Hutches

[Berry the pig]

Hello!
Unfortunately, during the rather violent storm down in the south this past week, my Guinea pig hutch was destroyed (don’t worry there was no one there, he was brought inside!) and I am currently searching for a replacement. I was already hoping for an upgrade as it was a little small.

So, if you have any advice on the best, but preferably cheapest, outdoor hutches for two Guinea pigs, please leave below. I have been struggling to find a suitable one that is under 100 pounds!

And as a side note, do you recommend using wood shavings as a bedding or not? I have recently heard that it’s unsafe but I have been using it for years with no issues.
Thank you for reading.

 

[Claire W]

I’m sorry your hutch was destroyed by the storms but am glad the piggies were safe. I shall tag some members who I know keep their piggies in hutches @Piggies&buns @Betsy @Lady Kelly @Engel My piggies live indoors but when I had outdoor piggies, I brought my 6ft hutch that was made from tongue and groove from eBay so may be have a look on there?

I’ve always used wood shavings and not had any issues

 

[Berry the pig]

I’m sorry your hutch was destroyed by the storms but am glad the piggies were safe. I shall tag some members who I know keep their piggies in hutches @Piggies&buns @Betsy @Lady Kelly My piggies live indoors but when I had outdoor piggies, I brought my 6ft hutch that was made from tongue and groove from eBay so may be have a look on there?

I’ve always used wood shavings and not had any issues

Thank you very much!

 

[Lady Kelly]

You are unlikely to find a good sized, decent quality hutch for under £100. I had the chartwell 6ft until recently (I no longer have any piggies). It's probably the best good sized hutch that will last a good few years for a reasonable price. Mine lasted maybe 7 years and would have had a bit more life in it with a bit of tlc except we didn't need it anymore.

Wood shavings are ok. There are mixed opinions on them but if you are getting dust extracted shavings that's fine. It's the dust that's problematic as piggies have narrow and sensitive airways

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear that.
Suitable and under £100 don’t usually go together, I’m afraid. If you can up your budget then you will get a better quality hutch which is more likely to last.
I bought a cheap £99 hutch to go in a shed and it was absolutely fine in there as it was fully protected, but i got a new hutch for a new shed and put the cheap hutch outside. Within 6 months it was not doing quite so well. Whereas, my other two other hutches (I have three hutches) have been more expensive and are better quality with solid wood, not ply. The one which Is still outside I paid £150 for 9 years ago and it is still as good now as the day I bought it (It is now in a roofed aviary but was fully outside for 8 of its 9 years). The other was £180 and is in the shed but given it is good quality, I’d have no concerns if it had to come outside for any reason.
Home and Roost sell good quality hutches (Chartwell hutches), although are plywood at the back so need protecting. Their single 5ft hutch is £140.
For a neutered boar and a sow, you need a 5ft hutch. Of course 6ft would be better.

Shavings are fine to use as long as they aren’t dusty. I personally use aubiose or megazorb under big piles of hay

 

[Betsy]

I bought a cheap hutch when I first had piggies. It lasted precisely 1 winter and then needed replacing. I then splashed out and bought a good quality Chartwell hutch and it's still as good as new. It was outside for about 3 years and is now in the garage (since we moved just over 2 years ago). I bought both the covers for it too for when it was outside and stayed on the hutch when I moved my piggies into the garage. I can see many more years with this Chartwell hutch.

 

[Engel]

Hi. As you have boys (I assume you will be getting your boy a friend), then a 6ft hutch is what you need. The cheapest single story 6ft hutch that I have managed to find is £150.

https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/...er-apex-6ft-hutch-for-rabbits-and-guinea-pigs

Note this is mostly made of plywood and not very thick so will easily be damaged by the weather over time. One way to make these types of hutch's last longer is to keep them in a sheltered place. My hutch is in a shed so this helps (I have the 6ft bluebell from p@h). I've had it about a year now and the hutch still looks brand new so if you have a shed that you can put a hutch in, then the cheaper ones may work for you. If you don't then maybe a sturdier hutch like the chartwell is best. While they're not cheap, you get what you pay for.

You'll find because of COVID the price's have rocketed. A few weeks after I got my hutch it went up by £30. At one point it was £190 (I paid £140 I think).

As for shavings...I really don't like them and have discouraged others from using them. Reason being that softwoods like cedar, pine and spruce contain phenols. Phenols are an acid (albeit weak), and give that pine smell. Phenols are an irritant and irritate the airways, eyes and skin of not just rats/hamsters/guinea pigs but us too.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...wQFnoECAQQBg&usg=AOvVaw3x6tGfomoV_cTe2HCJpRXH

I have used shavings in the past and I've had a lot of issues regarding animals ranging from respiratory issues and struggling to breath to hair loss. Wood-shavings irritate my throat and make my eyes and skin itch like crazy. I now opt for megazorb as a loose bedding, paper litter for hay trays/litter boxes and fleece liners.

 

[Wheek!Wheek!]

The feelgooduk is £99.99 and is great and because of the run it has a sliding trap door to shut them in the hutch at night

 

[Swissgreys]

The feelgooduk is £99.99 and is great and because of the run it has a sliding trap door to shut them in the hutch at night

I couldn't find a single hutch on this site that offered adequate space for 2 male piggies.
The 99 pound hutch has a living area of less than 80 x 80 cm which is far below the minimum standard.
The bottom floor is directly on the ground which is unsuitable for guinea pigs during the colder months, and will make the rest of the hutch very difficult to heat.
Even the 'large' rabbit hutch on this site is too small for guinea pigs (never mind rabbits).

@Berry the pig please do consider a large and solidly made hutch, as this will last your piggies for years, and make it much easier to keep them safe from predators and warm in the Winter.

The Chartwell 6ft single story rabbit hutch would be perfect, you can easily get covers for it and it would be a brilliant space for 2 piggies.
It is only slightly over budget too at 150 pounds.
6ft Rabbit Hutch Single & Double Tier | Made In The UK

 

[Wheek!Wheek!]

I couldn't find a single hutch on this site that offered adequate space for 2 male piggies.
The 99 pound hutch has a living area of less than 80 x 80 cm which is far below the minimum standard.
The bottom floor is directly on the ground which is unsuitable for guinea pigs during the colder months, and will make the rest of the hutch very difficult to heat.
Even the 'large' rabbit hutch on this site is too small for guinea pigs (never mind rabbits).

@Berry the pig please do consider a large and solidly made hutch, as this will last your piggies for years, and make it much easier to keep them safe from predators and warm in the Winter.

The Chartwell 6ft single story rabbit hutch would be perfect, you can easily get covers for it and it would be a brilliant space for 2 piggies.
It is only slightly over budget too at 150 pounds.
6ft Rabbit Hutch Single & Double Tier | Made In The UK

Sorry I didn't know

 

[Swissgreys]

Sorry I didn't know

That's ok - the way that advertise it is very cleaver (sneaky?) as they include things like the roof overhang and outdoor space in their dimensions, which makes it sound much bigger than it is.
That is why this Forum is such a great place - it helps people learn and makes life better for their piggies in the long run.
Honestly my first hutch was a disaster!
It was only when people on the Forum showed me the alternatives that I realised and was able to change things around to make better choices.