Run Time

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Joanne1

Joanne1

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello everyone

I am a New Guinea pig owner and just wondering how long everyone tends to let there piggies have on the lawn in there run?
I have plenty of hidey places and a sheltered run for when it's cooler weather but just wondering what other piggie owners do?

Thanks
 
Well, I work during the day, so my lovelies get about an hour each when I get home. At weekends they may get a bit longer but it is generally an hour each, as I won't leave them if I go out of the house.
 
Ours get at least 2 hours a day and usually much more but we are lucky that tree is pretty much always someone in due to working patterns. Not sure what we will do about outside time when the summer is over and would be interested to hear from piggie parents who have already experienced all 4 seasons. We've got room to let them have a run inside and tend to do that for a short while each evening too.
 
My boys live inside but they get 2 hours a day. either together or an hour am and pm depending on what shifts I am doing :)
 
Yes I am lucky too that work patterns mean there is always someone at home. I have been putting them out all day until early evening whilst it's been nice weather but just wondering if that's what others do or if that's too long, they do have hidey houses so they are protected.
Likewise wondering wondering what people do in the cooler months of the year?
 
I've only had Tilly for a few weeks and the weather has generally been nice so I have been putting her outside at around 9am and she comes back inside for cuddles before her dinner at around 7pm.
 
I can't imagine why all day in nice weather would be a problem as long as they have shade and a shelter and water to drink.

Is hay essential while outside for a day if it is freely available when they come in for the night? I usually provide some if they are out for a long time but just wondered if it's necessary. Sorry to hijack your thread a little with a supplemental question!

Hopefully someone will share their autumn and winter tips with us too.
 
About a quarter of Tilly's run has a wooden cover, I also put up a sun umbrella to shade most of the run. Tilly has a pile of hay in her shelter in the run and she eats a good half of it during her time out.

I plan on putting Tilly out on milder autumn/winter days but, when the weather is really bad, I have extra puppy pen panels and I will extend her normal run in the garage.
 
*kate* said:
About a quarter of Tilly's run has a wooden cover, I also put up a sun umbrella to shade most of the run. Tilly has a pile of hay in her shelter in the run and she eats a good half of it during her time out.

I plan on putting Tilly out on milder autumn/winter days but, when the weather is really bad, I have extra puppy pen panels and I will extend her normal run in the garage.
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Sorry to be thick what are puppy pen panels? Are they an inside or outside thing?
 
I let them go out an hour each (boys and girls) when I can, if I can't one day I will let them go out an extra hour or so the next day.
 
Mine are out all day when the weathers nice!

I set the run up just like a cage, water, food, hideys etc plus make sure there is shade.

I don't usually put hay out in the run as they have grass, but sometimes I put a pile of hay which they enjoy!
 
Just what I have been doing......it's the winter months I wonder how long piggie owners put there piggies out for?
My intention is to get a decent piggie house that can have lots of hay in so if they want to snuggle up they can or graze out if they fancy it.
 
I don't put mine out in winter. I'll put them out in autumn when it's not too cold and the sun is still out, but only for an hour or two. I don't put them on wet grass and the patio is chilly on their feet!
 
On a sunny day my girls get an hour outside playing and an hour inside, on rainy days about 1-1 1/2 playing! i usually do my school work while they are playing because i am home taught!
 
Mine only gets out for about about hour a day in the week because of work but longer at weekends. Not sure if it's okay to put her out if the grass is wet though. If anyone knows if this is okay that would be helpful
 
The girls are free range - we tend to let them out as much as possible as they get rowdy if cooped up to long. They have started queuing up at the door if they see and or hear us. Rory has a run as the girls don't like him anywhere near them.
 
We get so hot and humid here in Minnesota in the summer and so so cold in the winter. We have a fenced in yard and live in the burbs so I don't think we get a lot of wild animals maybe just squirrels and rabbits. We do have 3 dogs. Do I still need to worry about the grass area for them? Like if our dogs wet or pood on it? Also I read they get heat stroke very easily. I haven't let them go outside yet because of the humidity. But I would like to take them out for a short time soon when and if the weather permits. I see a lot of you have them out all day does it not get humid in England? Never been across the pond, only part way to the Caribbean lol.
 
Brambles never been outside :(
I live in an apartment building with no garden area however Bramble has free-range of our living room all day until we go to bed which has wooden floors so thats ok as it still gives her plenty of exercise and wears her claws down.
She also gets fresh Grass brought in from my mothers Garden whenever I can.
Honestly, I think if she went outside now she would be terrified by all the noises and difference, I suppose it all depends on your circumstances but if your pigs getting all the love, nutrition and exercise they should be ok.
When Bramble was a baby and it wasn't suitable for her to be left out to roam around the flat she would come out for around 2 hours with me sat on the floor with her so she could always be safe.

If for any reason Bramble isn't allowed out of her cage such as visitors or I'm cleaning she really shows she doesn't appreciate it by rattling the bars and causing a fuss.
 
KittyandNancy said:
We get so hot and humid here in Minnesota in the summer and so so cold in the winter. We have a fenced in yard and live in the burbs so I don't think we get a lot of wild animals maybe just squirrels and rabbits. We do have 3 dogs. Do I still need to worry about the grass area for them? Like if our dogs wet or pood on it? Also I read they get heat stroke very easily. I haven't let them go outside yet because of the humidity. But I would like to take them out for a short time soon when and if the weather permits. I see a lot of you have them out all day does it not get humid in England? Never been across the pond, only part way to the Caribbean lol.
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It's not often that we get high humidity over here, or indeed high temperatures! It's about 22 degrees here today and my piggies have been out all day since around 7am. Plenty of shade, frozen water bottles and they are fine.
 
This is our back yard. I might try just having them on the deck first with a piece of fleece down to cover the wood and see how they do with all the sounds first. I don't have one of the whole yard I guess so in the pics it's about 1/4 of the whole back yard that you can see lol. But I would put them in a fence playpen type thing not just running loose as I would never catch them again and they could go through the fence. image.webpimage.webp
 
*wants to live in KittyandNancy's house*

Mine get an hour in the run if I am home and time in the indoor run if I am late home. At the weekends they spend time in the run if I am gardening and I am looking forward to time off work so they can go out more often.

They don't get as much exercise as they should and I do worry about it. It is especially annoying when it rains like today and we are all stuck indoors!
 
Yes I totally get it. I have yet to take them outside. 98% humidty and rain yesterday. I'm thinking they won't get out until fall grrrrr. We get such extreme temp changes. Summer it can be in the 100+F and in the winter -50F this has been a really strange year thus far. Historic rain this spring and summer last winter it was colder than it has been in 30+ years and this summer hasn't been that hot but very humid. I think Mother Nature is going through menopause lol.
 
KittyandNancy said:
Yes I totally get it. I have yet to take them outside. 98% humidty and rain yesterday. I'm thinking they won't get out until fall grrrrr. We get such extreme temp changes. Summer it can be in the 100+F and in the winter -50F this has been a really strange year thus far. Historic rain this spring and summer last winter it was colder than it has been in 30+ years and this summer hasn't been that hot but very humid. I think Mother Nature is going through menopause lol.
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Don't mention Menopause, grrrrr lol!
 
I actually can't WAIT! I already have mood swings so maybe I'll be more stable hahaha. And I can't wait to not get my ... Anymore ugh. My friends daughter got hers at 11 WHAT! that's a lot of money to flush over the years lol. Wow we got way off topic :( sorry.
 
KittyandNancy said:
I actually can't WAIT! I already have mood swings so maybe I'll be more stable hahaha. And I can't wait to not get my ... Anymore ugh. My friends daughter got hers at 11 WHAT! that's a lot of money to flush over the years lol. Wow we got way off topic :( sorry.
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Lol! It's really, really horrible, believe me!
 
My sister didn't have to much of a problem just the hot flashes, she's 9 years older than me, so I'm hoping I get off lucky as well.

I've heard it can be hard. I'm 43 and my mom died at 51 (I was 20) so I'm not sure when I should expect it.
 
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