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Small piggies vs. harsh weather?

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caitlyn

We're looking for some pigs, a small brown&white one on a rescue page is a major canditate but I was wondering are smaller (not unatrually small) guinea pigs able to stand up to harsh weather. I live near a small country town and being qld the weather is harsh. We have hot, hot summers (up to 44 degree celcius at times) and freezing winters (down to around 10 degrees celcius I think, well sometimes my horses' waters' freeze over but not often). Are smaller guinea pigs as hardy as the larger ones or should we keep looking for a couple of larger pigs? Our first 3 (4-6 years ago) were all about medium sized, stayed outside in all weather and lived quite a long healthy life I'm not sure and I don't want to harm any.
 
Although all my pigs are indoors, I have both chunky and dainty pigs. The chunky pigs are not necessarily chubby, as they have a bigger bone structure - the layer of fat is the same as in small pigs. So I don't think it makes a huge difference.

Is there no way you would keep the pigs indoors?
 
I've only ever had indoor pigs myself, but I suppose it depends on the climate wherever you live. Places where the climate isn't so extreme, it may be okay for piggies to stay outdoors. In the UK, although it doesn't get as cold say as where I come from in America, it's very damp and feels alot colder than it is. But, we don't seem to have the extreme heat either.

I'm not sure what the situ is in Australia, but I wouldn't think the size of the pig would have much impact on how they do in extremes of temperature. The exception might be very young, very old or already ill pigs of course, as they are more likely to be vulnerable in any change of environment, IMHO.
 
caitlyn said:
We're looking for some pigs, a small brown&white one on a rescue page is a major canditate but I was wondering are smaller (not unatrually small) guinea pigs able to stand up to harsh weather. I live near a small country town and being qld the weather is harsh. We have hot, hot summers (up to 44 degree celcius at times) and freezing winters (down to around 10 degrees celcius I think, well sometimes my horses' waters' freeze over but not often). Are smaller guinea pigs as hardy as the larger ones or should we keep looking for a couple of larger pigs? Our first 3 (4-6 years ago) were all about medium sized, stayed outside in all weather and lived quite a long healthy life I'm not sure and I don't want to harm any.
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We have 6 guinea-pigs currently living in a 2-tier 5ft hutch with 24/7 access to the shed floor. Three are smallish 6-month-olds and seem perfectly happy; they're just as active as the bigger girls. Could you keep them in a shed (which is in a shady position) and insulate it with the insulating silver-bubblewrap? It would help to keep it warm in Winter and cool in Summer.

We have a neutered boar in with the 5-girls and he's always trying to rolleyes at least one of them - helps to keep them warm, I suppose!:))
 
LOL I love how you say you get harsh summers and we've been down to -4 this Christmas..lol..bless.

I think considering you live in Australia, its not much of a problem, unless you feel the need to keep them inside because of big snakes that might be able to get into them.

However in the real hot weather its important to keep them cool so they don't get heat stroke.
 
No, there's no way my mum would allow them inside, maybe if the weather is really bad but otherwise no. Snakes won't be able to get in, my dad is making a hutch and his going to get wire with gaps small enough that even mice will be kept out, so only tiny, tiny snakes will be able to get in. Besides that, we seem to get more snakes inside than out :(

Cozmo said:
LOL I love how you say you get harsh summers and we've been down to -4 this Christmas..lol..bless.

I think considering you live in Australia, its not much of a problem, unless you feel the need to keep them inside because of big snakes that might be able to get into them.

However in the real hot weather its important to keep them cool so they don't get heat stroke.
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So you don't think the cold will bother them? I have really no idea how cold it gets, I just know the one time I checked the thermometer outside that it said 10 degree celcius. I don't stay out there long enough to check it, only time enough to check my ponies lol :)

Thanks :)
 
I think they would be OK outside but ONLY IF you protect the hutch well and give their hutch lots of insulation. Also, they would need lots of hay to burrow down in and keep warm and snugglesafes are a fantastic idea. I have 2 of them. Have a look around as there are lots of threads on how to keep piggies warm during the winter. If you are going to keep them outdoors though, you MUST make sure that they are not going from living inside to outside as they will need to grow a winter coat :) xx
 
caitlyn said:
So you don't think the cold will bother them? I have really no idea how cold it gets, I just know the one time I checked the thermometer outside that it said 10 degree celcius. I don't stay out there long enough to check it, only time enough to check my ponies lol :)
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I don't...mine have been out in the shed while its been in the minus celcius this winter. As long as the water bottles don't freeze up...then I reckon its fine.

Or if you're really worried, you could just keep them indoors, that way if its cold they get heating from the house and if its too hot, they get cooled by the air conditioning.
 
They'll be fine outside in Australia, cold-wise, as mine have been okay in a shed whilst it's been snowing outside (I'm in the UK). The biggest problem you'll have to contend with is heatstroke - guinea-pigs are very prone to heatstroke. You'll need to find them a cool, shady position, insulate it and provide them with covered ice packs. Be really careful about heatstroke. I remember somebody posting about their guinea-pigs dying of heatstroke last year; she was at work and they'd overheated, even though their hutch was in the shade.

When we went away for a night last August, we insulated our hutch with silver bubble-wrap, left two guinea-pigs in the hutch (which was on the patio which although it gets the full, midday sun, it wasn't a particularly warm day), and told the person who was looking after them to keep checking the temperature of the hutch (which he did, but he thought it was fine). I think we came back just in time; they felt very warm, and that was in an insulated hutch on a warmish day.
 
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caitlyn said:
So you don't think the cold will bother them? I have really no idea how cold it gets, I just know the one time I checked the thermometer outside that it said 10 degree celcius. I don't stay out there long enough to check it, only time enough to check my ponies lol :)

Thanks :)
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Blimey. 10 degrees C - that's Summer weather in the UK! (I'm only half-joking.)
 
hehe wish it only went down to 10c here at our harshest winter :))

I think pigs outside in those temps would be fine...
 
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