Preparing for the winter

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Claire W

Claire W

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Ok so it may be a little early to be worrying about this but I thought that i'd ask now.
As many of you may no, my girls live in a hutch in our brick outhouse due to not having enough space indoors and OH being allergic to them :( Anyway, when we had them, it was the end of November last year so already very cold. From the moment we had them, we stuffed their hutch with newspaper and hay and covered their hutch with carpet for extra insulation and warmth. Throughout the day of the winter months, the outhouse door was only opened half way. From about March time, we started to open the door wide all day and gradually gave them less bedding and removed the carpet mid May. I am just wondering when would be the best time to start preparing their hutch again for the winter and if I need to do it gradually or not? Do I need to start gradually giving them more bedding and when should I put the carpet back on the hutch and when would be the best month to do this?
Also, apart from extra bedding and the carpet, is their anything else I could try? I don't really want a hutch hugger because I don't want it to sweat or anything due to them not exactly being 'outdoors'.
 
You could try a snuggle safe in their hutches when it goes colder. I've got two which I used to use for the rabbits on cold nights but I think the guinea pigs need them more so I will be using them in their hutches. You pop them in the microwave for about 5 minutes and they are meant to last up to 10 hours.:)
 
Cool. Where can I buy them from and also would I put it in the bedroom of their hutch or the living accommodation and how many would I need for 2 female guinea pigs? Sorry for all the questions
 
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Yes they're both in the same hutch. I use sheets of newspaper with lots of hay on top. Do you just put the snugglesafe underneath the newspaper and hay or just lay it on the top? Sorry again for the questions :red
 
I've never used a Snugglesafe but you can use bubble wrap to insulate the hutches (on the outside) if that helps!

I think generally cold is less of a problem than damp, for pigs. So as long as they're dry and have lots of bedding and are out of draughts.

Sophie
x
 
I don't think it matters where you put it really - I think I usually just put it on top of the hay in the bedding bit so they can snuggle up to it. :)
 
hi mine are in a similar environment, the out house is just outside the back door so they view into the kitchen. mine have been in there for about 2yrs now and are fine and healthy, i make sure the bedding is not damp and dry everyday and just keep a check that they have got alot of hay. they always feel warm to the touch and do snuggle together.
 
louisegrace86 said:
hi mine are in a similar environment, the out house is just outside the back door so they view into the kitchen. mine have been in there for about 2yrs now and are fine and healthy, i make sure the bedding is not damp and dry everyday and just keep a check that they have got alot of hay. they always feel warm to the touch and do snuggle together.
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It's so nice to hear from someone in the same situation. Does your out house have any windows? Mine too is outside the back door so when I'm washing up, I can see them and they can see me. Every time the back door opens, you can hear them wheaking away :)p
 
that's the same as mine and they look at me as soon as i stand at the sink, waiting for their food. the outhouse has 1 small window, which is stuck shut although the door has a bit of glass in it but they do get alot of light in the day when its open or they are out...their main concern they have though is how much food one another is getting. does yours have windows? i find it can be quite stuffy in mine in the summer though.
 
Hiya I have mine in an outhouse, mine free range around half the shed so dont have a hutch they have been in there going on 3 years and have always been fine.

In winter I have a big piece of pro-fleece which i put down, i put a big cardboard box over that, and lay blankets over that last winter it felt like they had the heating on in their bed it was so cosy! lol they spend most of their time in that bit during winter because its warm the rest of their 'cage' is a bit cold because its newspaper and hay.

If it goes below freezing to the point of -2 or 3 then i usually bring them inside, because i dont want them to freeze, was funny last year i had nowhere to put them but couldnt leave them outside it was sooo freezing so i put towels and blankets in the bath and they had a nice big bath to live in for the night they loved it! lol as they are in a big open run and there is only two of them in there now, there used to be 5 so they all huddled together and stayed warm with the pro-fleece bed etc it created more heat, the more little bodies were there.

at my old house i also found that bin bags stuffed full of old newspaper shredded was a good way of keeping the heat in, i had a blanket draped over half of their run in the shed and put the bags on top of the blanket and it always felt nice and warm in their bed too, you could maybe try a couple of bags on top of the hutch? with an old blanket over the top perhaps?

I'm out of work atm but as soon as I'm working again i plan on buying an indoor cage for them to come in completely, morgan who is outside with lola is nearly 7 year old and i think she would be best off inside with my others now, and i also wont have the worry of them freezing either!

I used to have an radiator type thing in my shed an electric one which was free-standing but 10- mins after turning it off it was cold again so i thought that was a waste of time and money!
 
My piggies also live outside but in their hutches in the "guinea pig shed". It is 8ft x 4ft and it is all mine! :(|)

When we bought it, we paid extra for an opening window which is great in the summer and also in the winter when it is raining (or is that the summer that it rains? :{rolleyes) and I can't open the door.

In the winter I line their hutches with thick newspaper and put in plenty of hay. I always put extra hay in their bedrooms when it is cold when tucking them up for the night.

I have just got some Pro-fleece for their bedrooms. It is so cosy that I would not mind sleeping on it myself!
 
louisegrace86 said:
that's the same as mine and they look at me as soon as i stand at the sink, waiting for their food. the outhouse has 1 small window, which is stuck shut although the door has a bit of glass in it but they do get alot of light in the day when its open or they are out...their main concern they have though is how much food one another is getting. does yours have windows? i find it can be quite stuffy in mine in the summer though.
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Yes, it has a small window but there is a gap under the door that lets a lot of light in plus the door is open during the day. It does get a little stuffy during the summer but they spend a lot of time in their run during the summer and i'd still rather prefer them to be in the out house rather than the yard :)
 
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