Pigs Now Or Later

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Aldi

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Hi, I have just finished the building of my cage and now when I asked my parents if I can get pigs now they told me to wait until it gets warmer so they can acclimate slowly to the climate out doors, my question is should I wait or get them now, temperatures are around 0-5 degrees Celsius here . Also I have and underneath area and would I be able to keep quail in there?
 
I think if they are going to be outside (even under a shelter of some sort) then now is not the right time to get them.
It is just too cold to bring them home and then put them straight outside.
The only exception would be if you rescued a pair of piggies who were already living outside, or if you could have them inside somewhere like a conservatory until the weather warms up a bit.
 
Swissgreys said:
I think if they are going to be outside (even under a shelter of some sort) then now is not the right time to get them.
It is just too cold to bring them home and then put them straight outside.
The only exception would be if you rescued a pair of piggies who were already living outside, or if you could have them inside somewhere like a conservatory until the weather warms up a bit.
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Ok I'm thinking of hatching some quail and putting them in there until it gets brighter so I can buy the guinea pigs and move them in there and sell off the quail for money for the guinea pigs
 
Aldi said:
Ok I'm thinking of hatching some quail and putting them in there until it gets brighter so I can buy the guinea pigs and move them in there and sell off the quail for money for the guinea pigs
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But what would your long term piggy plans be? For example next winter when it is cold again. Will they be indoor pigs? Will they have a different enclosure for next winter that is insulated if they are to be outdoor?
 
Must they live outdoors all year? Guinea pigs aren't as hardy when it comes to the elements as rabbits and so I would recommend having them inside somewhere when it's cold like it is now. Obviously they can stay outside all year round but please make sure you have a suitable cover and lots of hay etc. If you could bring them inside then put them out in the summer or when it warms up then I see no reason for you not being able to get some now. But if you are putting them outside as soon as you get them then I would wait for it to warm up-though what happens when it's cold again?
 
Squeakz said:
But what would your long term piggy plans be? For example next winter when it is cold again. Will they be indoor pigs? Will they have a different enclosure for next winter that is insulated if they are to be outdoor?
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The hutch is insulated but my concern is that if I by the guinea pigs now then they wouldn't be acclimated to the cold, I've just recently lined my entire hutch with polystyrene and wood and divided it into 2 so that 1/2 of the hutch cold be heated up by body heat
 
A blanket would be good of course, but the above thread really applies to guinea pigs who have been living outside full time, and have had the opportunity to slowly acclimatize to colder weather.
For outdoor piggies the temperature change is a gradual process, but if you get new piggies who have been kept indoors and are used to a steady, warm temperature, then suddenly popping them into an outdoor hutch (which will have a massive temperature difference) is not quite the same.
I would still recommend waiting until the Spring, as we still have many cold days to come.
 
Swissgreys said:
A blanket would be good of course, but the above thread really applies to guinea pigs who have been living outside full time, and have had the opportunity to slowly acclimatize to colder weather.
For outdoor piggies the temperature change is a gradual process, but if you get new piggies who have been kept indoors and are used to a steady, warm temperature, then suddenly popping them into an outdoor hutch (which will have a massive temperature difference) is not quite the same.
I would still recommend waiting until the Spring, as we still have many cold days to come.
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I'm thinking of waiting till march or April
 
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