Wrong advice!

[Basia1]

OK so I have just seen on one of the guinea pigs Facebook pages that guinea pigs can withstand very low temperatures up to -15C!??!. This came from the breeder of apparently 40 years?!

 

[Siikibam]

Unfortunately there is quite a lot of misinformation out there. I left a few groups because of the things being recommended on there. And because there was one where they didn’t discourage breeding.

 

[Sweet Potato]

I don't think I could survive at -15 let alone my piggies

 

[Basia1]

I have kept pigs for 20+ years. But I have always had them inside. HOWEVER I highly doubt that -15 would be safe for them. Even if the hutch is sheltered and with plenty of straw/hay.

 

[PigglePuggle]

Oh dear definitely not... +15 is more like their acceptable minimum, they may be ok at an outdoor shed air temp of +10 but only IF they acclimatise slowly living outdoors through the autumn and grow a thick winter fur coat and can also pop into a fleecy tunnel or a hay stuffed box or sit on a snigglesafe heatpad to warm up! If its too cold for a human without a coat and gloves on it is too cold for piggies for sure...

 

[Swissgreys]

Sadly bad advice is everywhere, so most important is educating yourself and supporting/joining groups and Forums that offer good advice. I am a member of very few groups for this exact reason.

 

[Spaghetti & Noodles]

We have just added extra layers to our girls hutch, we've stuffed some old pillows around the edge between the hutch and shed, they have a greenhouse heater, which is permanently on, in the hutch and a snuggle safe each inside fleece houses and lots of hay, they are currently in the shed so sheltered from the elements, the thermometer is showing 12 degrees currently, I'd like it warmer but they seem ok and have always lived outside so hopefully acclimatised.

 

[VickiA]

And this is why I felt the need to leave almost all FB guinea pig groups

 

[Bill & Ted]

Unfortunately it suits a breeder to say such rubbish, why would they want to pay for heating? Most of them are in it for the money and care little for their animals well-being and happiness

 

[Hath]

It's their way of justifying the poor conditions they're keeping their pigs in and once they throw their years of experience naive people will go for it... People doing their 'research' on FB are unfortunate victims of such experts and well-meaning people can end up following such bad advice.

I mean, I have a lots of houseplants. Doesn't mean I am a Botanist. I might be enthusiastic with madiocre abilities of keeping them alive, but expert at buying new victims if things go wrong...