Sheds!

[vikki2203]

Okay, so my parents would like me to move the guineas into the shed, but they are giving me the whole shed and paying for it to be insulated and such so I am fine with this, the only problem is, we no longer have electric running to the shed, we may be able to get it rewired but this really is a last option.

I was wondering, if anyone knew how to heat and cool the shed without using electric, I could turn the door into a stable door and make a mesh net to use during the day to let air, so I was really asking about heating without using electric, if anyone could help that would be great.

 

[Niki]

My piggies are in an unheated home-built "shed." 

I have a stable door & in the summer i leave the top part open i also have frozen water bottles (in a sock) for each piggy & drape hand-wrung wet towels onto the fronts of their hutches as it gets really warm in there & i have 2 large meshed windows as well as the top half of the door open.

In winter time the only heating mine have is plenty of hay in their hutches & i pull their woollen curtains pulled across most of the fronts of their hutches. My piggies were lovely & toasty last winter 

There are pics here http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=10414.0

 

[Jillybean]

I used to have my guineas free range in a shed. In the winter they had an infra-red lamp which was really good but the problem was in the summer. I had a stable door with mesh top and a tube which led into an outside area. The problem was that the shed got really really hot, it built up very quickly. There was just no air circulating. I had a fan which was battery operated but didn't make much difference. In the end I decided to bring them all inside but I know that's not practical for a lot of people.

I think sheds are really good if you can get the temperature right, just be really careful in the summer. I think Michellemuffin on here has sheds which are really well equipped - she may be able to help on this.

 

[minky]

Mines not heated either and i dont really think they need them to be heated as Niki says plenty of hay and warm bedding and covered at night in the shed is fine

 

[GPQ]

When I used to house my in the shed they had thick fleece that would cover the front of the cages and later on I got an outdoor extension cable and when I felt it was a bit nippy I used to put on the oil filled radiator. If it had been snowing it was funny to look out of the window and see all the sheds covered in snow apart from mine, it was lovely and snugg. When I used to go in for the morning feed all the piggies where at the front on the hutches to get the heat, bless.
Emma x

 

[Little M]

my bunny shed used to have no electric, in the winter it was ok as they all had extra bedding and covers on the hutches but you had to make sure every one was bedded down for the night before dark and then a quick veggie feed at about 9 with a torch. The summer was horrid the door was always left open with mesh across but there was no air flow and i felt for them. In the end my other half wired me a consumer unit theres a supply and extract fan 2 3kw heaters and last summer we invested in an air conditioning unit. oh wired some controls ac and heating so the temp is a constant 20 degrees if it falls below heating comes on gets above the ac comes on and the extract fan comes on for 20 mins every 3 hours to give a constant supply of fresh air (unless its really cold)

 

[maisydaisystar]

When I used to house my in the shed they had thick fleece that would cover the front of the cages and later on I got an outdoor extension cable and when I felt it was a bit nippy I used to put on the oil filled radiator. If it had been snowing it was funny to look out of the window and see all the sheds covered in snow apart from mine, it was lovely and snugg. When I used to go in for the morning feed all the piggies where at the front on the hutches to get the heat, bless.
Emma x

what were your electric bills like?did you only use the radiator during the night?

 

[Pumpkinpiggie]

Last winter my shed was hard to keep warm it was more for me though I had two foster pigggies and would sit inthe shed cuddling them. This year I have insulated the shed walls and ceiling with thermal foil stuff and you tell already thats it will make a huge difference the heater I use has a thermostat control so it will be set so it does not drop below 16c the heater was from argos and I did notice a good increase in electric.
Lots of people dont heat thier sheds its more important for piggies to be out of the hard winds,damp and cold that winter does bring.

 

[minky]

Lots of people dont heat thier sheds its more important for piggies to be out of the hard winds,damp and cold that winter does bring.

That is very important the shed walls are double T&G boards to stop any drafts getting through and as long as they have somewhere to curl up they are fine. Its personal choice really

 

[Pumpkinpiggie]

Lots of people dont heat thier sheds its more important for piggies to be out of the hard winds,damp and cold that winter does bring.

That is very important the shed walls are double T&G boards to stop any drafts getting through and as long as they have somewhere to curl up they are fine. Its personal choice really

A hutch provides the double walling but I agree the warmer you can make it the better it is for keeping the heat in I had a piggies that lived in an unheated shed as a youngster and they lived to be 6years old