Heating the shed ?

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SineadMcC

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Hi I am new here and also new to Guinea Pigs so bear with me :)

I have bought 2 sows for my 2 year old son (I say they are his but obviously he isn't completley responsible for them lol)

We have barely had them a week and I am completley stressed out about them being too cold and can't sleep at night for worrying ! At the moment they are in a hutch outside against the house with a protective cover on. I know it is getting colder because our heating has come on the past few mornings and there has been condensation on the rain cover part of the hutch cover. They have plenty of hay and last night put a snugglesafe in but then 2 minutes later was stressed that they would be over heating (I am behaving just as when my son was born ! ) . Checked and they were both sitting on it so obviously needed it.

Anyway, we are having a shed delivered in the next week or so which is where they will live throughout the winter. The shed will be insulated and lino on the floor. I can't afford to have electricity in there so is there anyway of heating it relatively cheaply and safely?

I have NEVER been a pet person and cannot believe how attached I have gotten to them and worrying about them as much as I did when my own child was born ha !
 
If the shed is insulated thats a plus on its own. Will * be putting the hutch in there or allowing them to free range in the shed? If they are freeranging maybe leave the hutch in there for them to sleep in. Pile it with hay and woodshavings or fleece if your a fleece user. And if the shed has windows put insulated lined curtains up obviously short ones so piggys cannot reach and chew. This will prevent drafts. Theres not alot you can do really without having electric wired up to the shed. Oil radiators etc are dangerous if left unattended... So i would advise anything like that. Just keep giving them there snugglesafepad thing and plenty of bedding. Thats all you can do really. I'm sure they will be fine though if the sheds insulated. Have you not thought of keeping them as indoor piggys? It would save you alot of worry and alot less risky to.. I keep my male indoors in the ferplast 120 cage .. Xx
 
no chance of indoors as DP has hayfever and asthma and seems to be allergic to bloody everything lol. Also, if you know anything about toddlers they can be noisy creatures hehe and very likely to scare the guinea pigs with his careering about and playing chasing with his dad lol. Hopefully they will be ok just with the precautioos you mentioned then and no heating
 
I know you're not getting electricity in the shed, I find it invaluable, especially in the winter, come changing time, I go in, put the light on, turn the heater on, put my radio on and clean the hutches in comfort. ;)
 
I just worry about the amount of money it will cost and don't think I will be allowed :( But yes ideally that would be great xx
 
I have a greenhouse heater, they're very economical. It's not on all the time. It takes the chill off, I also have an oil filled radiator on thermostat. If it gets too warm, it knocks itself off. As the shed is well insulated, the heat stays for longer before kicking back in again. ;)
 
I noticed that the other lady had said not to recommend oil filled radiators but I do like the idea of a thermostat so that it knocks itself off when reaching a certain temperature and then we aren't using as much. I think that would give us peace of mind both that we weren't overspending and that the pigs were not too hot or too cold. I will need to think about the cost of putting electricity in there too... decisions decisions lol
 
My electricity supply is via a heavy duty extension lead plugged in the kitchen. I can isolate it immediately by turning the switch off and pulling the plug out. ;)
 
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