Anyone Have A Guinea Pig Shed?

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acg

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I'm thinking of turning a garden shed into a Guinea Pig House for my 2 male guineas as I intend for them to live outside year round and the thought of doing this while having them only in a hutch doesn't seem very fair to them. During the summer months I will have a run in the garden so they can be out lots but in winter, they would have their shed which would be a run as well so that they still have loads of room to run around.

I know there are others who have also converted their sheds to accommodate guinea pigs and I just wondered how you would go about this? We have a shed already which we could clear out and do up but my only concern is that there is not a lot of light getting through the one window. Also, have others insulated the shed? Would this just be a case of using shed insulation and putting plywood over this? Would this make a big difference in the colder months?

Any advice would be much appreciated! :)
 
My shed has lighting and heating fitted so when its dark and blowing a gale, they stay warm and dry.
 
I have a guinea pig shed too
It's a free range pen with a ramp and second tier

My OH designed and created it for the piggies :)

He used polystyrene boards for insulation plus it's amazing how much heat five piggies can generate!
OH used ODV boards and also for easy cleaning lino on the floor and walls

I've just changed the pen up for the spring/summer/early autumn so I'll post some pictures

We also use hay for bedding and care fresh for the corridor, bedroom area and pee areas.
 
Some pics would be great Jess, do you keep the pigs out all year? Sorry to be clueless but what are ODV boards?

At the moment I'm finding my feet as I'm new to keeping guinea pigs and I'm finding the bedding etc a bit of a nightmare! I suppose it's just a case of finding bedding which suits you best. At the moment I've lined the base of the hutch with newspaper, added a thin layer of woodshavings, some care fresh in their bed area and some Hay in the bed area, then at the other side I've got their food and hay rack. Carefresh would be pretty expensive to use all the time but I think I may be allergic to the wood shavings as I'm sneezing and itching every time I change them.
 
http://www.jewson.co.uk/timber/sheet-materials/osb/
Apparently it's something completely different but I heard otherwise :P

Our piggies are in the shed all year around - we let them roam the garden in the warmer seasons. I can agree that care fresh is expensive but it's easier to clean up and doesn't stick to the Lino but there are other options like vetbed and fleece.

Have a look in the housing and enrichment it'll get you some ideas

I'll take photos tomorrow and post them in a thread for you :) there are other members who have shed homes for their piggies.
 
I like Carefresh as well but its far to pricy especially with my 5 girls. For an alternative to woodshavings (which are not great for piggies anyway) you could try Megazorb or Fitch bedding. There is a localish supplier of Megazorb (technically a horse bedding) near Edinburgh but I would suggest getting it online.
Also hi I'm in Edinburgh too :yahoo:
 
My piggy shed has power connected so it has lighting and heating and a dehumidifier. I insulated the walls and ceiling with kingspan which is high quality polystyrene insulation boards, they are very easy to saw to size. The ceiling then has plywood and the sides tongue and groove. Insulation makes a big difference to keeping the warmth in during winter and also stops the walls inside becoming cold which can result in condensation and damp. It also helps to stop the shed getting too hot in summer, which is in many ways more important as high temperatures become fatal for piggies very quickly.
 
Jess said:
I have a guinea pig shed too
It's a free range pen with a ramp and second tier

My OH designed and created it for the piggies :)

He used polystyrene boards for insulation plus it's amazing how much heat five piggies can generate!
OH used ODV boards and also for easy cleaning lino on the floor and walls

I've just changed the pen up for the spring/summer/early autumn so I'll post some pictures

We also use hay for bedding and care fresh for the corridor, bedroom area and pee areas.
Click to expand...
How do you keep it ventilated and cool for the summer?
 
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