Piggies going to live outside

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Ginpig

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Hi all,

We’re moving house soon and unfortunately there won’t be room for our large indoor piggie cage anymore so out two girls are going to have to get used to being outdoor piggies…

I understand that we’ll have to acclimatise then gently and won’t attempt this until it’s warmer during the day but any further tips would be great.

I am wondering about hutch insulation. We have a bluebell hideaway which is currently their summer daytime residence so I am going to make sure this can be suitable all year round. I was going to apply a layer of foil bubble wrap type insulation around it (and possibly the underneath and roof). My question is should this be kept on all year round? I wouldn’t want to overheat the hutch either. It’s going to be placed in the side return so will be out of the wind and direct sun and I’ll get a waterproof cover for it. In the winter, will we be able to just cover the hutch with blankets and then put the waterproof cover on top? Would this be enough (obviously with lots of hay and warm things inside). What about ventilation?

Also, does anyone have any thoughts on how secure the bluebell hutch is? We’re in south london so there are lots of foxes, is there anything I should do to the hutch to fox proof it?

Lots of questions! Thanks in advance.
 
@Lady Kelly Any ideas on hutch insulation, never had outdoor piggies myself.

Hopefully many of our outdoor owning slaves will be along shortly to advise
 
I wouldn't put the insulated bubble wrap on the inside of the roof as when it gets too cold and damp the inside of the top of the hutch can grow a bit of mould on it but its nothing that a bit of F10 and a wipe twice a week can't sort out. I have these covers for my hutch Hutch Covers both the hutch snuggle and the hutch hugger. l have a blanket to put over the top and down over the front to keep the worst of the frost out. I use twice as much hay in the winter as in the summer cos I use it to keep them warm and they snuggle underneath it. Snugglesafes and fleece hideys/tunnel/snuggle sacks are necessary too - remember to have some spare so that you can have some in the hutch and some in the cupboard.
 
I have the same hutch insulation and hutch hugger as recommended by Betsy! I would highly recommend them as they make a huge difference summer or winter. I also cover the doors with fleece then the waterproof cover over the top. Ventilation is fine. Plenty of Hay and a snuggle safe each. Vet bedding is great too!

Not sure what to suggest about the fox problem but definitely needs addressing. Xx
 
Thanks for the replies, will definitely invest in the covers you have recommended. I assume I keep them both on all year round?

I wish they didn't have to be outside all year round to be honest but needs must... must be horrible doing the cleaning out in the rainy winter weather!
 
My piggies are indoors but when I had to have outside piggies, I followed the same rules as Betsy and piggpoo. I also covered the open mesh part over with a fleece blanket at night to keep out the chill.

The hutch snuggle (or silver bubblewrap) that Betsy has mentioned works in the summer by reflecting the heat away from the hutch therefore keeping it cooler. I just used to use the hutch snuggle in the summer as it's waterproof @Betsy ?
 
Following with interest as I have outdoor(ish) guinea pigs that I'm trying to keep cosy. I ordered the manufacturer's waterproof cover for the hutch when we first purchased which goes around the sides but not the (very good) roof. I'm trying to work out how to DIY some foil bubble insulation into the mix. The waterproof is a very snug fit in places but I think I can get the insulation underneath. I will also put some over the roof. We moved them into the unheated conservatory yesterday so rain (sleet, snow?!) won't be a problem for the next couple of months and I can put some blankets on without getting them wet. My question is about the order of layers - blankets over or under foil bubble insulation on the roof? I'm sure there are really fundamental physics principles which should inform me what to do but it's too long since my school days and all I can call to mind is that there is no difference between putting the shiny side inside or outside when you put foil on the roast chicken!
 
Sparklepetal said:
Following with interest as I have outdoor(ish) guinea pigs that I'm trying to keep cosy. I ordered the manufacturer's waterproof cover for the hutch when we first purchased which goes around the sides but not the (very good) roof. I'm trying to work out how to DIY some foil bubble insulation into the mix. The waterproof is a very snug fit in places but I think I can get the insulation underneath. I will also put some over the roof. We moved them into the unheated conservatory yesterday so rain (sleet, snow?!) won't be a problem for the next couple of months and I can put some blankets on without getting them wet. My question is about the order of layers - blankets over or under foil bubble insulation on the roof? I'm sure there are really fundamental physics principles which should inform me what to do but it's too long since my school days and all I can call to mind is that there is no difference between putting the shiny side inside or outside when you put foil on the roast chicken!
Click to expand...

I used to put the blankets over the top of the silver insulation :)
 
Ginpig said:
Thanks for the replies, will definitely invest in the covers you have recommended. I assume I keep them both on all year round?

I wish they didn't have to be outside all year round to be honest but needs must... must be horrible doing the cleaning out in the rainy winter weather!
Click to expand...
Yes you keep them on all year round.

I don’t clean them out when it’s raining. I just put a coat on when it’s cold but you get quite warm when you’re getting the job done! It doesn’t take that long. I found lining with newspapers cuts the time down because you can just wrap it up then do a quick sweep. Xx
 
I line my hutch with washable puppy pads at the bottom and disposable puppy pads at the top. I don't clean mine out either if it's raining.
 
Ginpig said:
Hi all,

We’re moving house soon and unfortunately there won’t be room for our large indoor piggie cage anymore so out two girls are going to have to get used to being outdoor piggies…

I understand that we’ll have to acclimatise then gently and won’t attempt this until it’s warmer during the day but any further tips would be great.

I am wondering about hutch insulation. We have a bluebell hideaway which is currently their summer daytime residence so I am going to make sure this can be suitable all year round. I was going to apply a layer of foil bubble wrap type insulation around it (and possibly the underneath and roof). My question is should this be kept on all year round? I wouldn’t want to overheat the hutch either. It’s going to be placed in the side return so will be out of the wind and direct sun and I’ll get a waterproof cover for it. In the winter, will we be able to just cover the hutch with blankets and then put the waterproof cover on top? Would this be enough (obviously with lots of hay and warm things inside). What about ventilation?

Also, does anyone have any thoughts on how secure the bluebell hutch is? We’re in south london so there are lots of foxes, is there anything I should do to the hutch to fox proof it?

Lots of questions! Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I’ve got a generic waterproof cover over my double storey hutch. To be honest it’s an ok fit but not perfect. I’ve got the foil bubble wrap, then a shower curtain then the hutch cover. I also have a blanket the drapes down the front top half of the hutch that’s between the roof and the shower curtain to stop it getting wet from the gaps in the hutch cover. They’ve got a little towel that hangs over the doorway part to the upstairs bedroom that keeps a lot of the cold and wind out too.
I lined the inside of the hutch with lino which helps with cleaning and keeping them snug. I bought a couple of snugglesafes recently which the boys absolutely love! Glad I got them when I did as it’s been really cold and we’ve had snow yesterday 😱
What are the closures like on the hutch? The bolt ones should be ok. Foxes wouldn’t be able to get past the covers and stuff and open a bolt... would they? I’ll be honest I don’t have to worry about foxes where I live so I’m not 100% sure
 
I, like @Betsy , have the chartwell hutch with the hugger and waterproof covers. I leave both on all year round as the insulation is needed in summer to prevent them getting too hot. I also used snugglesafes and tons and tons of hay in winter ti help with keeping them warm.

I don't have an issue with mould on the roof of my hutch. I did initially but this is because the waterproof cover allows pools of water to sit on top instead of running off. I added two bricks on top of the hugger but underneath the waterproof cover just at the front which gives the cover enough elevation that the water now runs off and I have not had any mould grow since.
 
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