7 foot double hutch?

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piggypoos

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does anyone know where i can get a 7 foot hutch with 2 floors? i have only seen one but it was over £400! :...
thanks
 
I'm not sure about the 7 foot bit, but I do know that P@H sell double storey hutches for £100. A lot cheaper than 400! That's really expensive!
 
Would think your best bet would be to find a local wood person to make one to your measurements. I have had all my hutches made by a local person and they are v sturdy compared to most shop ones.
 
The only problem with most of the P@H ones is that they are too small, how many piggies would it be for? x
 
it would only be for 3 but they sometimes argue alot which is why i want them to have the extra space. they also fight less on two levels as they find it easier to escape each other and get their own space/alone time :)
 
I can imagine 7 ft being quite big.

Otherwise another option for you, could be a shed?

My shed was a £100 from wilkinsons, granted not the best quality shed in the world but served its purpose. I also hosued the boys 4ft double hutch in the shed:

Newsetup.jpg


It was a huuuuuuge amount of space :)
 
thanks for all the replies
they already have a shed, with their hutch inside it
i wanted to take out the hutch and give them the whole shed but as i wont be able to heat it i thought it wouldnt be warm enough in winter. so i wanted to get a really big hutch which i could then insulate really well.
they are males. i know three males should not be housed together but i was misinformed by the pet shop unfortunately. they do fight and i wanted to get another pig and separate them into two pairs but my parents wont let me. :0
http://www.rehutches.com/product/7ft-double-deluxe-palace-rabbit-hutch-no34 - that is the hutch i saw but as you can see it is WAY too expensive.
i would get a six foot one but I'm worried that it wouldnt be much bigger than what theyre used to.
 
Well sorry to be blunt, if they are fighting you need to separate them before they seriously hurt one another or worst case scenario kill each other. It is yours and your parents responsibility to do right by the animals, and keeping them together when they don't get along in not doing so.

Sorry i don't like speaking to people like this, but it winds me up when people say my parents won't let me, if your parents are going to allow you to keep animals they should make sure they are kept safely and happily, which currently they are not.

Sorry that you were mis-informed by the pet shop, but if it is not working out and you cannot get another piggy i would suggest you find which 2 do get along and surrender the lone piggy to a local rescue, where he will be well cared for and a loving new home with a new friend will be found for him.
 
its ok, i understand your annoyance
i desperately want to get another pig and i have tried so hard
they think it will be alot of extra work although i know it wont but they just wont listen.
thing is that although they argue, they have never actually drawn blood and although at times they dont get along they get very distressed when they are apart and actually love each other alot. my parents see this and therefore dont think it is worth getting another. i have tried so hard to convince them but they just wont listen.
i know most people will tell me to explain to my parents that it is their responsibility etc but this will just make them angrier.
plus there are absolutely no rescues near me (i didnt know about them before i got mine). does anyone know of a reascue near london?
i would hate to have to give up one of my pigs so any tips on how to convince them? or any articles on why they shouldnt be kept together? thanks, and trust me you dont know how hard i have tried.. :(
 
piggypoos said:
its ok, i understand your annoyance
i desperately want to get another pig and i have tried so hard
they think it will be alot of extra work although i know it wont but they just wont listen.
thing is that although they argue, they have never actually drawn blood and although at times they dont get along they get very distressed when they are apart and actually love each other alot. my parents see this and therefore dont think it is worth getting another. i have tried so hard to convince them but they just wont listen.
i know most people will tell me to explain to my parents that it is their responsibility etc but this will just make them angrier.
plus there are absolutely no rescues near me (i didnt know about them before i got mine). does anyone know of a reascue near london?
i would hate to have to give up one of my pigs so any tips on how to convince them? or any articles on why they shouldnt be kept together? thanks, and trust me you dont know how hard i have tried.. :(
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Is your hutch at the moment double? Can you not seperate it into two seperate hutches for the time being? Remove the stairs and block the hole.

Keep the two pigs that are getting along fine together and the bullied one in a seperate hutch.

When I tried to bond a trio last year it didn't work out. I seperated the three pigs as so:

The biggest lump went into the top part of the hutch, the pig that was getting on with everyone went into the middle and the one who was being bullied went onto the shed floor with an indoor cage to run into.

Please, please consider either seperating them into a bonded pair and surrendering one to a rescue/ or finding him a friend as if you let them annoy one anotheryou may end up with three boars who won't get along. and three boars who wont or cant be bonded back together this is esp true as they get older and go through their hormonal stage

I know this as when i tried to introduce a third boar, no blood was drawn but in the end all three were not getting on (after six hours loud teeth chattering, rumble strutting and lunging) and i had to rebond my two boars back together. It was touch and go for about a month and a bit but i have managed to get them back into a stable bond.

Boar Bonding Guide
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=76162

list of rescues:
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=209994852075231951564.0004b8fd9391b4257d8eb&msa=0
 
i would separate them but they get very distressed when they are seperated so i would rather wait until i know i can get another pig before.
but yes they are in a double hutch
can anyone give a detailed explanation of exactly why 3 boars cant be together which i can then show my parents to help convince them
(it will look better if someone experienced on here says it rather than me)
thanks.
 
I would seriously think about rehoming one of your piggies, it's just not fair. You could always make a thread on here requesting help to rehome one of them, you don't necessarily need a rescue centre near you, there are piggy trains that can arrange to pick up your piggy and take him to a rescue space :)

I think it would be for the best and being a good pet owner means recognising these issues and despite feeling upset/hurt about making tough decisions, you are keeping your pets at the centre of your thoughts.

x
 
as i have said before i will not be homing my piggie, instead it would be really helpful if you guys could help with how to convince my parents to get a friend for one and split them into 2 pairs.
if this completely fails, only then will i think about rehoming one.
i know it is unfair but they are actually not as miserable as you all think. they are very happy and constantly popcorning and sometimes have tiffs which are not at all serious and seperating them has been more stressful for them than the actual fights however i know that it is for the best to get another pig
so it would be really helpful if you could just give me tips to convince my parents. thanks.
 
piggypoos said:
i would separate them but they get very distressed when they are seperated so i would rather wait until i know i can get another pig before.
but yes they are in a double hutch
can anyone give a detailed explanation of exactly why 3 boars cant be together which i can then show my parents to help convince them
(it will look better if someone experienced on here says it rather than me)
thanks.
Click to expand...

Trios are exceptionally rare especially with boars, its highly unlikely that three mature boars will not live together happily. Even trios with sows are difficult as two piggies will pair up and leave one pig out as a result of bullying.
Naturally mature boars, in the wild would not live together they would have a group of females and defend the herd from other boars.

Two boars can live together quite well, one must be the under pig and the other top pig, though as with all boar pairings the dominance will be tested time and time again. When having a trio of boars you have to have the right mix of pigs the third must be submissive, but this can lead to the other two become the more dominant ones and bullying the third.

Bullying can have a huge effect on the guinea pigs quality of life and health, some find it hard to keep and gain weight as the others can stop them from eating, the bullies become protective over certain hideys, food bowls and bottles and areas of the cage/hutch can become ‘off limits’ to others. So the bullied pig may not be able to get warmth, comfort or food, this is not good news as eventually this will lead to deterioration of its health. This means vet visits and with any ill pig they may need to be separated so they can get treatment and food.

Alongside this boars go through their hormonal stage between six weeks and fourteen months, so although one may be quite docile now his hormones might kick in at a year and the whole hierarchy will have to be re established – whose top pig and whose under pig, this wont be good news for the most dominant pig and this will lead to rumblestrutting, teethchattering and possibly fighting.


Questions to consider with boar trios:
• Do you accept and know the fact that it might not work, all three boars could end up injured or hurt, and you could end up with three single boars?

• Your current pair, are they stable or do they argue quite regularly.

• Can you find a rescue willing to work alongside you?

• Do you have the space? Trios need ALOT of space, more than your average 4ft x 2ft hutch.

• Time, do you have the time, money and space to invest.

• Are you putting your guinea pigs needs before your own?

• Do you have three spare hutches/ cages? for potential sudden fights and fallouts? They will need to be seperated immediately if a fight breaks out

• Are you willing to get all three single boars new friends?

• Would it be more advisable instead of upsetting the group to find one a friend or surrender to a rescue?

• Do you accept that it is very, very rare to have a successful trio or quad?
 
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Just copied this for you so you know what signs to look out for :)
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28949

Normal Dominance/Getting-To-Know-You Behaviour:
These types of behaviour can include: Bottom wiggling, raised fur or hackles, hip swaying
Purring or quiet/low rumbling whilst doing the above or sometimes without the movement
"Nose offs" - not necessarily aggressive, it's just like teens squaring off to each other and swaggering a bit
Bottom sniffing and cheek to cheek rubbing - scent glands are situated in these areas, so these will be popular!
Dragging the bottom along the ground (a bit like territory marking)
Mounting (from all angles - head, side and rear!) and chasing or chasing and mounting combined
Mild teeth chattering (fairly quiet chattering, almost like they are munching loudly on dry food or hay just with a bit more volume, but NOT the loud clatter for aggression, see below)

Warnings / Getting irritated and more serious:
If one or more pigs are snorting, (a bit like a quiet sneeze or a puff can mean extreme irritation), stressed squeaking with increased volume, head bobbing nose offs accompanied with very loud teeth chattering and slight raising up on back legs, yawning to show the teeth and/or giving narky little nips, kicking out and/or wee squirting, then I would be watching very carefully and get ready to distract them as they could be about to have a fight.

Serious aggression/fighting:
If the above events do not calm down fairly quickly, this can escalate into the pigs lunging or pouncing at each other, loud rumbling, obviously vicious bites rather than nips, a concentrated mixture of most of the above warnings (snorting, obvious rearing up on their haunches as if rearing up to fight, raised hackles, loud rumbling, yawning and loud teeth clacking - this noise is unmistakeable), and will likely result in pigs causing serious damage to each other - the pigs will have to be separated immediately.

Never put in your bare hands to separate, always have a towel handy to throw over them as those pigs will not realise or care that your hands are getting in front of their teeth and can result in really nasty bites.
 
thankyou so much this is really really helpful, just what i need.
any other tips still gratefully recieved thanks x
 
piggypoos said:
thankyou so much this is really really helpful, just what i need.
any other tips still gratefully recieved thanks x
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No problems, i just dont want you to witness a huge fallout, its not at all nice and shakes you up quite a bit :( Thankfully i was in the shed with my pigs when they all fell out, if i wasnt i dread to think what i would of come home to!

Hope they stay friends for you, or you find a resolution with your mum and dad :)

Good luck and sorry to hear about your piggies misbehaviour!

x
 
just to add my pigs have never done anything in the serious aggression/fighting section and i have only ever seen them do something in the warnings section once. mostly all they do is rumble strutting, hip swaying etc, nose offs, mounting, chasing, butt dragging, light nips and chasing each other.
so basically just normal signs of dominance.
 
piggypoos said:
just to add my pigs have never done anything in the serious aggression/fighting section and i have only ever seen them do something in the warnings section once. mostly all they do is rumble strutting, hip swaying etc, nose offs, mounting, chasing, butt dragging, light nips and chasing each other.
so basically just normal signs of dominance.
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Ooo thats good, just keep an eye on them, boars are good at changing their minds rolleyes. Can I ask how old are they?
 
they turned 1 in may
they are all brothers and i got them at 12 wks x
 
I know it's important for you to convince your parents that adding a fourth boar would be a good move, but I feel it would be more important to assure them that you are a responsible owner and will do whatever is necessary if things go wrong. That includes being prepared to rehome your piggies.

There are a lot of variables you need to think about by switching to two pairs instead of a trio. Firstly, you need to be absolutely sure that two of your current three get on. Secondly, you will need to find a partner for your third boar who will get on with him and this is where it gets tricky. You can't just throw in a new boar as there is a good chance they won't get on. Ideally, you should take your current piggy boar dating so he can find a friend for himself, but if you cannot access a rescue this will be difficult.

You should also have at least one backup hutch/cage in preparation for any fallout that may occur. Even if your boars seem happy at first, things may not stay that way.

As much as I know you don't want to do this, my recommendation would be the same as others have already suggested. Rehome one of the boars and continue to give the remaining pair a happy home. :)
 
i have thought it all through, my parents know perfectly well that i am prepared to do anything for my pigs. two of my pigs are completely inseperable and wont do anything without each other. the other is always left out a little and is the one who is bullied. however this never gets him down and he adores his brothers, always wanting to be with them, chatting away and calling for them at playtime. when scruffy and brandi go off together pepper will always watch them disappear a little sadly but gets really upset if we have so separate him for something.
of course i will go boar dating, i am inexperienced in bonding and i now that it is stupid and irresponsible just to bring home a boar and expect them to be best friends. it is totally necessary for them to be bonded under expert supervision to help ensure that issues between them do not arise in the future. i am happy to travel certain distance, within reason of course as i know travelling can be fairly stressful for them, in order to find the right rescue who can offer the best bonding experience for pepper and so we will hopefully be able to return home with a new companion and provide our pigs with a better life. if this doesnt work out and the newly bonded pigs have a bad falling out, then we will return him to the rescue.
another option i have thought about (however it would only be a last resort) would be that if we were unable to find a suitable companion for pepper, we could get him neutered and bond him with a female. however i know that not only would this risky operation be costly but could also be extremely dangerous and have a bad effect on our pigs health. so this is possible but would only happen if we found it absoulutely impossible to pair him with another male.
and finally, if all else fails then i will consider giving pepper up for adoption however there are so many other possible solutions that we could attempt before hand.
please dont forget that pepper is a very happy pig at the moment, rarely a day passes where he doesnt popcorn or get excited over something. we all love him very much and only want whats best for him. i do not want to distress him too much by taking him away from his brothers or anything. please do not think i am irresponsible or uncapable of looking after my piggies as i know that so far i have provided them with a good and happy life.
 
Please don't think I'm saying you're irresponsible, I'm sure you're not (in fact, posting for advice here clearly shows you care a great deal about your piggies). I just wanted to say that, as a parent myself, if my kids convince me that they will always put the animal first, then I would have no problems letting them add another. If your parents believe that to be the case with you, then you've already won half the battle. :)
 
Hiya

I have skim read the replies you have had so if someone has already mentioned this then I do apologise. Would having three of everything help? I have a neutered boar with two sows, and they have three of everything, especially houses to sleep in. I sometimes find one in each house when I go to put them in their run so I think as much as they enjoy the company they like to be alone sometimes too. Three food bowls and drinks bottles and various toys spread about will stop one from guarding all the available water/food etc.... I hope this helps and that your parents will allow you to get another friend for the third piggie. Can you get a part time job or do housework for pocket money to show that you are responsible and will pay for your piggies? Or write them a letter outlining why it would be better to split into two pairs with the info you have learnt here and how you will put the time and effort to continue caring for them? If it's in a letter they can't argue with you, you can get your point accross and they can re read what you have said. Good luck.
 
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