Hutch With Underfloor Heating Finished!

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Sid and Henry

Sid and Henry

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Hellooo, some of you may know that my parents are forcin the piggies to live outside but they have been built a shed, 5ftx2ft, with tiled flooring and underfloor heating! I had a lot of trouble getting the piggies into the cage though. When I was going to put Sid into the hutch, Henry jumped out from the second floor and ran away, I caught him after a few minutes of strugglibg though, without any blood or scratches, however I had some:whistle:...i have washed him so he's completey dry and out again. I will post photos of it soon, because I'm having some technical issues... It also has a hutch cover by the way, which I will use a lot.

Do you guys think I should take. Henry to the doctor just in case?
 
If you notice anything different in Henry like lack of appetite, limping and just not acting normal then take him to the vet. Just keep a close eye on him and look out for changes.

A shed with underfloor heating sounds pretty cool - you've got some spoilt piggies there. My OH refuses to let my pigs live in the house he told me drop the subject but I will keep going until he gives in.

I hope your pigs love their new set-up! Post some pictures soon!
 
image.webp image.webp image.webp Here are some photos of the new hutch, I have wiped it down etc. And the floor is really nice and cozy :D
 
It is brand new and only took 21 days for them to make it completely bespoke, and they also built our house... Since I'm a chid, he said he'd charge me less than normal, but ended up being free :D :)) I'm really happy with the turn out aswell, very nice!
 
I want them to adopt me.My dad used to make wooden toys for us(Barbie play houses, choirs, high chairs and furniture) Wish I was as handy
 
Looks great, but be very careful with underfloor heating, we used to have it at the vets i previously worked at but especially for animals when they lay on it, it can sometimes become very hot very quickly, i used to even find it just when on the floor cleaning, so make sure your piggies don’t over heat!
 
twiams said:
Looks great, but be very careful with underfloor heating, we used to have it at the vets i previously worked at but especially for animals when they lay on it, it can sometimes become very hot very quickly, i used to even find it just when on the floor cleaning, so make sure your piggies don’t over heat!
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Ok, I'll make sure they don't overheat! Maybe I should take it off for midday and turn it on in the night? Their feeding area is not heated so if they get very hot they will probably move there and I will turn it off if it seems very hot! :).
 
I have another question! hehe, How do I encourage them to use the ramp to get to the first and second floor? because they're afraid of it :( and I don't want them to live upstairs or just downstairs.. Any tips?
Henry seems to get halfway up, and he'll sit there like a coward... I came to check on him once and he was sitting on the ramp, about half an hour to an hour later I came back and he was still there!:help:
I really want them to be able to run up and down the hutch freely, and not have me carry them up and down...:hmm: Because they're impossible to pick up and I feel like I can't 'trust' either of them after the incident of Henry jumping out, every move they make scares me that they're gonna do another 'suicide attempt':no::help::ple:
 
... You could try bribing them with treats at whatever level they are on but they will learn themselves. I found when I only had two Pecan could go up the ramp but not down, we think it's because it may have been to steep for her, that or she's just a big wuss. Maple never had a problem with ramps.
 
Sid and Henry said:
I have another question! hehe, How do I encourage them to use the ramp to get to the first and second floor? because they're afraid of it :( and I don't want them to live upstairs or just downstairs.. Any tips?
Henry seems to get halfway up, and he'll sit there like a coward... I came to check on him once and he was sitting on the ramp, about half an hour to an hour later I came back and he was still there!:help:
I really want them to be able to run up and down the hutch freely, and not have me carry them up and down...:hmm: Because they're impossible to pick up and I feel like I can't 'trust' either of them after the incident of Henry jumping out, every move they make scares me that they're gonna do another 'suicide attempt':no::help::ple:
Click to expand...

I had a problem with my the ramp in my 2 story hutch in that Peanut Butter would zoom up & down at such speed I was worried he would fall. My Hazelnut on the other hand refused to use the ramp no matter what I did. Not surprising really, Hazelnut only walks on fabric! I got custom made ramp tunnels from the link below and it solved both problems beautifully.
http://www.cosycavies.co.uk/products/tunnels/
 
I had a hutch exactly like that for mine. I put a brick under one end of the tunnel to make it less steep and covered it with an old towel to make it grippier. They are now in my bedroom in a puppy panel. The hamster is in the hutch!
 
Piggies need a temperature of 17-20 degrees (up to 68 F) - they can't cope with overheating as they don't sweat.
Possibly keep a thermometer handy, they live better in cooler temps. but not below 15 C. People top up with extra hay or a heat pad for warmth.
All of our piggies live in our lounge and the radiators are on low settings to keep an even temperature, I'm a nightmare checking their little feet and ears to see if they are too warm/cool :sly:
Your hutch looks lovely and hope the piggies enjoy :)
 
I would add some sides to the ramp, so he feels more secure when on it, it's more like a tunnel then. Also they can't fall off then either.
 
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