When To Let Indoor Piggies Outside For A Run?

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Cute_Guineapigs

Cute_Guineapigs

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Hi

I have 2 indoor boars who have been inside since last autumn. They love to be outside though. What does the outside temperature need to be for them to be outside safely? Their room isn't really heated (the heating is only put on if I'm cold (ie below 18C)). Although they do have a large amount of hay which they do snuggle into and can get warmer if they want to.

I've also just read about dog wee and that its poisonous to piggies. I have a dog that wees all over the garden and I can't section any part off. Should I just put a fleece sheet down onto the grass when the piggies are in the run and provide grass from growing it in a tray?
 
A few people grow grass in trays with success so that is a way of providing grass that is guaranteed dog wee free. Not sure on the temperature sorry, but hopefully someone with the knowledge will be along shortly.
 
I think it depends on your house/garden/yard temperatures at midday my suntrap half of the yard is hotter than the room the pigs live in so id let them out if I were home to do so at those times, perhaps early in some peoples eyes but this end of my yard is south facing and sheltered by a north, east and west tall wall/house and far enough away not to block the sun but still helps with wind is a south tall wall so there is nooooo wind at all in that bit unless its seriously gusty ... correx doesnt blow away from there.
 
My pigs live indoors - outdoors in a shed. When the weather is half reasonable, I put their steps down in front of their hutch, leave the door to their hutch open and shut the shed door. I leave the cat flap open so they can come and go as they please. I don't have a dog, only a 3 legged old mog, he does his business anywhere but his own garden, even though he has a litter tray where he can use it, in a part of the garden that the pigs don't have access to. ;)
 
I wouldn't put mine out in their run on the grass till it was fully dry & not damp. It would have to be the sort of temperature where you would feel OK wearing a t-shirt. This varies throughout the country but from the end of this month we'll possibly have days like that.
 
Mine never go out when the grass is damp, the lawn that the pigs have access to has excellent drainage, I don't just dump them on the grass, they can come out if they want. ;)
 
Mine live in a hutch on the grass outside and they think they're so invincible now; anyway :btt: I guess the more time they have outside, the more they'll adapt to the different conditions.
I'd say, put them out if/when its 20c and above, and the idea of putting them on a mat is good and I would stick to the tray idea.
Happy piggy grass time! :))
 
Its rarely 20c lol I work on the basis of it being warmer or equal to indoors my house has neverbeeen 20c yet :)
 
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I've put my boys out for the past few days as it's been around 15 degrees. I have never had a problem with them being sick from sharing the same garden as the dog. I just make sure they have their water and some hideys to keep them cool and have some shade. They love being out on the grass as much as possible and when the sun starts to come out and warm up I start putting the guinea pigs out and they cope fine as they have nice warm fur ^.^ I'm about to bring my boys in now as it is getting a little chilly so generally I put them out when I feel warm and bring them in when it's getting a little bit cooler. I avoid putting them out on days where it's rainy or muddy or has rained the day before as I don't want them to get cold.
 
My boys went out today...One at a time lol
they sat on my lap soaking up the rays.
I fed them a bit of grass. Then got the play pen out on the carpet and gave them grass which they hoovered up
 
I put mine out yesterday for about an hour where the sun had been in the garden for a few days. It was arguably warmer outside than in! Once they'd got over the initial shock of being somewhere new (I haven't had them long) they loved poking their heads out of the various hidey-holes for a tasty morsel :D
 
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