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Moving outside?

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kayjay

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My hubby's just told me that he's had to really start using his inhaler since we got our piggy. He lives inside at the moment on his own but I am looking at getting a friend/s for him. OH has always suffered from hayfever which has developed into asthma in recent years but the hayfevers season's over and he's really struggling.

Reluctantly, I think my piggy's going to have to go outside. So I'm looking for advice and piccies of outdoor setups. I do have a large shed which has one half housing bunnies, so I could put a hutch/run in there over winter and move it out into a shaded area of the garden for summer (the shed gets very hot in summer).

My questions are 1) what kind of hutch 2) how to keep him warm over winter (shed doesn't have electricity but I can get electrician to sort it out 3) do you think he'll be ok alongside 2 rabbits, although he will be 6 ft away from them.
 
Hi Kayjay, I wouldn't put your piggy out in the shed until you have got him a friend if you can help it. When he has a friend it won't be so bad... just think he would be very lonely out there alone another piggy would be someone to talk to and snuggle up to :). The rabbits shouldn't be a problem as long as they are not in his cage. If you can sort out a nice hutch and get the electricity sorted to keep it cool in summer and warm in winter I'm sure it will be fine. Cant help you with set up ideas but I know lots of people on here have lovely outdoor set ups that will be able to help out there with ideas.

Susie
 
the question is, how cold is it going to get in that shed.

If you look at this thread, we have it quite bad even INSIDE our house (down to 10 degrees). Maybe some of the advice I was given would be helpful for you too.

If you keep your piggie outside in winter, then I would definitely get him a friend or two. Not only because he will be incredibly bored in that shed (at least in your house he sees you and has a bit of something happening around him), but also because he will have someone to cuddle with when the temperature drops. We often dont notice it, but your pig will certainly feel the five degrees or more it drops sometimes in one night ...

I think if the shed is in good nick, and not drafty, and you are able to get electricity in it and maybe put a heater up in there, he gets a friend, lots and lots of hay and maybe a few fleece piggie blankets or cuddle cups and the like, he will be alright. :)
 
I would definatly say Wooden Hutches if outside, they are a lot less draughty.
I have mine outside until it get really cold and they go into the shed, which doesn't have heating.
mine have bedrooms full to roof with straw + hay, I use shavings underneath.
The single boars have a scuggle cup to get in to if they wish.

I also use a waterproof cover which covers the mesh and wooden doors, I also use a duvet under the waterproof when really cold for them.

I have very healthy and happy pigs even though they are outside living, I do have most in groups except for 3 boars who won't live with others but they are fine.


karen
 
snugglypig said:
I would definatly say Wooden Hutches if outside, they are a lot less draughty.
I have mine outside until it get really cold and they go into the shed, which doesn't have heating.
mine have bedrooms full to roof with straw + hay, I use shavings underneath.
The single boars have a scuggle cup to get in to if they wish.

I also use a waterproof cover which covers the mesh and wooden doors, I also use a duvet under the waterproof when really cold for them.

I have very healthy and happy pigs even though they are outside living, I do have most in groups except for 3 boars who won't live with others but they are fine.

Do you have any pictures of your hutches? What size hutches are best for piggies? Is it the case of the bigger the better or are they better in a snug hutch with attached run?


karen
 
I will get some photo's for you of my hutches, my hutches are quite big but then I have all my sows intogether so they need lots of room,my boys are in either 4ft long or 5ft long and between 2ft 6 and 3ft wide their sleeping side is about 1.5 ft wide which are draught proof their living quaters are the bigger bit.

Karen
 
Thanks, photos would be great.

Kathryn xx
 
Hi Kathryn
All my boys are outside in hutches in our adapted gazebo and it doesn't have heating/electricity (though i am working on the OH for the electricity ;)).
I do have blankets to cover their hutches and of course they have their piggy beds, pigloos and lots of hay.
Here's a pic of where my hutches are
PigsHome.jpg


I have plastic sheeting pinned to both ends (am training the honeysuckle to cover it all) to stop draughts/rain and pieces of an old shower curtain pinned to the "windows" and "door" which i can have up or down depending on the weather

Their hutches are 2 storey measuring 5ft x 22" x 19" My new piggies hutch is on top so theirs is 10ft long x 22" x 19".
CarrotsonHutch.jpg


Their "run" which is the floor space left in the gazebo and under their hutches is 11ft x 6ft (divided down the middle), but it's not getting used much at the mo due to probs with Wilbur "anti-social" piggy ::) I'm working on it! ;D
 
Hi Niki,

I love your set up the adapted Gazebo is a great idea, loads of room and nice and dry

karen
 
Hi Niki

I love your hutches, did you make them yourself?
 
kayjay said:
Hi Niki

I love your hutches, did you make them yourself?

Yep my luvly OH made 'them for me, i designed them, he made them, the first ones we made were too big to fit so we had to dismantle the trellis ;D ;D
The lower levels were added inside and the new piggies hutch was made in 2 5ft halves-lesson learnt! :D :D :D
 
Your so lucky to have a hubby who can do that - mine's DIY challenged! He's made a gate for the shed for the bunny half and it looked great until he went to attach it when he said there was a 'design problem' which means he didn't measure right and it doesn't close ::)

Don't think he'd be up to hutch building ......
 
kayjay said:
Your so lucky to have a hubby who can do that - mine's DIY challenged! He's made a gate for the shed for the bunny half and it looked great until he went to attach it when he said there was a 'design problem' which means he didn't measure right and it doesn't close ::)

Don't think he'd be up to hutch building ......

;D ;D ;D ;D Kathryn
 
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