How Much Can Piggies Tolerate Temp Change

[Jojessgaz]

I was just wondering ... I have piggies outside who come into the utility for floor time. A lot of advise has been when it gets a lot colder you shouldn't bring them in to a warm house and back out again as they cannot tolerate the big change in temp. I was thinking of floor time still but with the utility door open a little and also my utility stays very cold in winter anyway compared to the rest of the house but can anyone advise how much of a fluctuation they are OK with? As even indoor piggies must feel a change through the night when the heating goes off . I have a thermometer in both the hutch and utility

 

[Guineapigfeet]

I know the advise on here is to not bring them in in winter but I'm not sure what the range would be - mine live outside too and the temp change from day to night can be quite large and no pig I've had has had a problem with it. Last winter (I got my current girls in January) they came inside at weekends and all coped fine. I did notice Chewie's ears go pink if she zoomed around too much too soon, so I stopped letting them on the floor straight away. My house is not very warm and the room they were in rarely went above 18 degrees

 

[Jojessgaz]

I know the advise on here is to not bring them in in winter but I'm not sure what the range would be - mine live outside too and the temp change from day to night can be quite large and no pig I've had has had a problem with it. Last winter (I got my current girls in January) they came inside at weekends and all coped fine. I did notice Chewie's ears go pink if she zoomed around too much too soon, so I stopped letting them on the floor straight away. My house is not very warm and the room they were in rarely went above 18 degrees

Thanks that helps a lot .. are your piggies in a shed then? I'm in panic mode every morning already and it's only September! ! Don't think I'm going to stand it when I see frost in the mornings. Mine are just in a hutch. .. can't fit a shed anywhere and am just about to put over them a portable plastic greenhouse so I can put a duvet or blanket over their hutch and it not get wet when the temp drops a bit more. I've tried to make the bed area all warm and cosy but they never seem to be in it... though you never know with outdoor piggies half the time what they are up to. I so wish we could bring them into the spare room but hubby just won't budge

 

[sport_billy]

I wouldn't keep bringing them in and out. If you are bringing them in for the winter then that is fine

Insulating the hutch for winter if you cant have them in is the way to go

Lee

 

[Jojessgaz]

I wouldn't keep bringing them in and out. If you are bringing them in for the winter then that is fine

Insulating the hutch for winter if you cant have them in is the way to go

Lee

How's best to give them exercise... or do they not do much in winter? Thx

 

[Guineapigfeet]

Yes, mine are 'loose' in a shed which is partially insulated and I'm hoping to get more done this winter.

I couldn't bear the thought of them being in a hutch outside, a shed was a condition of getting them for me as I also cannot have them in full time due to OH's allergies.
They have been living in the spare room for the summer though as the shed was getting too hot! During the summer OH is on antihistamines anyway so it doesn't matter!

 

[Jojessgaz]

Yes, mine are 'loose' in a shed which is partially insulated and I'm hoping to get more done this winter.

I couldn't bear the thought of them being in a hutch outside, a shed was a condition of getting them for me as I also cannot have them in full time due to OH's allergies.
They have been living in the spare room for the summer though as the shed was getting too hot! During the summer OH is on antihistamines anyway so it doesn't matter!

I have the same problem with my OH. I'm going to broach the issue again soon of being able to bring them inside. .. can but try ! We have a small lounge room that doesn't get used much at all in winter so if I could get them over the doorway without my OH pushing them back out again
And keep them in there only with the door shut... I would hope he wouldn't be affected?

 

[Guineapigfeet]

That may be a solution. Is your OH's allergy to the pigs themselves or the hay? Mine's is the hay and even with the pigs upstairs with the door shut, once he was off his antihistamines he started to react to the hay that enveitably got all over the house!