Dog kennel/run for guises pigs

[Straw]

I currently have two sets of guinea pigs and am thinking about housing them as a herd. I would like some sort of cage that I could walk into to sit with the GP. I’ve seen a few chicken sheds that may be suitable but was also thinking about a dog kennel/run like the link below:

Berkshire Dog Kennel & Run

Am I missing any pitfalls with this idea?

 

[Piggies&buns]

How many piggies do you have?
What size of kennel/run you were looking at - presumably you would lock them in the shed part at night for safety? If so, the bedroom part Looks to be It’s 126 x 106 which works out to 14 square feet (two sows need 10 square feet with two square feet being added per additional piggy, so the bedroom part of the kennel/run would be big enough for four sows)

What sexes and ages of the piggies involved? If they are all sows then bonding as a herd is a possibility in theory but as it all comes down to character compatibility as well as the fact older sows are generally less accepting of change so a herd may not be able to happen. You would want to look into bonding them first.
Equally if there is more than one boar (neutered) involved then they would not be able to live together at all in any event.

The mesh size on the run looks to be rather large. You would need much the holes in the mesh to be much smaller to stop predators getting in. Foxes for example, can get their teeth in large holes mesh and rip it off. Rats would also be able to get in holes that size incredibly easily

 

[Free Ranger]

I have two pairs. I got a pair of females as company for my boar and one hates him and fights him so they have to be neighbours and he has a new female companion. So step one is can everyone actually live together in harmony and I would personally try and find that out before you invest!
Also if there are two or more boars in the mix it is unlikely to work out if you are trying to make a mixed herd with sows.

Apart from that I can see where you're going but check the sizes of the wire holes and gaps under doors etc as the kennel was designed for much bigger beasties. I like to sit with mine but they are indoor ones so I don't have to worry about a low roof! Would rats or mice be able to get in if the wire holes are big? I'll leave that for someone who actually houses outdoors to answer.

 

[Siikibam]

As above, you wouldn’t be able to let them into the run part during colder times. You would also have to consider what to do with the base. I’m assuming (though I could be wrong) that the run part doesn’t have a floor. Would you be placing it on concrete or grass? I’d consider getting a separate run for grass time (if that’s in the plans).

 

[Straw]

Thanks, I have 3 x sows and 1 x neutered boar together and then 2 x boars together. Sounds like there would be no point in getting the pair neutered to try and create a herd. I still like the idea of a herd so may keep looking at options for my 3 x sows and neutered boar with the potential to add more baby sows over future years. Good shout on the mess size, I will keep looking at options because I am not in a rush.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thanks, I have 3 x sows and 1 x neutered boar together and then 2 x boars together. Sounds like there would be no point in getting the pair neutered to try and create a herd. I still like the idea of a herd so may keep looking at options for my 3 x sows and neutered boar with the potential to add more baby sows over future years. Good shout on the mess size, I will keep looking at options because I am not in a rush.

No, you wouldn’t be able to create a herd from all your piggies. The two boars together need to be kept as a separate pair at all times. Trying to keep more than one boar with sows would cause the boars to fight with each other and break the whole thing up.

So, the bedroom part of this would be big enough for the four of them (three sows/neutered boar) to live in but it would need some modifications to make it piggy friendly.

Do your piggies already live outside?
You would also need to think about how to insulate and keep it warm enough. Mine live in a hutch in my shed (with access to the shed floor to play) and keeping a smaller space warm is obviously much easier than keeping an entire shed warm if you don’t have electric/the ability to heat it.

You would need to re-mesh the whole thing with ideally 1cm hole mesh (foxes can’t so easily get their teeth into holes of that size)

Are your boar pair in the same room as your sow/boar herd? Ie are the boar pair used to the smell of the sows and not affected by it? I'm just wondering if there is a another option of just getting a normal shed and dividing that up appropriately and then having separate runs?