Outside

Status
Not open for further replies.
helenv87

helenv87

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
195
Reaction score
49
Points
240
Location
Hertfordshire
does anyone here keep there Guinea pigs outside all the time without them being in a shed or garage

If so what do you do to keep them warm and make sure they still get enough floor time?
I currently bring them inside for floor time but it has been said a few times on here that you can't do that due to them becoming sick due to the temp changes

I'm really stuck on what to do as I don't want them being in the hutch all winter and not getting any time out of it
I know Mentioned this already on a different post but I still don't know what to do and I want to sort it out soon before it starts to get too cold
 
I haven't kept them outside all year round until this year, simply because they wont be allowed enough space indoors. I've attached a large run to the hutch so they can get exercise on warmer days, and I'll be bringing them into a room which will have French doors open throughout the day, which will stay cool so as to prevent any sudden temperature changes when they're given some indoor floor time, general check-ups, ect. If your hutch has a wire section, covering this with something see-through is a good idea to reduce drafts and still provide light, but make sure the area is still well-ventilated. Taking the hutch off any grass will prevent it from staying constantly wet and help reduce any chance of rotting. Try to place the hutch in a less open area to add extra protection from the elements, and use a thicker bedding [what are you currently using?] to usual; make sure there is more hay in there, too, so they can make a nest and snuggle together. Adding a hide to a second section if you have a pair of piggies [by this I mean the wire section if your hutch has one] is a good idea, so that if there is a fall out, one piggy wont be stuck on its own without any shelter. These are also a good idea because they can be stuffed with hay and such, like one might for a hamster-house, making it extra cosy. Dont forget to change everything twice as often, and investing in heating pads might be a good idea, but I'm not 100% certain where these would be placed in the hutch- presumably beneath the bedding?
 
I can't add anything extra to the above poster but when I had outdoor piggies, during the winter, I would allow them run time in our bathroom but I would leave the bathroom window open so it wasn't too warm for them.

As for the microwave heat pads, they come with fleecy covers so you just put the heat pad in the fleecy cover and place in the hutch :)
 
Oh, swell. Do you have any idea how they work? Are they those ones that have the little metal poppy bits in, or..? [sorry for stealing the thread for a sec Helen! c:]
 
The3LittlePigs said:
I haven't kept them outside all year round until this year, simply because they wont be allowed enough space indoors. I've attached a large run to the hutch so they can get exercise on warmer days, and I'll be bringing them into a room which will have French doors open throughout the day, which will stay cool so as to prevent any sudden temperature changes when they're given some indoor floor time, general check-ups, ect. If your hutch has a wire section, covering this with something see-through is a good idea to reduce drafts and still provide light, but make sure the area is still well-ventilated. Taking the hutch off any grass will prevent it from staying constantly wet and help reduce any chance of rotting. Try to place the hutch in a less open area to add extra protection from the elements, and use a thicker bedding [what are you currently using?] to usual; make sure there is more hay in there, too, so they can make a nest and snuggle together. Adding a hide to a second section if you have a pair of piggies [by this I mean the wire section if your hutch has one] is a good idea, so that if there is a fall out, one piggy wont be stuck on its own without any shelter. These are also a good idea because they can be stuffed with hay and such, like one might for a hamster-house, making it extra cosy. Dont forget to change everything twice as often, and investing in heating pads might be a good idea, but I'm not 100% certain where these would be placed in the hutch- presumably beneath the bedding?
Click to expand...


I don't have anywhere other than my living room that I can bring them into for floor time, and I can't really keep the living room cool enough for the temperature not to be too different :( all the other rooms in my house are too small to set up an area for floor time.

I have thought about attaching a run but I think the only way to add one big enough for them to run around in will mean sitting the hutch on top of the run - I need to talk to my boyfriend to see if this is something we could build/put together as the garden is really small so it might not be possible.

At the moment I use hay as bedding and have a separate hay area for them to eat, but j think they eat the bedding aswell as sleep in it lol

I have already purchased a new wooden house for them to sleep in, I'm looking into getting a second one as unfortunately I think only one of them is sleeping in it as the other ones is always sat outside in the main compartment whenever I go check on them.
 
helenv87 said:
I'll just have to put extra hay in the sleeping compartment and hope I've put enough insulation on the outside of the hutch :(
Click to expand...

Does your hutch have a cover? When I had an outside hutch, I used to attach a thick fleece blanket underneath the cover so the fleece would cover over the wire mesh overnight therefore helping to keep the heat in. The hutch cover would sandwich the fleece blanket between the plastic see through part of the cover and the hutch keeping the fleece dry.

Plenty of hay and cardboard boxes stuffed with hay provides lots of insulation :)

I also used fleecy beds and tunnels
 
helenv87 said:
does anyone here keep there Guinea pigs outside all the time without them being in a shed or garage

If so what do you do to keep them warm and make sure they still get enough floor time?
I currently bring them inside for floor time but it has been said a few times on here that you can't do that due to them becoming sick due to the temp changes

I'm really stuck on what to do as I don't want them being in the hutch all winter and not getting any time out of it
I know Mentioned this already on a different post but I still don't know what to do and I want to sort it out soon before it starts to get too cold
Click to expand...

Bring them indoors I love talking to them as I go by, the antics they get up to are so funny.
I am puzzled by people that leave them outside, you probably only see them three or 4 times a day, if you bring them in for floor time they may get nice & warm then you put them back outside again in the cold.
I know I wouldn't stand out in the cold.
Sorry but that is my personal view. I know people think the opposite. I'm not wishing to upset everyone, like I say we all have different views.
 
Claire W said:
Does your hutch have a cover? When I had an outside hutch, I used to attach a thick fleece blanket underneath the cover so the fleece would cover over the wire mesh overnight therefore helping to keep the heat in. The hutch cover would sandwich the fleece blanket between the plastic see through part of the cover and the hutch keeping the fleece dry.

Plenty of hay and cardboard boxes stuffed with hay provides lots of insulation :)

I also used fleecy beds and tunnels
Click to expand...

Yeah I've got a hutch cover, I haven't put it on yet as its still really warm sometimes during the day and I don't want them to overheat, I'll be putting it on soon though I think
I've got some old towels I was thinking of putting underneath the cover and maybe some insulting material from the diy store that is like bubble wrap
 
Tiamolly123 said:
Bring them indoors I love talking to them as I go by, the antics they get up to are so funny.
I am puzzled by people that leave them outside, you probably only see them three or 4 times a day, if you bring them in for floor time they may get nice & warm then you put them back outside again in the cold.
I know I wouldn't stand out in the cold.
Sorry but that is my personal view. I know people think the opposite. I'm not wishing to upset everyone, like I say we all have different views.
Click to expand...

I can't bring them inside all the time as I don't have space to put them, I only just manage to occasionally bring them for a few hours for floor time but it involves rearrange my living room whenever I want to do it.
 
As said above, some people physically cant. Plus, I find my pigs prefer being outside to being in. They love being out on the grass with the opportunity to graze at their will, having so much room and the chance to live in an environment that mimics their natural habitat. When they were in, they stayed cooped up in their houses; now they're out, they're constantly zooming around, jumping about and exhibiting natural pig behaviour. As well as this, it's not as though the pig is just "stood out in the cold"; they have a hutch to retire to if they so desire, which can be just as warm as if they were inside. Not to mention how stimulating it can be for them, with lots of different things to look at every time the hutch is moved. Personally, I know my pigs like being in their own space more than being within ours. They're allowed far more privacy, which, being so skittish, they like- and are still made to see me for floor time and snuggles on a regular basis, no matter what the weather.
 
helenv87 said:
Yeah I've got a hutch cover, I haven't put it on yet as its still really warm sometimes during the day and I don't want them to overheat, I'll be putting it on soon though I think
I've got some old towels I was thinking of putting underneath the cover and maybe some insulting material from the diy store that is like bubble wrap
Click to expand...

I used silver bubble wrap to insulate my hutch. It's proper loft insulation and you can buy it from places like B&Q I think it cost about £18 for a roll.

it can also be used in the summer by removing the cover as the silver insulation reflects heat away from the hutch (provided the hutch cover has been removed) therefore keeping the hutch cool in the warmer months
 
Claire W said:
I used silver bubble wrap to insulate my hutch. It's proper loft insulation and you can buy it from places like B&Q I think it cost about £18 for a roll.

it can also be used in the summer by removing the cover as the silver insulation reflects heat away from the hutch (provided the hutch cover has been removed) therefore keeping the hutch cool in the warmer months
Click to expand...

The silver stuff is what I had in mind, There's a few places I can go to get it from so I might have to shop around for the best deal

I hadn't thought about it reflecting the heat but yeah I suppose it does, so that will help in the summer time too thanks
 
helenv87 said:
The silver stuff is what I had in mind, There's a few places I can go to get it from so I might have to shop around for the best deal

I hadn't thought about it reflecting the heat but yeah I suppose it does, so that will help in the summer time too thanks
Click to expand...

Good luck. It's clear that you're doing your very best for your piggies :)
 
That's what I'm trying to do :(
I don't want to make them sick bringing them in and out for floor time but also don't want to leave them in the hutch all winter
 
Claire W said:
Do you have a bath tub? If so, you could line the bottom of the bath tub with old towels to provide grip and warmth whilst leaving the bathroom window open.
Click to expand...

No our bathroom is too small for a bath tub And there would be be much room on the floor for them to run around either so I can even let them do that
 
I'm assuming that you have a shower then? If so, you could just use the shower tray instead.

I know it wouldn't give them a lot of room but it would at least give them a change of scenery out of the hutch?
 
Claire W said:
I'm assuming that you have a shower then? If so, you could just use the shower tray instead.

I know it wouldn't give them a lot of room but it would at least give them a change of scenery out of the hutch?
Click to expand...

I'd rather not put them in my shower tray :(
 
My boyfriends thinks we could somehow out the hutch ontop of a run with a ramp for them to go down when they want to play.
I'm not too convinced as I don't think we have enough space where the hutch is and it will make it more difficult to clean out :hmm:
I'm trying to think of other places in our small garden they could be moved to, allowing for a bigger run but I don't think it will be possible

If we do manage to attach a run I was thinking I could attach Perspex to all 4 sides to try and stop the wind and leave the top mesh bit open to allow for ventilation

Now really sure where the ramp would be, it would have to be somewhere that could be closed off overnight, but the boyfriend says he has it all sorted lol
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top