Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
There is no way to solve the ant problem unfortunately.
Also no pee free grass, so will have to grow my own.
Engel's Herd
- Thread starter Engel
- Start date
Also no pee free grass, so will have to grow my own.
Bill & Ted
Forum Buddy
Do the ants actually cause problems for the piggies. We have a very active ant lawn in summer, I wouldn’t dare lay on it for long but it has never effected the piggies in any way. I think their fur stops any ant getting anywhere near their skin and mine have never had a problem and they spend a great deal of time out in the run. Section some off for the piggies if you can and don’t worry too much about ants, I should think the piggies will never notice them
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
I can lie on the lawn for hours without being bit but they're definitely there.
I was looking at this run
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KQ8DJYK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_XFWG79EN27JNVQBYW2RN
This should be ok for them right?
When I put them out into the run, can the boys go into the same run that the girls were in or should I look into getting a seperate one specifically for them?
If they (sows and boars) are in their own runs, what distance should I put between them?
Yes the run is fine.
If it were me, (and if you’ve got the space) I would make sure I had a run for each pair. That way they can both be out at the same time. As Ive said before, my biggest issue with their shed dwelling is the heat in summer (not the cold in winter) and i often have to have mine out of the shed by 9am on a summer day otherwise it’s just too hot. You would want them to be as far apart as possible or at least have their visibility between the two runs blocked.
If it were me, (and if you’ve got the space) I would make sure I had a run for each pair. That way they can both be out at the same time. As Ive said before, my biggest issue with their shed dwelling is the heat in summer (not the cold in winter) and i often have to have mine out of the shed by 9am on a summer day otherwise it’s just too hot. You would want them to be as far apart as possible or at least have their visibility between the two runs blocked.
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
Ok. I have got to be careful because of my one dog (prey drive. We are working on it though and she's made a great progress. Never to be left with them unsupervised obviously).
They ok on the lawn during the hottest house providing I make enough shade and give frozen bottles (wrapped) to lie against? I'm using last year's temps as a guide as it got close to 40°c here and it was horrible.
Worse thing is my house wasnt any cooler than outside :/
I've got stuff to make a second door out of mesh so I can have the door open at night without the worry of predators getting in.
I'm also meshing the shed to prevent mice getting in. Will mice purposely get into a shed for hay?
When it got very hot here - we also got to around 37 degrees last summer - It was too hot for them to even be on the lawn (a hot breeze in the shade is just as bad for them) so they had to come in the house for two weeks only going on the lawn early morning and late evening before coming back indoors at night - the shed was definitely too hot during the day and as it was trapping heat (their current shed is a summer house so has double doors) even with both those open, i couldn’t get it below 35 degrees at night, so they couldn’t go back in the shed at night either. Any more than about 25 degrees and it’s too hot out. I kept my house cool by opening the opposite windows to the sun (the back is west facing) and by putting wet sheets against the windows (thanks to Wiebke for that advice - it worked brilliantly).
I'm not sure if mice will come purposefully for hay
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
We had thick curtains drawn and windows open on opposite side of house too. Fans going it was horrendous
My room, where they're currently kept, is right above the kitchen so can be easily 25 degrees now :/ I keep my window open but worry about the night air as it drops.
The patio is in shade from 11-12 onwards so that stays cooler than inside if I'm honest so during any really hot days I could put them on there with a fleece blanket and the other 2 can go round the corner.
I've got insulation for the shed so that may help? Thinking of draping towels over the door and window to help keep it cooler.
Out on the patio was definitely cooler during the heatwave both my family and I often found ourselves there at 1-3am trying to cool down so could put the hutch there if it becomes too hot in the shed?
That’s sounds like a good plan. Have I remembered rightly that you are planning on using the silver foil insulation? I believe it said keeps cool in summer and warm in winter, but I have my doubts about the cool in summer part. All you can do is see what happens and have a plan in mind. We may have a cooler summer this year....!
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
Yes thats the stuff! Yeh not sure about keep cool but maybe keep a little cooler? We'll soon find out. I'll add a post to the shed thread as well as add a review thing here.
I was thinking, you know you put blankets over hides to keep heat in during winter? Could you put a damp towel over hides to keep them cool?
List of ways to keep pigs cool is there any others that you would add/think of?
- shade
- frozen bottle wrapped
- ceramic tile to lie on
- refresh water regularly to keep it cooler
- rather than feed more veg, split the current portion so feed it at different times of day as a cool snack
- damp towel over hides(?)
- shallow dish with water in. Put veggies in for them to get. Cool water on feet (from walking through it on their own accord) to help keep them cool as they lose heat through feet (?)
Yes, I hang damp fleece blankets over the side of their spare indoor C&c and then the fan in the room cools the air around the cage. The same would work over hides as long as the blankets weren’t dripping.
they lose heat through their ears
I pop ice packs under fleece just in front of their hides - so don’t have to lay on the ice pack while in the hide but it still cools the hide area
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
I read that they also lose it through their feet too as there's no/little hair? Just thinking of enrichment too. Should be ok for them though? It won't be deep, maybe enough to just cover their toes?
I'll bare that in mind
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
Siikibam
Forum Donator 2022/23
The problem is that hide. They won’t necessarily want to be together and you don’t want it causing issues, especially with the one opening.
I’d get something else and just pop in some boxes for hides.
I’d get something else and just pop in some boxes for hides.
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
Yeh true. C&c grid run? No different to a c&c cage really.
I understand your concerns re grass and dog pee. As i don't know how long you need to wait for grass to be safe once peed on I'll grow my own and have the run on the patio until I have a better idea how to make the lawn safe
No from me to a C&c run outside, they aren’t secure enough for outside so you really do need a good solid, wood and mesh run for outdoor use
Bill & Ted
Forum Buddy
My son had one of these, although I think it may have been a cheaper model but the base of the bedroom was not raised above the ground and sat on the grass as such. It was always damp and within no time started to rot.
I have a run similar the the Bunny Business one and have a little bunny box for them to go inside and a waterproof uva sun canopy that fits over the run too. It cost about £27 delivered
Bill & Ted
Forum Buddy
Meant to say the Bunny Box is on legs so the base stays lovely and dry, Bill and Ted loved snuggling in the box and is it really well made and no rot at all after at least three years. We give it a coat of shed paint each year and it‘s like new.
If you can lay on the lawn then I definitely would not worry about ants, piggies have thick hair and leathery feet and not bothered by ants at all x
If you can lay on the lawn then I definitely would not worry about ants, piggies have thick hair and leathery feet and not bothered by ants at all x
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
Ah ok. What run do you use?
The guineas currently have a 4ftx4ft wooden and mesh one like the one you posted last night from Amazon (and like the square one in Betsy’s picture). I’m not a fan of the apex runs because it’s useful to be able to get into the run at times and the apex ones dont allow for that
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
I've seen the bunny house online so know what you mean
oh ok. Just got to figure out the dog pee situation now. Can I ask, what makes dog pee toxic to pigs?
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
That's fair enough.
Regarding placement of runs, there's not many places for them to go on the lawn. Is it possible to have them almost side by side with something blocking their view and something weighing the run down so they can't get out?
That should be ok provided their sight lines are blocked and that smells are quite so easily transferable. It is of course our advice to always keep boars and sows separate or in stacked cages due to the pheromones but its also the advice that if that isn’t possible then using a divider which is higher and wider than the cages is the next best thing.
Bill & Ted
Forum Buddy
I should imagine it’s a combination of urea and bacteria. If you can fence a patch off for the piggies that would be best.I've seen the bunny house online so know what you mean
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
Only reason I ask is urine is technically sterile.
There's a patch which I don't think has been toileted on since beginning of January. (Was my bichons spot but he's passed).
I was thinking of getting the runs and placing them to stop dogs getting to those areas. We're due lots of rain so that'll help wash away anything. So between now and June that should be plenty of time to make the areas safe?
This is a good idea - section it off now, mow it a few times and it should be fine for when it’s warm enough for them to be in the run
Bill & Ted
Forum Buddy
That should be good as long as your doggies don’t “ their legs”
Urine is a funny one, it should be sterile, but once outside the body not so. They did use it to bathe wounds in the First World War but I suppose they didn’t have the anti-septics we have today and I think they boiled it first to make it sterile
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
Yeh true.
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
Ok I don't know how I'm going to do this. Pebbles got into the pig room. There's no way it'd be safe for the pigs to be out on the lawn. 
I have a fenced off area (veggie patch) where the hutch can go if it's too warm in the shed. I have bought bamboo trays and grass seeds to grow so it's 100% safe and won't have to worry about them chewing plastic pots. I will get a run so they can stretch their legs but they won't be able to be in it all day
I have a fenced off area (veggie patch) where the hutch can go if it's too warm in the shed. I have bought bamboo trays and grass seeds to grow so it's 100% safe and won't have to worry about them chewing plastic pots. I will get a run so they can stretch their legs but they won't be able to be in it all day
Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
Piggy Weights
Jupi and Eris are roughly 7 months old now.
Mia and Po are 14 weeks, the same age Eris was when she gave birth. I know Mia is probably bigger than what Eris was at this age as all her nutrients are going towards her growth and development rather than babies, but I didn't realise how small she was. I look at Mia and I can't. She's too small, just how did Eris manage it? Mind boggling!
I've been giving Eris a bit extra pellets these past few weeks as she was still really thin and couldn't maintain her weight. She is a really active pig too which doesn't help. But now she's able to hold her own and has even gained a little.
Eris - 939g
Jupi - 862g
Mia - 732g
Po - 691g
Jupi and Eris are roughly 7 months old now.
Mia and Po are 14 weeks, the same age Eris was when she gave birth. I know Mia is probably bigger than what Eris was at this age as all her nutrients are going towards her growth and development rather than babies, but I didn't realise how small she was. I look at Mia and I can't. She's too small, just how did Eris manage it? Mind boggling!
I've been giving Eris a bit extra pellets these past few weeks as she was still really thin and couldn't maintain her weight. She is a really active pig too which doesn't help. But now she's able to hold her own and has even gained a little.
Eris - 939g
Jupi - 862g
Mia - 732g
Po - 691g