A few questions I have

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Charlotte's Small Pets

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Hi, I'm looking to get guinea pigs soon. Just a few questions though.

I live with my parents and we don't have enough space in our house for guinea pigs. I think my parents had the idea of keeping them in a hutch but I'm not keen on that for various reasons. I would rather keep them in a shed. So I have a few questions on that.
- What size shed would you guys recommend for around 3 guinea pigs?
- If you have a shed, where did you get it from and what was the price? (I'm struggling to find decent sheds)
- How can I insulate the shed when it's cold? (We're not going to have radiators because I should imagine it would be expensive, so any other ways?)

I forgot to add that we are living in England, so sheds in the UK 😂

Some other questions I have..

What should I put on the shed floor? Fleece cage liners, with maybe towels underneath? But then where do I get fleece cage liners... All of the ones I've seen are quite expensive for what you get 😂
Maybe I should make some myself? What do you guys suggest?

I want the best for my future piggies, but we do have a cat (Another reason I wouldn't keep them in a hutch itself) Any tips on keeping piggies when you have cats?

And finally😂, is it worth getting a run for the piggies? If so, any suggestions on where to get one from and a good size? They would be supervised all the time in the run, in case any cats/other potential predators came. We do have a conservatory, so if I got an xpen they could have some floor time in there? (Once again they would be supervised at all times by me).


Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, I really appreciate it and look forward to hearing from anyone 🙂 Bye for now! 🙃
 
Well done on doing your research before jumping in.

With regards a shed, I don’t know which ones are good. Perhaps dad may be able to help there? You can insulate using the insulation bubble wrap stuff that’s available in diy shops.

You would need to put them in a hutch inside the shed. They wouldn’t be safe from predatorsere’s no way you’d be able to keep them warm in winter if they’re just living inside the shed. @Piggies&buns has her boys in a hutch inside a shed. They are closed inside the hutch at night in winter. She also covers the hutch with a thermal cover, blankets and a waterproof cover. You would need to stuff the hutch full of hay in winter. They would also need heat pads.

You can’t use fleece during winter (colder weather) as it wouldn’t dry. So you’d need some kind of disposable bedding. I use shavings. There’s also aubiose and other bedding.

You can use fleece in warmer weather. Puppy pads (washable or disposable) or something else absorbent with fleece on top. You don’t necessarily have to sew the layers together.

Boars can only be kept in pairs. They need a 6ft hutch. A 6ft hutch can also house three sows or a (neutered) boar and two sows. Beware Of trios as it can sometimes lead to an ‘outsider’ piggy.

You’re better off contacting rescues rather than getting them from a pet shop or breeder. They would be guaranteed to be healthy, not pregnant and well bonded. I think the majority are in pairs and not trios or larger.

Be aware they won’t allow you to adopt at the moment if you’re to house them outside. You’ll have to wait until it’s warmer at night (April time) before they can live outside. Get in touch with rescues before you start buying anything because some have requirements in terms of housing.

Another important thing to consider is vet funds. Guinea pigs aren’t cheap as they’re made out to be. Vet costs can mount up if they fall ill. And they can’t wait - they can go downhill very quickly (a matter of hours). So you must be sure that your parents (or you) have the money available and are willing to pay for them to be seen. This is actually one of their welfare rights. If you can’t provide that then I’m afraid they’re not for you.

A run is worth it. They can go on the grass (after acclimatisation) during the warmer days.

Chartwell is good for runs and hutches. And so is ryedale - they make they to your measurements.
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Yes I do keep my boys in a shed.
They have a 6ft x 2ft hutch in my 8ft x 6ft shed.

If you aren’t going to heat your shed, then a hutch is essential. You will never be able keep a whole shed warm enough in winter. Piggies need to be kept above 15 degrees.

As @Siikibam has said mine are locked in the hutch overnight during the winter. They free roam the shed during winter days if warm enough and then free roam the shed during day and night in summer (Until it gets too warm as I’ll go onto below)
I don’t have heating out there (no electricity out there) and it is very hard work to keep even their hutch warm enough in winter but with a lot of work I can do it safely. I spend an hour each winter day just heating heat pads for them.
Inside the hutch it is stuffed full with hay, they have four snugglesafes between the two piggies. Snugglesafes only provide a warm place for them so sit, it doesn’t heat the space a huge amount
Hutch covers - my hutch has a thermal cover, then two blankets, then another hutch cover and then a duvet over all of it. Their hutch is a double storey hutch but I don’t have the ramp in so the two levels are not joined. The top hutch is where they live and get locked in at night as it is easier to keep the single level warm in winter. The bottom level simply forms part of their playspace as they have free access between the bottom part of the hutch and shed.
This works well for the vast majority of the time to keep the hutch warm enough but the cold snap we have just had was too cold and I admitted defeat and brought them indoors.

It’s not just winter you’ve got to consider, it’s also heat in summer. Sheds and hutches trap heat so you need to prepare to bring them out. On a warm late spring day my shed can hit its temperature limit by 9am which means they have to come out and onto the lawn. I’m there to supervise so it’s not a problem, but on a day I have to go out, they come into the house as it’s not safe for them to be left in the shed but they also can’t be on the lawn unsupervised.
In the height of summer, they have to move indoors. They were in the house for two weeks last summer as it was hitting just over 40 degrees in the shed and not dropping even overnight. They then had their lawn time in the early mornings and late evenings as they couldnt go on the lawn due to it being too hot for them to even be out there.

The shed floor has a sheet of plastic on it. Then the normal bedding on top.

You won’t be able to use fleece outside in winter as it just won’t dry properly, particularly if you aren’t heating it. You’ll need disposable bedding for winter. I use fleece on my shed floor for summertime only. The hutch Is always bedded with aubiose or shavings which is then topped with hay.
I would also not recommend using towels at all. They don’t dry quickly enough and will allow moisture to seep bsck up and then the fleece will be wet. You’ll need something like puppy pads under a fleece blanket.

Yes they’ll need a run for some grass time in the summer. A pen in the conservatory is fine for summer.
You do need to be aware that outdoor living piggies cannot be brought indoors for playtime in the winter though and then be put back out.. The temperature fluctuation from cold outside to warm inside can make them poorly.

I'm actually placing my order for a new shed tomorrow (their current shed has seen better days). It’s going to be the same size as my current shed but its being purpose built (with a few adjustments such as I’m having stable doors and an internal mesh door put in) by a local company at a cost of £750 including installation.
 
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I just saw mention of rabbits on a thread you commented on. Rabbits need a lot of space, much more than guinea pigs. But they also can’t share the space with guinea pigs. They have diseases which, when passed on to guinea pigs can be fatal. So think about the space you have and how you’d arrange housing. And the vet fund as well.
 
I also keep rabbits. I have three rabbits and two piggies.

Rabbits need a lot of room - 10ft x 6ft enclosure for two rabbits.
As mentioned by siikibam, they need to be kept well apart and not share an air space so as to not spread diseases. Equipment including food bowls and nottles must not be shared between rabbits and piggies of come into contact with each other, hands need to be washed between handling and with the piggies being handled first.

Rabbits are just as expensive as piggies on vet fees but rabbits need annual vaccination - it’s a triple vaccine now rather than a double and a single which makes things a lot easier! They need to be neutered to calm their behaviour but also spaying Does is essential as they are at risk of uterine cancer if unspayed (neutering guinea pigs does not change their behaviour at all)
 
Siikibam said:
I just saw mention of rabbits on a thread you commented on. Rabbits need a lot of space, much more than guinea pigs. But they also can’t share the space with guinea pigs. They have diseases which, when passed on to guinea pigs can be fatal. So think about the space you have and how you’d arrange housing. And the vet fund as well.
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I really do agree! I'm willing to spend all my money 😂😂❤️
 
Charlotte's Small Pets said:
I really do agree! I'm willing to spend all my money 😂😂❤
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It’s not about spending all your money. It’s about having enough money to meet their needs, especially access to vet care. Are your parents willing to foot the bills (no matter the cost) if you don’t have the money available?
 
Siikibam said:
It’s not about spending all your money. It’s about having enough money to meet their needs, especially access to vet care. Are your parents willing to foot the bills (no matter the cost) if you don’t have the money available?
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I have had a conversation with them, and they said they're happy with that as long as I put the effort into caring for them.
 
It’s quite hard work looking after outside piggies and rabbits. You need to go out whether it’s snowing or too hot.
 
Nothing to add on the shed front apart from considering natural light. My indoor pigs get natural light and it regulates their body clocks, provides vitamin D etc etc. they love the sunshine (when it comes out these days!) Maybe a shed with a window of some sort..?
 
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