Bringing indoors

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Afternoon all

I have 2 fairly young (4 mos) piggies. They are currently using a large outdoor (Trixie Natura) with a cover. The cover stops wind and drafts and they have plenty fleece and towels inside to keep warm and bury into.

When do I bring them indoors for the winter? They spend a lot of time having free run of the garden and the grass and if indoors they would get less exercise as I don't have time to take them out everyday into the garden.

Do I bring them in when the frosty mornings arrive or now?

I know the best solution is to bring them in at nights but in all honesty right now I don't have time to do this everyday so some days they would have to stay in their indoor hutch - They normally run the entire garden all day and I close the large run at night so still get exercise then

Any advice is appreciated x
 
Unfortunatly it isnt safe to leave them out in the cold then bring them into a heated house at night, as when you put them back in the cold they will get a huge body shock. Once they come inside they will only be able to go out on very warm days for short periods.

It is cold enough to bring them in right now, but you could also wait a little longer. Others will have more opinions on this.
 
Hi

I will be bringing mine in over the next few days (once their new home is built!) and generally it is recommended that piggies get moved into an outbuilding or brought indoors once the temperature starts to get below 10 degrees at night.

However with young guinea pigs you would probably be better off bringing them in as soon as you can but perhaps a more experienced owner can provide further guidance

x
 
Thanks everyone - I'm just concerned as their exercise rate will decrese, Ideally I'd like to keep them outside as long as possible - but not to their detriment obviously.
 
I think 10 degrees is a sensible mark. How big is the indoor cage?
 
Mine are still outside. I always cover up ect before 5. So they are all Cosy before temp drops.
 
Could you not build a C&C cage (this would be cheaper than getting a new cage) Because that cage does not meet RSPCA requirements for 2 piggies.

Or maybe invest in some more protection for the outdoor hutch and keep them there instead?
 
Hi

We use two of these for indoor play time http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/runs_fencing/pens_with_racks/14521

We can then section off areas of the lounge we don't want them going near (tv cables under the sofa etc) and they get the exercise they need.

I have a large piece of waterproof cloth (similar to oil cloth but only a couple of pounds a meter) which I put under the run so they don't slip on the wood floor and any pee doesn't run down the tiny gaps in the floor :)>>>) a layer of newspaper on the top and they can run around and explore.

I find it a nice way for my children to play with them too as they aren't keen on sitting still for long - the pigs and the kids :))
 
Kazz said:
Mine are still outside. I always cover up ect before 5. So they are all Cosy before temp drops.
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Thanks Kazz - The hutch has a really snug cover and I close their run door when I do the evening feed (approx 5pm). The rabbits spent all winter outside, but new to guineas and they are still babies and their first winter so worrying.
 
Ok so their travel cage is too small - I'll have a look and see what I can do. They can have free run of the conservatory with their run during my days off but worried about when I am at work.

They are going from having the whole garden to a fairy cooped up space :(
 
I think we all have the same problem in the winter for excersising out piggies. It is far too cold for pigs to go outside on the grass and the lawn is inedible during winter months. An indoor run is a suitable option x
 
Mine spend most of the winter in their hutch outside. They go in the shed if snow falls. But other than that are outside. Purely cause I have 10 guinea pigs and don't think it's fair to squash them in hutches when used to a 10ft sq run. Attached to 3 huge hutches. So I understand you don't want to yours in a smaller space. Common sense i think is the key to your guinea pigs care.
 
our 2 girls will be staying outside throughout winter, they bicker sometimes and are used to a large hutch so putting them into something small simply wouldnt work out for us. we have no outbuildings either. they usually have the run of 2 hutches joined together, each hutch measuring 7ft long x nearly 2ft wide, but since its cooled down over the past 2 weeks, they have been shut into one 7ft hutch so we can focus on insulating just the 1 hutch more. thats all we have been doing for the past week or so is insulating them as much as possible before it gets really cold. its these 2s first winter too, but they are around 9 months old so not as young as yours. ours have wooden nest boxes (chinchilla boxes from p@h) inside their enclosed bed area filled with wood shavings and hay, then the whole bed area is all filled with hay, then bubble wrap firmly attached to the inside of the lid of the hutch out of chew reach, with a hutch snuggle wrapped around and over the bed end, then a layer of lino on top of that. we have a piece of plastic cut to size which we can wedge into the wire front to keep the wind out, just leaving a gap for the water bottle to hang on the outside. the plastic comes off in the morning and goes on late afternoon before the temperature drops. ours also have a pair of snugglesafe heat pads microwaved every night and put in under their hay to keep them a bit warmer. we are probably going to get a big offcut of carpet to go over the entire hutch before winter really sets in too.
 
Brilliant the hutch has a thick felt cover and also a wind thick cover (even the water bottle is covered) and they have a wooden house and plenty fleecy blankets.

Think I'll take it day by day and see how they go. I'd rather keep them out if possible. They are still exploring the garden all day and only going into the hutch at night so I don't want to spoil that.

Fab idea on the warmers - I have loads of fleecy pads I can put in

I popped a thermometer inside the hutch bedding section and it is saying 18 degrees at the moment.

You guys rock with your ideas, you are all so lovely and helpful.
 
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