered" to keep them inside.
We've decided come the colder weather we will either a) buy the insulated hutch hugger for the hutch, b) move them into the garage (we don't use it for cars, has freezer, tumble dryer, treadmil etc in there) or c) buy a smaller indoor cage for the winter and put them in my daughters room (the only room with enough space).
Really don't want to them of them freezing their bits off in the snow, but the insulated hugger we saw looked good, and of course we'd cover with carpet again at night etc.
Don't know if this helps but my last set of outdoor piggies seemed to fair ok!
We always kept our old guinea pigs outside and they were fine, well covered in colder weather though with thick carpet etc.
So this time around we got an outside hutch again, as we don't really have the space indoors, and also didn't know that it was "preffered" to keep them inside.
We've decided come the colder weather we will either a) buy the insulated hutch hugger for the hutch, b) move them into the garage (we don't use it for cars, has freezer, tumble dryer, treadmil etc in there) or c) buy a smaller indoor cage for the winter and put them in my daughters room (the only room with enough space).
Really don't want to them of them freezing their bits off in the snow, but the insulated hugger we saw looked good, and of course we'd cover with carpet again at night etc.
Don't know if this helps but my last set of outdoor piggies seemed to fair ok!
We keep our outside in a shed and they have a hutch inside that that they can snuggle up in. We have previously brought them in over the winter but now that we have so many we have decided to insulate the shed so they can stay out all year.
Little Piggles
Senior Guinea Pig
Our girls live outside, but were inside last winter. Pixel was only tiny and I really didn't want them out.
This year they will have to stay out as we don't have the space for a larger cage and now Pixel is fully grown, their old cage is a bit too small
Anyway, our girls went our into their hutch in late April and will be staying out probably until mid September (or until the weather turns chilly) and then will move into the shed.
Their hutch will have a hutch hugger/hutch snuggle to keep as much heat in as possible, along with three heat pads. It'll be covered over with carpet/a heavy blanket over night too. I'll no doubt worry about them every single night (especially if it snows again! :... ) but hopefully they'll be fine
This year they will have to stay out as we don't have the space for a larger cage and now Pixel is fully grown, their old cage is a bit too small
Anyway, our girls went our into their hutch in late April and will be staying out probably until mid September (or until the weather turns chilly) and then will move into the shed.
Their hutch will have a hutch hugger/hutch snuggle to keep as much heat in as possible, along with three heat pads. It'll be covered over with carpet/a heavy blanket over night too. I'll no doubt worry about them every single night (especially if it snows again! :... ) but hopefully they'll be fine
I am a bit worried about the temp dropping as low as it did this winter. My vet advised us not to use the heat pads as it causes fluctuations in their body temperature risking illness. We were advised to insulate and provide lots of snuggly bedding.
Little Piggles
Senior Guinea Pig
Ah... maybe scratch the heat pads then!
Thankyou for that, I didn't know
Thankyou for that, I didn't know
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I keep my guineas outside in a wooden hutch lined with bathroom vinyl - up the walls and on the floor -stops the wood rotting and is soooo easy to keep clean - in their bedroom they have the vinyl then newspaper then fleece -this gets cleaned daily i.e. fresh newspaper and pooh disposed of fleece hung out to air if outdoors or washed (I have 2 blankets - wash one use one!) I bought a piece of clear plastic as I found the rain kept making my guineas wet 99p a mtr of e- bay which works a treat! in the main house bit it's lined floor & walls with vinyl and then a good layer of newspaper dust free sawdust mixed with a couple of handfulls off guinea pig litter - takes about 15 mins to clean the whole cage and if I want can scrub with boiling water and guiniea frendly disinfectant! - I will however be bringing my guineas inside for the winter because we got to -15 toooooo cold even for sheds me thinks!
Fudge and Rainbow :)
Adult Guinea Pig
My two girls live in their 4 foot hutch in my shed. Tyhey are nice and warm and are protected from danger. 
In the day time (weather permitting) they go outside on the grass to play out in their run. |)
Tyhey are nice and warm and are protected from danger. In the day time (weather permitting) they go outside on the grass to play out in their run. |)
Tracyxx
Adult Guinea Pig
Most of my guinea pigs have been outside at some point or another, including in winter. They are in a sheltered part of my garden, in a VERY sturdy hutch that is well-built. Some hutches from pet shops are flimsy and leaky, so I wouldn't advise leaving them in a pet shop hutch or a poorly made hutch during winter.
The rest of my guinea pigs are in a shed, but it does get very hot and stuffy in summer, and the flies are a pain in the backside!
If you have the luxury of being able to choose when you can take your guinea pigs outside and when to put them in a shed, I'd advise putting them into their outdoor hutch from April-September and leaving them in the shed from October-March, weather permitting obviously.
If you do leave your pigs outside during winter you need to be vigilant to make sure things go well. You can use hot water bottles wrapped in towels, or specially designed heat pads, to keep them warm. You can get wraps to stop their bottles freezing and hutch snugs from some pet shops. These are expensive though, and a thick piece of carpet covered again with tarpaulin helps to keep them warm and dry. I've also used bubble wrap around the doors to keep the heat in.
The rest of my guinea pigs are in a shed, but it does get very hot and stuffy in summer, and the flies are a pain in the backside!
If you have the luxury of being able to choose when you can take your guinea pigs outside and when to put them in a shed, I'd advise putting them into their outdoor hutch from April-September and leaving them in the shed from October-March, weather permitting obviously.
If you do leave your pigs outside during winter you need to be vigilant to make sure things go well. You can use hot water bottles wrapped in towels, or specially designed heat pads, to keep them warm. You can get wraps to stop their bottles freezing and hutch snugs from some pet shops. These are expensive though, and a thick piece of carpet covered again with tarpaulin helps to keep them warm and dry. I've also used bubble wrap around the doors to keep the heat in.
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