Sheds, Runs & Guinea Pigs

Would you keep your piggies in a shed?

  • Total voters
    21
Status
Not open for further replies.
Cuddles With Cavies

Cuddles With Cavies

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jun 12, 2015
Messages
393
Reaction score
430
Points
405
Location
Staffordshire, England
My four girls currently share a 2ft by 6ft correx cage in my bedroom.

However, I can't help but feel like it's not enough space for them. I'm also allergic to hay and fur (typical -.-) so having them in my room is exactly the healthiest thing in the world for me.

There is literally no other place in the house where I can make a bigger cage so it got me thinking of alternatives.

I've seen lots of people converting their sheds into rabbit pens with a run attached and I wondered if this couldn't be done for guinea pigs too?

Does anybody keep their guinea pigs in a shed? Like free roaming the shed the way you see rabbits do. I always worry that they'd get cold if they weren't inside.

What your experience / opinions on keeping guinea pigs in sheds with runs attached?
 
:wel:to the forum! 2ft X 6ft sounds plenty of room for 4 girls. Lots of our members keep their piggies in a shed. Like you, I keep (some of) mine in my bedroom. I am sure some members will be along soon to tell you about their shed piggies. :tu:
 
My guinea pigs are in a shed . If it were my choice, I'd have them in a C&C set up indoors but OH overuled me! Saying that, the set up I now have is great. I keep them in a hutch in the shed as I feel it is more secure than having them free range. The shed is insulated and has electricity so I have an oil filled radiator in there in winter. I also have some greenhouse heaters so they don't get cold. It also has windows for ventilation in the summer. I am just getting some pictures together which I will post in the hutch thread of the housing and enrichment section.
 
Welcome to the forum! I'm sure you'll have a nice time here :D

Would someone mind telling me what 2ft x 6ft is in grids? Math is terrifying to me heh. It's frustrating me I can't remember any users that have their piggies (free range in the shed or not) in one despite knowing I've seen quite a few. @BossHogg, don't you have piggies and rabbits as well in sheds? Pretty sure a while back you helped out someone with heating (in response to if the shed could be cold).

Would you mind posting a pic of the cage? I'm generally interested in what it looks like for four girls. :) And do you mean in a hutch in the shed with a run attached? As long as the piggies are safe, healthy, and have enough room, it should be fine either way. With the poll, I am voting yes. I prefer to keep them inside, but if I can't give enough room for them I'd move them outside in a shed.

edit; whoops, posted just after piggyowner
 
I recently acquired two rabbits and for the winter I will be moving them in the shed. My original plan was for the piggies to have the shed as they are currently in my room and as much as I love them I am tired of the smell and they don't have enough space in my opinion. Plus I am fed up of the hay in the hoover!

I feel terrible the piggies don't have as much room as the rabbits have and will have (when I clear the shed out.........) and am thinking of completely emptying the shed so everyone can be in there.

My only reservation is the winter for the piggies. I would be worried about them out there in the cold (and the rabbits too!)
 
Last edited:
Yep, my piggies are in a hutch in the shed. The shed has electric so they have heating and lighting. The shed doesn't have windows but I leave the door open all day when it's bright and sunny. I have a large pen that they go in all day when the weather is nice. When the weather is horrible, I put a ramp up to the hutch so they can free range in the shed.

WP_20150523_001.webp

WP_20150504_014.webp
 
My piggies live in a garage which is kind of the same.
I don't know how I would manage with them not in a shed and outside with wind, rain and darkness.
 
PiggyOwner said:
My guinea pigs are in a shed . If it were my choice, I'd have them in a C&C set up indoors but OH overuled me! Saying that, the set up I now have is great. I keep them in a hutch in the shed as I feel it is more secure than having them free range. The shed is insulated and has electricity so I have an oil filled radiator in there in winter. I also have some greenhouse heaters so they don't get cold. It also has windows for ventilation in the summer. I am just getting some pictures together which I will post in the hutch thread of the housing and enrichment section.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I'd love to see some photos of your shed. I think I'd prefer to keep them inside but I think it would be better for them and me if they lived out.

What kind of security do you have? I've heard all sort of awful stories of piggies being eaten by foxes or people breaking in a messing with them. :(
 
hsn97 said:
Thank you. I'd love to see some photos of your shed. I think I'd prefer to keep them inside but I think it would be better for them and me if they lived out.

What kind of security do you have? I've heard all sort of awful stories of piggies being eaten by foxes or people breaking in a messing with them. :(
Click to expand...

I would worry if they were simply in a hutch outside as I wouldn't feel they were secure at all. I advise anyone who keeps their guinea pigs in a hutch to have padlocks to discourage opportunists.

Mind you - I used to worry when they were indoors too - what would happen if we were burgled ?

My shed has a lockable door . If I open the windows, I have wire mesh frames to stop predators getting in (I will post some pictures tonight).

Whenever my guinea pigs have grass time , there is someone around to keep an eye on them .

Sometimes, I'm really pleased that my OH and I work shifts - no one can work out whether we're in or out by watching the house.
 
PiggyOwner said:
I would worry if they were simply in a hutch outside as I wouldn't feel they were secure at all. I advise anyone who keeps their guinea pigs in a hutch to have padlocks to discourage opportunists.

Mind you - I used to worry when they were indoors too - what would happen if we were burgled ?

My shed has a lockable door . If I open the windows, I have wire mesh frames to stop predators getting in (I will post some pictures tonight).

Whenever my guinea pigs have grass time , there is someone around to keep an eye on them .

Sometimes, I'm really pleased that my OH and I work shifts - no one can work out whether we're in or out by watching the house.
Click to expand...

This is my shed window open.
window frame.webp

The picture is taken from outside - you can see their hutch in the background
 
Last edited by a moderator:
CarnivalPiggy said:
Welcome to the forum! I'm sure you'll have a nice time here :D

Would someone mind telling me what 2ft x 6ft is in grids? Math is terrifying to me heh. It's frustrating me I can't remember any users that have their piggies (free range in the shed or not) in one despite knowing I've seen quite a few. @BossHogg, don't you have piggies and rabbits as well in sheds? Pretty sure a while back you helped out someone with heating (in response to if the shed could be cold).

Would you mind posting a pic of the cage? I'm generally interested in what it looks like for four girls. :) And do you mean in a hutch in the shed with a run attached? As long as the piggies are safe, healthy, and have enough room, it should be fine either way. With the poll, I am voting yes. I prefer to keep them inside, but if I can't give enough room for them I'd move them outside in a shed.

edit; whoops, posted just after piggyowner
Click to expand...


Here's a photo of my cage at the moment.

You'll have to excuse the newspaper. I use is as hide-aways as they take up less room than house and help keep the cage open whilst offering a safe place to bunk. :3

image.webp

The correx is a bit bent in place thanks to Rosie constantly jumping up at it.

It's not the best cage and I personally don't feel that it's big enough for four.

I'd love to hear your opinion on it.
 
PiggyOwner said:
It's a great cage !

None of us ever think our cages are big enough. I love through way Rosie gets the blame for the bent correx!

Have you thought about supporting the sides with C&C grids?

There are lots of ideas in this link ...
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/member-gallery-c-c-cages-homemade-cages.53210/
Click to expand...
Thanks you! I always thought it looked rubbish. Haha

And caught in the act! :3
image.webp

I have looked at the grids but they are really expensive near me and I prefer the look of the cage without them. I'll check out the link though, thank you.
 
Last edited:
I know what you mean about the grids, I need some more and the price of them is just stupid now! So I'm trying to find alternatives.
 
I'm hoping to move the pigs into their new hutch within the next month, the temporary one I built has lasted 4 years and needs replacing now. It will give me more floor space. ;)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top