Putting guinea-pigs in their runs when it's wet outside

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Alicia

Alicia

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I don't put my guinea-pigs out in the rain but normally when it stops I let them out in their run for a while. Is it bad to put them out on the wet grass? Sorry if its a dumb question I'm only asking because I'm also looking after someone else's 2 guinea-pigs for the weekend and they've been shut in their hutch all day because of the weather and it stopped raining so I've put them out in the run and they're only young so I don't want them to get ill or anything. Is it worse to put them out when the grounds wet when they're younger? Will it make them colder? I have a 7 week old sow who is tiny and I'm so worried about her getting ill because she's so small and it's been quite cold and wet here recently.
 
Are the outdoor piggies? If they are (and they have a little house in the run) then I'd put them out. They'll stay in the house if they're cold hopefully. If it's a wet day, but not freezing cold, then I think it'd be ok. Mine go out on the wet grass all the time. Sometimes they even go out in the rain and popcorn, if it's a light drizzle.

If they're indoor pigs then I'm not sure.
 
Mine are outside and 2 of the hutches are connected to the run so 4 of my guinea-pigs can go in and out of their hutch as they please during the day time but the other 2 have to be put in the run and their hutches don't connect to the run. They have igloos but I don't think its enough.
 
That's how I have mine too, with the hutches connected to the runs.

I wouldn't put them out with just igloos though, on wet grass, because then they might get cold and don't have anywhere to get off of the wet grass. Maybe for half an hour or something, would be fine, if it's not too cold out. Or maybe if you had a piece of wood or thick cardboard you could put the igloo on to of, just to keep them off the wet ground, but check on them every so often so they're not getting wet?
 
Personally, I have never put my pigs out unless it's a really really nice day, and I make sure there's no dampness on the grass at all. I did this even when I had outdoor pigs.
I just find that if it's wet or cold, they don't have as much interest in grazing and just tend to huddle up, so they obviously don't like it, whereas if the weather's nice and warm they like to have a walk about and popcorn :)
 
Same as Lulu - I never put mine out on wet / damp grass, their tummies are too close to the ground and I wouldn't risk it - mine wait until it's dry! I once had a pair of pigs in a hutch with run attached and they would sit out in the rain and get really wet - not sensible enough to get into the hutch under cover!

Guineas are not good with damp conditions, so I believe better safe than sorry!

Sophie
x
 
Also in response to original post, your little 7 week old sow should be put out just a little at a time to start with and build up the time gradually as she's very little and too much grass can cause problems (let alone the damp :))

Sophie
x
 
My piggies live outdoors but I never put them out in the wet and / or cold weather. In fact, when it is raining, I pull the front flaps of the cover down.

As Sophie said, their tummies are close to the ground and wet tummies can cause problems.

x
 
I have to say I too would never put pigs out on wet grass, whether the ground and air is warm or dry.

But I do remember last summer before I adopted them, Sophie said Elijah and Errol rather enjoyed being caught out in a light summer shower. :))
 
well my girls are indoor and i put them out when it was wet so i guess its okay if you put a cover on it oh but not plastic cause the sound scares them i put a plactic sheet on but with a old bed wsheet over it and makes sure they can see out my wheek VERY loudly if they cant sometimes i compleatlycover them to just to play them up a biit ithink they know its a joke though:(|):p;)
 
I've found some tarpaulin I can cover the run with to kee them dry. The little sow is allowed out to eat the grass as she pleases which I've done with all my guinea-pigs but there isn't much grass in the run anyway so they don't really get a lot at the moment because this weather isn't making the grass grow much :( My neighbours guinea-pigs have a covered bit so they're ok and they don't get wet.
 
For outdoor piggies it should be fine really, as long as they don't get wet :)
 
CiaraPatricia said:
For outdoor piggies it should be fine really, as long as they don't get wet :)
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Sorry but it's not so much about them getting wet (from above ), it's the fact that their tummies are on damp or wet grass. Guineas are not good with damp, and certainly not very young piggies like mentioned in the original post. Better safe than sorry, in my opinion :)
 
OK, thank you for all the help. The grass is dry in the garden today so my guinea-pigs are out and I've let my neighbours guinea-pigs out too because the weather's better, they all have igloos or access to their hutch and I'm going to try and make an off the ground hut so they won't get wet. Thank you for the help :)
 
I certainly never put any of mine out if it's wet, damp, windy - perhaps I'm a little too cautious but they only go out on nice warm sunny days when the grass is perfectly dry.

Baby piggies can go out if it's very warm and dry but as Sophie says, only for a short while at a time - my babies only go out for 30 mins to start with building up gradually - grass can cause bloat and the runs in tiny piggies, both of which can be fatal :(

Teresa xx
 
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