My Hutch

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Aldi

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hi everyone, I am new here so I don't know much about guinea pigs but I have done a little research on them. This is my question. I have a hutch which I used to keep quail in over the winter and everything it is positioned away from direct sunlight and winds. It has a solid floor. So my question is can guinea pigs live in that hutch? It is about 1.5 m squared/16 feet squared. I live in Ireland so the weather is unpredictable. I'm wondering does the hutch need more insulation?
 
Hello welcome to the forum

What are the measurements again as you are in metric and imperial there so just want the length and width preferably in metres to work it out. How many piggies you thinking of?

Nice to have you on forum, hope we can help
Lee :)
 
And I'm thinking of keeping 2+ start off with 2 and go bigger as time goes on. 2 males. Thanks for the quick reply
 
Hi and welcome!

Depending on the actual borded up up area that the piggies will be in for most of the time( especially on bad days) it is large enough for two boars or 3-4 sows. but thinking about insulation not just for storms/cold weather, but also against too much sun is important.

You may find these two links here helpful for your research. They contain lots of the kind of information you are currently after and also contain some aspects that you have likely not considered yet!
Quick Information Bundle For Wannabe Owners
New Owners' " How To" Starter Kit (contains links to hot and cold weather care and a guide to the minimal living area needs)

As we have got members from all over the world, you can help us a lot by please adding your country to your details, so we can always take your access to rescues, vets, available brands etc. and climate into consideration straight away when giving advice and recommendations. Please click on your username on the top, then go to personal deatils and scroll down to location. This makes it appear underneath your username in every post you make. Thank you!
 
That's a fine size for two, however don't be tempted to add a third in there Trios of boys do not often work out and result in fights in teenage years. The hutch will need insulation in the winter months. Piggies do not do well with extremes of temperatures either hot or cold. Needs to be predator proof two.

Here are some threads you may find helpful to read through before getting pigs. Have a read of the cold weather tips for ideas on insulating hutches. Also have a search in the Housing section of forum, lots of info there and hopefully some of our members will be around at some point with ideas for you

Settling in and interacting with your guinea pigs:
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig
All Kinds Of Biting And What You Can Do

Family guinea pigs:
Children And Guinea Pigs - A Guide For Parents
Children And Guinea Pigs - Age Appropriate Interaction And Responsibilities.
Guinea Pig Toys

Diet:
Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet
Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time
All About Drinking And Bottles

Housing and climate:
Cage Size Guide
Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview
Hot Weather Management And Heat Strokes
Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs
Potentially Dangerous Cage Accessories

Guinea pig body and care:
Sexing Guinea Pigs: How to Sex a Guinea Pig
Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths
Guinea pig body quirks
Guide to Cutting Guinea Pig Nails

Behaviour and managing social needs:
Guinea Pig Facts - A Short Overview
Companionship
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.
Sow Behaviour
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

Illness, insurance/vet cost info, recommended vets and rescues:
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Administering Medications
Early Signs Of Illness
First Aid Kit For Guinea Pigs
Tips For Vet Visits
veterinary fees - some important information

Lee
 
I'm wondering what's the lowest temperature that I should keep my guinea pigs out in, the lowest it ever gets around here is -2 degrees Celsius and highest is 26-30
 
@Wiebke What temperature would you bring them in at?
 
Aldi said:
I'm wondering what's the lowest temperature that I should keep my guinea pigs out in, the lowest it ever gets around here is -2 degrees Celsius and highest is 26-30
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Guinea pigs are best kept in the same temperatures that humans are comfortable - about 15-25 C. If possible, you bring your guinea pigs indoors over the winter or at least out of the way of storms, rain and frost. during heatwaves, they should be kept out of full sun.

My tip is always to treat guinea pigs like tender plants. ;)
 
My hutch is half covered and half with wire mesh with a waterproof top which doesn't let light in
 
Wiebke said:
Guinea pigs are best kept in the same temperatures that humans are comfortable - about 15-25 C. If possible, you bring your guinea pigs indoors over the winter or at least out of the way of storms, rain and frost. during heatwaves, they should be kept out of full sun.

My tip is always to treat guinea pigs like tender plants. ;)
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We never get storms here and it rains every other day but the guinea pigs will have protection of the rain because it leak proof ceiling. So could I keep guinea pigs in there. Right now the temperatures range between 0-10 degrees Celsius here
 
Aldi said:
We never get storms here and it rains every other day but the guinea pigs will have protection of the rain because it leak proof ceiling. So could I keep guinea pigs in there. Right now the temperatures range between 0-10 degrees Celsius here
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That is too cold without insulation. You can find ideas for that via our new owners' guide.
 
I'll be added laminate flooring to the ground and sides and for more insulation I'm thinking of using polystyrene 25mm thick?

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I think that with some adaptations, you can turn it into a guinea pig hutch. Lino is not a bad idea. I use cheaper shop ends for my groundfloor indoors cages to allow for flexibility in the layout.
 
Wiebke said:
I think that with some adaptations, you can turn it into a guinea pig hutch. Lino is not a bad idea. I use cheaper shop ends for my groundfloor indoors cages to allow for flexibility in the layout.
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I'm using laminate flooring because I removed some from one of my rooms and I have it left over. I'm wondering about insulation should I use 25 mm polystyrene or something else
 
Aldi said:
I'm using laminate flooring because I removed some from one of my rooms and I have it left over. I'm wondering about insulation should I use 25 mm polystyrene or something else
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Not experiences with the polystyrene. Is it going on on the inside, in which case you will need to cover it with something that piggies can't gnaw through?
 
Wiebke said:
Not experiences with the polystyrene. Is it going on on the inside, in which case you will need to cover it with something that piggies can't gnaw through?
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It's going on the inside then over it the laminate wooden flooring, the flooring will be on every side excluding 2, the side with the wire mesh and top, I won't be insulating the top for air circulation and I'll be dividing the hutch in 2 half wire mesh side and other half door side this will be made by putting styrofoam in the middle and covering both side with laminate flooring with a hole in the middle so the guinea pigs can move depending on the temperature. Is this a good idea? And would this insulation be adequate ?
 
As long as you can close the hole in the floor to prevent cold, damp drafts or rats/mice from getting in. I know of piggies that have died because their owners forgot to do this.
 
Wiebke said:
As long as you can close the hole in the floor to prevent cold, damp drafts or rats/mice from getting in. I know of piggies that have died because their owners forgot to do this.
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Just wondering can meadow hay be used as both bedding and eating hay
 
If the hutch is outside then I would recommend waterproof covers and also sleeves to go over your bottle so the water doesn't freeze. If it's in a shed or shelter, cover the hutch in blankets to be safe. Please don't forget to securely shut the hutch doors and make sure there are no holes, etc. A friend of mine had a fox break into her guinea pig's hutch, you can guess what happened. Just be careful and keep an eye out.
Much love x
 
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