Guinea's First Winter

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Adder64

New Born Pup
Joined
Oct 30, 2015
Messages
2
Reaction score
1
Points
45
Hi Guys
We have three piggies that are soon to experience their first winter.I would like some advice on when or if I should move their hutch into the garage.
The garage has never been used for cars so there is no danger from fumes.
Obviously it will be warmer and dryer in the garage but I'm concerned about the limited daylight.
They are in a good quality hutch with a hutch hugger.Don't really know what to do for the best.
Would appreciate your advice.
Thanks
 
give them plenty of hay to snuggle into and or straw.
I know there is different views with using straw due to eye poke, but the way i see it is they can get eye pokes from hay.
The straw i get i put in a bag and scrung and bend it all so its more pliable as apposed to straight, and straw retains heat more then hay.
My lot are outside and we don't have garage or shed nor can we bring them indoors, so have got some heat reflecting blankets and stapled them to top of hutch inside both levels so they can't chew it and reflects what heat they give off back, they have plenty of fleece cosies to snuggle into and will put in boxes filled with hay and straw to snuggle into with their snuggle safe heat pads
 
Yeah I agree with eye pokes from hay also. You`d think straw is spawn of satan
how some people talk.
I also have proper outdoor guinea pigs I also use loads of hay as one of mine likes to sit in the lounge area of the hutch on his own. I also paid to have a decent cover for the hutch.
I too don't think you should put animals in a dark garage we wouldn't like it.
 
My piggies are in a garage with no daylight but I keep the door open and switch on a light. I find outside too dangerous as we have at least 10 foxes and cats that visit our garden. My piggies prefer the dark and they are warm and dry which is the most important thing.
 
The big debate on straw

I personally wouldn't use straw as the risk of pokes is too high and piggies could need their eye removed.
Hay pokes will not happen if you buy soft meadow hay.

....…


My piggies are in the pets@home rose cottage.

They have :
  1. Insulation on the roof and sides of the hutch
  2. Poundland emergency blanket to reflect heat.
  3. 2 snuggle safe heat pads
  4. Loads of hideys filled with hay and blankets over the top so piggies can jump on hidey and sleep on them
  5. Bubble wrap over doors to block out insulation.
  6. A warm garage ( with no cars! )
 
I too wonder about the light thing, luckily we have lights in our garage as its dark and driech up here at the movement and most of winter is yet to come.
 
Adder64 said:
Hi Guys
We have three piggies that are soon to experience their first winter.I would like some advice on when or if I should move their hutch into the garage.
The garage has never been used for cars so there is no danger from fumes.
Obviously it will be warmer and dryer in the garage but I'm concerned about the limited daylight.
They are in a good quality hutch with a hutch hugger.Don't really know what to do for the best.
Would appreciate your advice.
Thanks
Click to expand...
We've had ours in our garage for about 3 weeks now. It's so much warmer out of the wind it makes me happy knowing they're tucked up in all their hay! :) we keep the light on for them all day and turn it off at 'bedtime'. :)
 
I would think as long as you have a light on garage is the way to go! It gets so much colder in the wind, so I admit it must be nice to think of them all cosied up :) Our boy is a free range indoor pig, but we had two a long time ago who were outdoors all year round with tons of extra hay! You could always give them some daylight if you could put a playpen in the house every now and then :3
 
Mine love their snuggle safe so much that they tried to stop my mum taking it out of their hutch by having a sit on lol! They def love having it but to be honest with their cage snug and rain cover they are still toasty when I pick them up but I like them to have the extra through the night x
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top