colder than 15 degrees in the day?

piggiemummy03x

piggiemummy03x

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morning all! me again! can only apologise for the amount i post in this group, if its getting too much please let me know! i just want whats best for my babies!

so i know 15 degrees is the minimum temperature a guinea should be in, so what should i do in the day when the temperature is below 15? i’ve got a thermal cover which covers the hutch bit and downstairs back end of the run, this obviously has little flappy doors that can be zipped down to make sure it hugs the top of the hutch, duvet goes on the bottom half of the run from about 8pm when it starts getting cold and dark, so i’ve still got the front bit of the run uncovered. i obviously don’t want them in the dark all day, but i also don’t want them to be cold! i’ve read a plastic sheeting can be put over them but i’m worried about them being able to breathe? what temperature should i be worried at in the day, is it anything below 15 or is there a bit of leway? for example, today, the temperature ranges from 11 degrees - 14 (up till 8pm) should i maybe just keep the shed door shut so they don’t get cold or will they be okay? thanks!
 
Please don’t worry. During this time of year it is less of a concern.
Piggies are most comfortable between 18 and 22 degrees. 15 is the lowest and after that there they can get chilly but as long as you provide plenty of hay in the cage, and they’ve always got hides to go into if they want to snuggle up.

If it is a very chilly day but at this time of year then I keep my shed door shut but I don’t keep the hutch covers down. If they want to come into the shed and run about then they do. Otherwise, I will still keep the top mesh door on so there is ventilation.
Mid winter my boys are still given access to their shed. I don’t always have the hutch covers down during the day but it depends, if it is exceptionally cold (ie below 10 in the shed - which almost never happens in my shed) then they will be kept shut in with covers down. but as they are out of draught and if it is too chilly for them to want to run, then they just don’t and they stay in their beds.

As your shed doesn’t seem to have windows, I would keep the door ajar so it ventilates and lets some light in.

As long as there is some gaps for air exchange, then plastic sheeting is fine. Obviously don’t wrap it all the way round the run tightly
 
Piggies&buns said:
Please don’t worry. During this time of year it is less of a concern.
Piggies are most comfortable between 18 and 22 degrees. 15 is the lowest and after that there they can get chilly but as long as you provide plenty of hay in the cage, and they’ve always got hides to go into if they want to snuggle up.

If it is a very chilly day but at this time of year then I keep my shed door shut but I don’t keep the hutch covers down. If they want to come into the shed and run about then they do. Otherwise, I will still keep the top mesh door on so there is ventilation.
Mid winter my boys are still given access to their shed. I don’t always have the hutch covers down during the day but it depends, if it is exceptionally cold (ie below 10 in the shed - which almost never happens in my shed) then they will be kept shut in with covers down. but as they are out of draught and if it is too chilly for them to want to run, then they just don’t and they stay in their beds.

As your shed doesn’t seem to have windows, I would keep the door ajar so it ventilates and lets some light in.

As long as there is some gaps for air exchange, then plastic sheeting is fine. Obviously don’t wrap it all the way round the run tightly
Click to expand...


that’s brilliant thankyou so much! it has one window with mesh to stop birds from getting in, it also has mesh at the top to help ventilation and light. okay ill definitely get some of this sheeting then!
 
Piggies&buns said:
Please don’t worry. During this time of year it is less of a concern.
Piggies are most comfortable between 18 and 22 degrees. 15 is the lowest and after that there they can get chilly but as long as you provide plenty of hay in the cage, and they’ve always got hides to go into if they want to snuggle up.

If it is a very chilly day but at this time of year then I keep my shed door shut but I don’t keep the hutch covers down. If they want to come into the shed and run about then they do. Otherwise, I will still keep the top mesh door on so there is ventilation.
Mid winter my boys are still given access to their shed. I don’t always have the hutch covers down during the day but it depends, if it is exceptionally cold (ie below 10 in the shed - which almost never happens in my shed) then they will be kept shut in with covers down. but as they are out of draught and if it is too chilly for them to want to run, then they just don’t and they stay in their beds.

As your shed doesn’t seem to have windows, I would keep the door ajar so it ventilates and lets some light in.

As long as there is some gaps for air exchange, then plastic sheeting is fine. Obviously don’t wrap it all the way round the run tightly
Click to expand...

i would love too see your set up by the way if you didn’t mind!
 
Don’t forget also that you need to keep an eye on what actually happens temperature wise in the shed. It may be 11-14 outside but it may be warmer than that inside. My shed generally runs 5-10 degrees warmer so I can roughly calculate that at a 14 degree cloudy days they would definitely still be warm enough but on a sunny 14 degree day I’d be needing to get doors open to keep it around 20.
 
The inside pic is one which is coming up to a year old now (it was before the outside was painted by the looks of it!) and was taken mid summer so most of their hides are out in their lawn run with the piggies at the time the pic was taken. It isn’t exactly the same now but it gives you an idea.
It’s an 8x6 ft shed with a 6ft hutch inside, so they have access to a 6x6 area.
There is a shelf above the hutch.
The hutch door is left open 24/7 from around April until about October and they come and go as they please.
The top level of the hutch isn’t used during the warmer months (ramp hatch gets shut and the ramp removed). The bottom level of the hutch is fully hay (and there are also two hides in there).
The play area in front of the hutch has a layer of hay over the bedding also, and as I say when the piggies are in there, there are about six hides in total which I move between home and run.
 

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Piggies&buns said:
Don’t forget also that you need to keep an eye on what actually happens temperature wise in the shed. It may be 11-14 outside but it may be warmer than that inside. My shed generally runs 5-10 degrees warmer so I can roughly calculate that at a 14 degree cloudy days they would definitely still be warm enough but on a sunny 14 degree day I’d be needing to get doors open to keep it around 20.
Click to expand...
Piggies&buns said:
Don’t forget also that you need to keep an eye on what actually happens temperature wise in the shed. It may be 11-14 outside but it may be warmer than that inside. My shed generally runs 5-10 degrees warmer so I can roughly calculate that at a 14 degree cloudy days they would definitely still be warm enough but on a sunny 14 degree day I’d be needing to get doors open to keep it around 20.
Click to expand...

i need to get another thermometer as don’t know if mine is correct! currently says 14 degrees inside, with my weather app saying its 12 out. its not insulated in here, more a shelter from rain and protection from foxes, i was too worried about it getting too hot in summer to insulate it.
 
It may possibly get too hot whether it is insulated or not - my old shed wasn’t insulated and got hot. insulation can potentially keep it cooler. This new shed is but I don’t see a huge amount of evidence of that with mine, but it may be the positioning of my shed which makes things worse
 
Piggies&buns said:
Don’t forget also that you need to keep an eye on what actually happens temperature wise in the shed. It may be 11-14 outside but it may be warmer than that inside. My shed generally runs 5-10 degrees warmer so I can roughly calculate that at a 14 degree cloudy days they would definitely still be warm enough but on a sunny 14 degree day I’d be needing to get doors open to keep it around 20.
Click to expand...

i need to get another thermometer as don’t know if mine is correct! currently says 14 degrees inside, with my weather app saying its 12 out. its not insulated in here, more a shelter from rain and protection from foxes, i was too worried about it getting too hot in summer to insulate it.
 
Piggies&buns said:
The inside pic is one which is coming up to a year old now (it was before the outside was painted by the looks of it!) and was taken mid summer so most of their hides are out in their lawn run with the piggies at the time the pic was taken. It isn’t exactly the same now but it gives you an idea.
It’s an 8x6 ft shed with a 6ft hutch inside, so they have access to a 6x6 area.
There is a shelf above the hutch.
The hutch door is left open 24/7 from around April until about October and they come and go as they please.
The top level of the hutch isn’t used during the warmer months (ramp hatch gets shut and the ramp removed). The bottom level of the hutch is fully hay (and there are also two hides in there).
The play area in front of the hutch has a layer of hay over the bedding also, and as I say when the piggies are in there, there are about six hides in total which I move between home and run.
Click to expand...

wow love it! the doors are a brilliant idea! i love the have access to the run too!
 
Piggies&buns said:
It may possibly get too hot whether it is insulated or not - my old shed wasn’t insulated and got hot. insulation can potentially keep it cooler. This new shed is but I don’t see a huge amount of evidence of that with mine, but it may be the positioning of my shed which makes things worse
Click to expand...

i see! will definitely keep an eye on it and look into insulation then! here is the mesh parts of the shed, as you can see theres a strip at the top and then the window.
 

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piggiemummy03x said:
i need to get another thermometer as don’t know if mine is correct! currently says 14 degrees inside, with my weather app saying its 12 out. its not insulated in here, more a shelter from rain and protection from foxes, i was too worried about it getting too hot in summer to insulate it.
Click to expand...
Insulation helps keep the heat in in the winter but helps keep the heat out in the summer so worthwhile doing.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Please don’t worry. During this time of year it is less of a concern.
Piggies are most comfortable between 18 and 22 degrees. 15 is the lowest and after that there they can get chilly but as long as you provide plenty of hay in the cage, and they’ve always got hides to go into if they want to snuggle up.

If it is a very chilly day but at this time of year then I keep my shed door shut but I don’t keep the hutch covers down. If they want to come into the shed and run about then they do. Otherwise, I will still keep the top mesh door on so there is ventilation.
Mid winter my boys are still given access to their shed. I don’t always have the hutch covers down during the day but it depends, if it is exceptionally cold (ie below 10 in the shed - which almost never happens in my shed) then they will be kept shut in with covers down. but as they are out of draught and if it is too chilly for them to want to run, then they just don’t and they stay in their beds.

As your shed doesn’t seem to have windows, I would keep the door ajar so it ventilates and lets some light in.

As long as there is some gaps for air exchange, then plastic sheeting is fine. Obviously don’t wrap it all the way round the run tightly
Click to expand...


sorry i would just like to ask, by plastic sheeting do you mean like a plastic dust sheet? does it have to be a certain thickness? should it be a heavy duty one?
 
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