When to put guinea pigs outside?

[Alison77]

Hi
Just wondered when people start putting their indoor guinea pigs outside during the day? I rescued 2 guinea pigs in December and they have lived indoors over the winter. My plan was to start putting them outside during the day in warmer weather and then bringing them in at night. I just wondered what sort of day temperatures people waited for before putting their piggies outside?
I live in the south of England and we have had temperatures of 12-14c on some days, they would have a hutch with an attached run, so they would be able to access a hutch if they were chilly. Also what is the best way to acclimatise them or can I just put them out in the warmest part of the day?
thanks.
Alison

 

[Wiebke]

Spring sunshine can be very deceptive. I generally wait with putting my own piggies on the lawn for any length of time until the ground is warm and dry to my bare feet over the course of several minutes. The first visits may be rather short - I take my piggies off the lawn as soon as I get (literally) cold feet, too. But I have some piggies that are prone to UTI's (bladder infections) - and cold, damp ground is the ideal place to trigger another bout.

I would also recommend to provide some kind of shelter off the ground and away from the wind for the piggies to warm up when temperatures suddenly drop due to a cloud passing. A ratty tea tray (or whatever) with a cardboard box or pigloo loosely filled with hay will do the trick nicely!

Please be aware that the big outdoors can be very frightening for first timers and that it can take some some time to get used to the plethora of smells and new sounds. If you just want to put them outside in their cage to tank up on spirng sunshine, cover the top, or at least part of it. Birds of prey are one the main predators for guinea pigs, and they are very wary of big open spaces - that is where they are their most vulnerable, and those instincts run deep.

The same goes for the run; always provide a few shelter close to each other as a safe base to explore new territory from. Always secure the top of the cage against wild life and make sure that part of the cage has shade and shelter from both wind and a sudden squall of rain.

 

[MrsWilsoncroft]

Thank for that hun x

 

[Alison77]

Thanks for your reply. They have a hutch attached to their run so they would be able to snuggle into hay if they were cold. I was also going to restrict them to the patio area whilst the grass was still damp (I know slabs can be a bit harsh on their feet but I thought if it was only for a couple of hours at a time it would be alright?) I can also put a few mats down for them. They have plenty of houses and tunnels that will be put in the run. Maybe I will leave it till towards the end of the month and start just putting them out for a few hours at a time. Thanks for your advice.