Hutch

[Jessica0303]

Hi there,

I'm at a loss and feeling really guilty as I have two boars together, who get along quite nicely. They were previously living inside in a massive space however my one year old was actually diagnosed with asthma and with all the hay etc I thought it was best to move them outside and as the weather should be warming up I thought its a good time to do it!

Its a two story hutch but now I'm worried it's too small for them, however I'm moving and will only have a little outside balcony (ground floor) so I can't have anything bigger really! Is this cruel and is it possible they can still be happy in this hutch? Charles Bentley Grey Two Storey Pet Hutch With Play Area | Wilko

 

[Lady Kelly]

Unfortunately it is far far too small for two boars and being two storey you also lose the floor space of the ramp. Even two sows need a minimum 120 space and the one you are looking at is 100 (and that's likely the outside measurements not the inside measurements). I'm sorry to say that this is well below the welfare guidelines for minimum space and is highly likely to result in a fall out between your boys.

 

[Piggies&buns]

and

The hutch doesnt meet minimum welfare size standards which is 120x60cm so is not appropriate for any guinea pigs at all. However, sows can live in a 120x60cm cage but boars can’t as they are more territorial and need more room.
Two boars need a minimum of 150x60cm but 180x60cm is better.
These measurements need to be met on a single level as piggies are round roaming creatures so levels don’t count and are not added to calculate floor space. Too small of a hutch for a boar pair, even a well bonded boar pair, means they just won’t have enough territory each which can cause them to fight which in turn will sadly mean permanent separation