What should I do regarding their hutch

[Claire W]

So my four girls are outdoor pigs. During the winter, their hutch is really well insulated. The hutch is covered in silver loft installation with a wind a rain cover over the top. They also have snugglesafe heat pads, fleecy beds, plenty of hay and a thick fleece blanket covering the hutch front at night.

During the summer months, I use less bedding, remove the wind and rain cover leaving the loft insulation on the hutch as it reflects the sun heat away when the wind and rain cover isn't on and I put a piece of see through tarpaulin and fly netting over the front to keep flies and rain out.

Anyway, due to the cold weather, I haven't taken the wind and rain cover off yet when for the last few years, they have had their hutch set up for the summer way before now.

Should I leave the cover on until the weather warms up again or set the hutch up for the summer anyway? I'm just conscious of them not feeling the benefits when it comes to the winter although I am obviously not using snugglesafes and not as many fleecy beds etc.

P.S The pigs spent the winter before last indoors due to the awful -15 temperatures.

 

[crunchy]

I would leave the wind/rain cover on for the rest of this week and set it up for summer next week as the weather is going to improve. My guinea pigs live in a shed outside so they are quite hardy as i am sure yours are.

 

[Claire W]

Thank you. I think I will set their hutch up for the summer this weekend if it doesn't rain :{ xx

 

[Trish&Ewan]

Mine 2 girls are outside too, they have a full hutch cover and Ive just been unzipping one section in the day at the moment. Ive been trying to find out min/max temp they should be without much success. I worry all the time they are cold, or like you if I keep them too toasty they wont feel benefit.

 

[Claire W]

It's so difficult isn't it. It is about 15 degrees here during the day but is dropping to around 6 degrees overnight I don't want to give them their snugglesafes as I try and use them for winter only or after bath time if it is chilly (I don't put them back in to their hutch until they are dry).

I don't put the fleece blanket over the front of the hutch anymore overnight but for the last few nights, I have been giving them fleece beds and stuff so they can choose to use them or not.

I have made the decision to take the cover off this weekend just leaving them with the see through tarpaulin and silver loft insulation which will reflect the heat away from the hutch with out the cover but will provide them with beds etc so if they do get chilly overnight, they can use the beds if they choose.

If the weather gets really cold again, I can always put the cover back on

 

[lollipop87]

Could I be cheeky and ask you for a photo of your hutches please?

I've seen lots of lovely indoor hutches but my boys are currently outside and thats where I need them to stay.

 

[Claire W]

Could I be cheeky and ask you for a photo of your hutches please?

I've seen lots of lovely indoor hutches but my boys are currently outside and thats where I need them to stay.

Sure

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53209

My hutch is the third one down. It has changed a bit since then though, I no longer have the plastic domes in there but wooden cabins instead, glass water bottles, hammocks and more toys

There are other hutches on there to that may be of interest

 

[lollipop87]

Thank you!

Mine is set out the same but I can't find a cover to fit

I will order the boys a snuggle sack and heat pad for the winter.

 

[Claire W]

Thank you!

Mine is set out the same but I can't find a cover to fit

I will order the boys a snuggle sack and heat pad for the winter.

Tarpaulin is a great alternative to a cover and if you put silver loft insulation underneath, it will work in the same way.

I brought a roll of silver loft insulation from B and Q http://www.diy.com/nav/build/insula...ion-Silver-Length-7-5m-x-Width-600mm-10617653 and that covered the entire hutch and there was some left over. My dad just stapled it to the hutch. It is the same material that the scratch and newton hutch snuggles are made of but is much cheaper. During the summer, I just take the hutch cover off leaving the insulation exposed as with out the cover, it directs heat away from the hutch essentially making the hutch cooler (It is waterproof too) With a cover over the top, it works in the opposite way by during heat in to the hutch.

Alternatively, you could cover your hutch with blankets etc and put the tarpaulin over the top to stop the blankets from getting wet when it rains (Colder months)

There used to be a man on ebay who made custom order hutch covers but I don't have the link and I know they could be expensive. It may be worth a look though.