Hutch Temperature

Status
Not open for further replies.
helenv87

helenv87

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
195
Reaction score
49
Points
240
Location
Hertfordshire
Sorry if this has already been mentioned somewhere, I tried looking through past posts but couldn't find it written anywhere

What temperature do I need to try and keep my hutch?

I'm hoping to get more insulating materials for my hutch soon as it has started freezing overnight recently and I'm sure the cover they have on is enough.
I was thinking about an outdoor thermometre so I can actually keep track of how low it gets in the hutch, and make sure the stuff I am doing is actually making a difference

Thanks
 
Hi there l think the main thing is consistently of tempriture and eliminating all the sorsces of draft !
Guinea pigs do not thrive well if there are tempriture changes
 
Last edited:
Hello! I think you should keep the tempature around when you feel comfortable. Piggies are vulnerable to heat, and they prefer some source of coolness in the summer. Try not to let any drafts through, though. My Cocoa lives in the basement. It's always around 20 Celsius down there. He likes it like that, but piggies have their preferences. My friends piggie doesn't like it too warm, and my old pig (rip!) used to like being quite warm.
 
Katy Felix said:
Hello! I think you should keep the tempature around when you feel comfortable. Piggies are vulnerable to heat, and they prefer some source of coolness in the summer. Try not to let any drafts through, though. My Cocoa lives in the basement. It's always around 20 Celsius down there. He likes it like that, but piggies have their preferences. My friends piggie doesn't like it too warm, and my old pig (rip!) used to like being quite warm.
Click to expand...

I dont know what temperature that would be as I don't have my central heating on yet :(
 
No they aren't in a shed.
16 - 20 is a lot higher than I was expecting, I don't think I'll ever get my hutch as warm as that
 
When I had outdoor piggies, I gave them lots of places to hide in inside the hutch which was insulated.

I also gave them snugglesafe heat pads and fleecy beds etc.

It's amazing how warm a cardboard box stuffed with nice fresh hay can actually get.

So long as they have places to go to keep warm and toasty away from drafts and damp, they will be ok
 
Last edited:
I'm going to try and get hold of some boxes I can stuff with hay and hope that helps.

I don't really want to put anything fleecy in the hutch as I don't want to put them in the washing machine to wash them.

I can't use snugglesafe heat pads as I have way of heating them up :(

my boyfriend thinks they will be ok with the hutch as it is as they are outdoor animals that are adapted for being outdoors, and we have had them outdoors since we got them so they will be gradually adapting rather than it being a shock
 
If they are only in a hutch with no shed to protect from the eliments and no fleece or heatpads to keep them cosy I'd strongly recommend bringing them in if at all possible. Guinea pigs do not cope well with drastic temperatures, whether it's too hot or too cold, they're not built for the cold UK weather. We're set for a freezing winter, I'd be worried about them being outside..

You're looking to keep them at around the same temperature as we would feel comfortable with. if you're cold then they'd be cold.

Cardboard is an excellent insulater as is hay. If there is no way of bringing them inside for the winter, I'd line the inside of the hutch floor and walls with cardboard as it will help stop heat escaping, and fill with as much hay as possible. Cardboard boxes as.mentioned before is a good idea, stuffed with hay and I'd put some piles of fleece is a well to keep them cosy.
 
Unfortunately I can't put them in a shed as our garden isn't big enough for one, it is also not possible to bring them indoors, not even just for the winter.

The hutch they have has an cover that came with it and I hoping to add extra insulating material to it to try and make it warmer and block some of the drafts.

At the moment they have 2 sleeping areas, one bigger than the other that I keep topped up with hay, both are big enough for them to snuggle together if they wish or they can stay separate
 
It's a shame you don't have a microwave as the snugglesafe heat pads do an amazing job of keeping the hutch warm.
As others have said, cardboard is a good insulator and a box with plenty of hay makes a good, warm nest.

One of my friends who cannot bring her piggies inside uses an old duvet over the hutch but under the waterproof and wind proof cover to give extra insulation. Lifts it up from the front during the day to let light in and lowers it down at night. Keeps the waterproof cover over the top to keep out wind and rain (it has clear panels to let in light).
 
home and roost sell insulated covers and waterproof covers for hutches which make a great combo.
 
VickiA said:
One of my friends who cannot bring her piggies inside uses an old duvet over the hutch but under the waterproof and wind proof cover to give extra insulation. Lifts it up from the front during the day to let light in and lowers it down at night. Keeps the waterproof cover over the top to keep out wind and rain (it has clear panels to let in light).
Click to expand...

flowerfairy said:
home and roost sell insulated covers and waterproof covers for hutches which make a great combo.
Click to expand...

My hutch already comes with a made to fit hutch cover, it's really snug against the hutch though so I'm not sure if I could actually fit a duvet cover underneath it, also is have to go purchase one as I don't have an old one.

I have just been and purchases some silver bubble wrap type stuff that I am going to try and attach to the hutch tomorrow underneath the cover
 
I'm just wanting to get a guide on how warm I need to try and keep the hutch
I've seen a couple of comments saying around or above 15c but that sounds a lot.
People keep commenting saying boxes full of hay etc out of a draft will be ok, but surely a box of hay get away from a draft won't be 15c
I'm confused
 
Hot water bottles work well, especially if you can get ones that stay warm for awhile. Wrap it in a towel and you're good to go. Lots of hay as prementioned, fluff it up before you go to bed everynight so they can burrow under it. If you put dry hay on top everynight instead of changing it out they will have more hay and be better insulated since the hay helps to trap warmth. Ive heard the silver bubble wrap stuff does wonders.
 
The3LittlePigs said:
Hot water bottles work well, especially if you can get ones that stay warm for awhile. Wrap it in a towel and you're good to go. Lots of hay as prementioned, fluff it up before you go to bed everynight so they can burrow under it. If you put dry hay on top everynight instead of changing it out they will have more hay and be better insulated since the hay helps to trap warmth. Ive heard the silver bubble wrap stuff does wonders.
Click to expand...

I've got silver bubble wrap stuff I just need to wait for my boyfriend to help me attach it to the hutch.
I've been adding loads of hay

How do you know if a hot water bottle is one that stays warm for a while?
I might look into getting one but it would need to be small to fit into their sleeping compartments
 
I'm sure it would say something on the packaging! Even if it doesnt last all night, it's better than nothing, and should help to warm the hay too. It doesnt need to be a piggy one, just any hot water bottle will do. Take it out of any coverings if they're made of material you don't trust (mine has a sort of cover that makes it looks like a teddy bear and its cute but i dont trust the fabric since it's all fluffy and sort of comes off in your hand) and wrap it in a good thick towel to make sure piggies dont hurt themselves.
 
The3LittlePigs said:
I'm sure it would say something on the packaging! Even if it doesnt last all night, it's better than nothing, and should help to warm the hay too. It doesnt need to be a piggy one, just any hot water bottle will do. Take it out of any coverings if they're made of material you don't trust (mine has a sort of cover that makes it looks like a teddy bear and its cute but i dont trust the fabric since it's all fluffy and sort of comes off in your hand) and wrap it in a good thick towel to make sure piggies dont hurt themselves.
Click to expand...

I might look into it and see if I can find small ones, normal size one will be too big for the sleeping compartments but if I can't find small ones might someone have to do lol
Thanks
 
No problem. Could you get a little hidey house to put in the living room compartment as another place for the pigs to go if they fall out maybe?
 
The3LittlePigs said:
No problem. Could you get a little hidey house to put in the living room compartment as another place for the pigs to go if they fall out maybe?
Click to expand...
I've already got more than one sleeping compartments incase this happens, I have a 2 floor hutch with sleeping compartments on both floors which are filled with hay
 
Oh, thats good then. You say tou have a two tiered hutch with 2 sleeping compartments- do you mind me asking where you got it from, and perhaps you could enclose a photo? Ive been lookig for one of these!
 
The3LittlePigs said:
Oh, thats good then. You say tou have a two tiered hutch with 2 sleeping compartments- do you mind me asking where you got it from, and perhaps you could enclose a photo? Ive been lookig for one of these!
Click to expand...
I bought it from a store on eBay, it came with a hutch cover and has floors you can take out. I took them out the first time I clean them but haven't since then as it easier not to. Ill try and find a pic for you
 
Here is a picture of it in my back garden when I'd just put it together
I've changed the love heart to proper clasps
image.webp
 
I can have a look for you, if I remember right I think it's slight smaller than the recommended length but only by a tiny bit
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top