How long in run and poo question

Jemima

Jemima

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello!

I just wondered, how long d you leave your piggies outside at the moment, Spring time here in the UK? Yesterday it got to about 16 degrees in the sun, and my boys were out from about 11am to 6pm! Is that too long? I was checking on them regularly and moving the towels and umbrella shade so that the sunshine was never on their hides.

They had water in a bowl and a bottle. But I don't give them hay or extra food in this time, as I assume the grass would be their natural diet anyway?

Also, a question about the amount of poos in the garden on the lawn. I might do a pick up of some of these later, as I'm concerned that they could attract flies.

I'd love to know what all of you do for lawn/run time in this type of weather. In the summer I should imagine I'd just pop them out early morning and late evening.
 
Hiya!

Leaving your piggies out for that long is completely fine as long as they don't seem to upset about it!

Regarding the poo question, they may attract flies so you can move them further away from where they stay but mainly we use them as a great lawn fertiliser ;)

Hope this helps :D
 
I’d probably offer a bit of hay as well. Mine like to alternate between grass and hay. Be careful they ease their tummies into eating a lot of grass.
 
I have never picked up the poos from lawn time. They never seemed to attract flies either though.

Had you been building their tummies up for fresh grass before you put them out?
 
That amount of time on grass is fine provided they have been eased up to it slowly - adding 15-30 mins at a time.

Mine, after a few weeks of building it up and it being warm enough, will be on the lawn from 8-9am until 9pm. When it is very hot, they will be out early morning and late evening - once it’s cool enough.

I always provide them with a big pile of hay when they are in the run - mine will always eat both the grass and the hay. The hay will help ensure there is a balance so the grass isn’t too much for them - spring grass is very rich.

I just go round and pick the majority of the poops up. I never manage to get them all though.
 
Ohh I’ll have to start poo picking as well.
 
I pick poop up (piggy and bunny poop - bunny is easier given they are litter trained) so my kids aren’t treading it back into the house as they tend to run in taking their shoes off on the way rather than take them off at the door, ‘at the door kids!‘. I then throw poops on my flowerbeds!
 
Siikibam said:
I have never picked up the poos from lawn time. They never seemed to attract flies either though.

Had you been building their tummies up for fresh grass before you put them out?
Click to expand...

I certainly had. 🥰
 
Piggies&buns said:
That amount of time on grass is fine provided they have been eased up to it slowly - adding 15-30 mins at a time.

Mine, after a few weeks of building it up and it being warm enough, will be on the lawn from 8-9am until 9pm. When it is very hot, they will be out early morning and late evening - once it’s cool enough.

I always provide them with a big pile of hay when they are in the run - mine will always eat both the grass and the hay. The hay will help ensure there is a balance so the grass isn’t too much for them - spring grass is very rich.

I just go round and pick the majority of the poops up. I never manage to get them all though.
Click to expand...

Yes I have built it up. They started by just going out for 30 mins and then an hour, then a couple of hours, then four or so hours. Then the first time they were out that long was the other day.

I will provide a box with hay in as well - thank you for the tip.
 
I don't poo pick, but after a long grass session if I notice quite a lot of poo I tend to rake them around to spread them out a bit and quickly hose the whole area down to stop any concentrated urine patches attracting flies and killing the lawn.
 
ive 17 piggies i do not poo pick ! i have a new lawn laid in last two weeks ,i use a watering can to water the lawn in the evening.i would be there all day if i attempted to poo pick the lawn! I do leave a box of hay for them.i think you need to be aware of the temperatures mostly,if it is above 77 degrees i bring them inside until the temps drop,usually early evening and let them out on the lawn again.Guinea pigs can be prone to heat stroke if the run is in he midday sun in the summer.
 
I have a very small, shady garden and 2 feisty pairs that have to be kept separate. Currently they go out for 2 to 3 hours and I put a fleece pad*/heat pad under some of the hideys so they can choose where to sit as the shady grass always feels cool to the touch. They are still choosing the fleece based hidey... long-haired Louise always goes for the heat pad which surprised me at first but I guess her type of hair just isn't very insulating...? Or she just likes it toasty warm! I don't poop pick - the poop dries pretty fast - once it's in the grass it's not a problem. Sometimes we spice things up by swapping sides so each pair is in the other 'territory' which really livens everyone up and there's lots of sniffing around! Never had a problem with pee marking the grass - no yellow patches etc. It doesn't get trodden into the house as 'persons' are not allowed on my tiny piggie-lawn! I re-turf every couple of years because the combination of shade and poor drainage means grass doesn't thrive here. Local conditions can really make a difference.

*The fleece pads are actually just used ones from the indoor cage - I peg these on the line until there's enough for the piggy wash so they don't make the house smell of pee, but they dry out so fast they're dead handy to use for this!
 
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