Indoor cage.. revamped but need help please

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annaleaze

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well as you know i've been re vamping the outside hutch and now i'm onto the indoor one! its in terrible condition as its 2nd hand and a rabbit had pee'd in corners making it nasty!

so ive scrubbed it up best i can and then used black rhino cloth tape which is ultra sticky and strong and lined the whole of the inside and sides with this tape! so you cant see any of the plastic bottom at all. this also fixes the cracked plastic so now my guineas wont hurt themselves!

i've put newspaper, towel and fleece..

but can i have your opinions please as i dunno if its ok or not?

they'll only be in it overnight and then in their big hutch outside in day.. too many predators round here to be kept outside at night!

so please let me know your thoughts and also what's supposed to be the cage? lol

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That looks very comfortable.

Are they going to be indoors at night, and out during the day on a long term basis?
 
You'll need something for the hay and bowls etc. if you haven't got them already.
Hidey's are good so they each have a place to get away from each other and any strange noises that may frighten them. Boars need a lot more space than sows to help prevent any fall outs as they are very territorial :{
Always good to go as big as possible as you'll find once the accessories are added and food dishes are in, there is not much running room.
Our first cages were 120cm per pair of boys but they had a large C&C run all day and only slept in the cages.
Piggies like tunnels, chubes etc. Mine like a ball to play with and fleece secured and draped over the upper levels to make a tent - they race under it and chase each other in circles :x
 
yes on a long term basis, i had an awful experience years back and am not risking these two staying out at night!

i'm wondering now if i need two hideys then as the rescue lady said just get one of each (bed/bottle etc) to prevent territory strops! what do you suggest?

i was thinking looks cramped too but it is overnight only?

i've still got to get hay thingy, water bottle and food bowls lol

do i need to secure the fleece down? i just tucked it under the towel?
 
Your little scamps will very likely burrow under the fleece and this is the reason I swear by vet bed x)
If you are having boars ?/ two of everything is the better option (mine shared bottles as babies and still do) It really helps if you have one dominant piggy who may bully the other where food etc. is concerned.
May I ask how big the indoor cage is please ?
A minimum of 4ft x 2ft is recommended for two piggies - anything smaller is a little risky as piggies grow so quickly and territorial squabbles may break out. My babies looked lost in their 4x2ft pen but within a month, needed much more space.
 
oh no i just measured it! and its only 80cm by 50cm! is this no good? worried now! i have no problem with two of everything, havent bought the bowls yet so no problem there!

what do you think to this cage then.. :red
 
do you think it will be ok for say 3 month and then i can get a bigger one? how quick do they grow lol
 
It's probably not wise to put them out during the day and in over night as it'll mess up their body temperature, they won't be able to regulate it efficiently, especially how our weather gets in the UK. It's so unstable, it's best to have them inside for good, or outside for good (unless winter hits heavily this year).

If you're worried about keeping them outside due to wildlife, get 2 different types of strong padlocks for the doors and roof if it's lidded, so no animal can get inside. If you had a bad experience with a human harming your pet.. (it can happen), then I would keep them inside permanently. You have to think ahead when you keep animals.

And also, yea I have the same question as Guinea Pig Slave, that cage looks quite small in comparison to the objects inside, how big is it?
 
oh no so they'll have to stay outside them! as their hutch i've done up is too big for my house.. i'm going to need some help on how i cover their cage properly then please. i'll just keep that cage for any emergency
 
annaleaze said:
oh no i just measured it! and its only 80cm by 50cm! is this no good? worried now! i have no problem with two of everything, havent bought the bowls yet so no problem there!

what do you think to this cage then.. :red
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OMG - no way is it big enough hun :(
You need a minimum of 4x2ft for two piggies to start with and have to agree with the other poster, to have them inside then outdoors is not a good idea either. Young piggies need to be kept indoors.
Piggies body temperatures are similar to ours so if you feel comfy, they are. If you feel nippy, they are etc. Our weather is too temperamental atm - spring weather is looming rolleyes so they'd be ok at around 12 weeks to go out for short periods I'd have thought.
I have 18 piggies altogether and they have never been outside since I had my first two, two years ago as I am too paranoid about grass and sun/heat etc. Indoors I can keep them snuggly warm or cool rolleyes (and keep an eye on them, interact etc.)
 
annaleaze said:
oh no i just measured it! and its only 80cm by 50cm! is this no good? worried now! i have no problem with two of everything, havent bought the bowls yet so no problem there!

what do you think to this cage then.. :red
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annaleaze said:
do you think it will be ok for say 3 month and then i can get a bigger one? how quick do they grow lol
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If it's going to be for a pair and they're 3 months old at the eldest, that is fine for the time being. Any older and they will be growing way too quickly to be housed in there.

You really should get a new, bigger cage now for when that time comes if they're that young at the moment.

By 5 months they will need to be in a cage minimum size of 4ft x 2ft, then bigger as they get bigger, especially if you're getting boars, as they're generally a lot bigger than sows and as Guinea Pig Slave says, they will need more room once hormones kick in and will have stand-off's for dominance.

They do grow quickly. Between 8-12 months they are practically fully grown and should reach around 1kg in weight, and be around 10-12inches long.
 
annaleaze said:
oh no so they'll have to stay outside them! as their hutch i've done up is too big for my house.. i'm going to need some help on how i cover their cage properly then please. i'll just keep that cage for any emergency
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If you have a B&Q near you, I recommend getting this size tarpaulin to cover the hutch, it's only £5.

http://www.diy.com/nav/build/buildi...al-Purpose-Tarpaulin-Blue-1-9m-x-2-9m-9273086

It has little rings on it you could attach some string to hold it round the legs for securing it down the sides and back, and then have enough to flap over the front and secure so it doesn't send in gusts of wind. Obviously it's waterproof, just make sure your pigs can't get hold of it through the bars though.
 
lilmisscavy said:
If it's going to be for a pair and they're 3 months old at the eldest, that is fine for the time being. Any older and they will be growing way too quickly to be housed in there.

You really should get a new, bigger cage now for when that time comes if they're that young at the moment.

By 5 months they will need to be in a cage minimum size of 4ft x 2ft, then bigger as they get bigger, especially if you're getting boars, as they're generally a lot bigger than sows and as Guinea Pig Slave says, they will need more room once hormones kick in and will have stand-off's for dominance.

They do grow quickly. Between 8-12 months they are practically fully grown and should reach around 1kg in weight, and be around 10-12inches long.
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When do they begin to have stand-off's? My boars are just a year old at the end of the month. When should I keep a very close eye on them?
 
thanks ladies! right i've sorted it.. their indoor hutch is now in my front room lol i never wanted them outside really anyway so worked out all good lol this one is 4ft by 2ft so i'm all good for now. i'll keep that little one incase of stand off and need seperating? and maybe in summer they can go outside in hutch as be older then? they'll only be 5 weeks when i get them so never wanted them outside straight away anyhow x)

thanks for advice everyone, was expecting to get a tellin off but you've all helped so thanks. as they are in doors i dont want to put the out door roof on my hutch, i'll save that for outside! so can i just put some secure wood over the top do you think? like mdf or something?8:)
 
xchocolatexmustardx said:
When do they begin to have stand-off's? My boars are just a year old at the end of the month. When should I keep a very close eye on them?
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:p from about 5-6 months to about the age of yours actually!

If yours haven't had any problem living together, that's pretty good! And annoyingly lucky lol

And they just rumble-strut, teeth chatter, give very agitated wheeks at each other, chase each other, mount each other... the joys of having boars is endless lol
 
oh my days lol sounds bad! what do we do when this starts happening then?
 
As they are indoors some wire mesh might be a nice idea for the roof - then you will increase the light they get, and you will get a better view of them.
 
annaleaze said:
thanks ladies! right i've sorted it.. their indoor hutch is now in my front room lol i never wanted them outside really anyway so worked out all good lol this one is 4ft by 2ft so i'm all good for now. i'll keep that little one incase of stand off and need seperating? and maybe in summer they can go outside in hutch as be older then? they'll only be 5 weeks when i get them so never wanted them outside straight away anyhow x)

thanks for advice everyone, was expecting to get a tellin off but you've all helped so thanks. as they are in doors i dont want to put the out door roof on my hutch, i'll save that for outside! so can i just put some secure wood over the top do you think? like mdf or something?8:)
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Oh good, piggies that young shouldn't be outside if they're not born outside, but even then they shouldn't be!

It'll be good to keep it in emergencies, yea, or a travel cage to and from vets.

If you need to for safety reasons with other animals or children, then I would put something over the top, otherwise I wouldn't see the need in it as the only fear would be them getting out, but they're not likely to jump out of it.

And don't worry about it, we all have to learn somewhere, most of us on here got it horribly misinformed when we started keeping pigs. I get told off on here even now after 15 years keeping them *slaps wrist* :p but it's only because everyone on here cares about the animals involved. The forum is here simply to teach people, not to tell them off :)
 
annaleaze said:
oh my days lol sounds bad! what do we do when this starts happening then?
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Its best to leave them to it, that's why they need a large space, so if they are annoying each other, they can still have their own half of the cage/hutch to retreat to. They'll need their own house and bowl, as recommended by others on here, just so that doesn't spark up a fight between them, having to share.

Only intervene if you see them really laying into each other and you're seeing a lot of fur flying, this means skin will likely be next. They'll spin round (nose to bum) and try to bite and hump each other. It usually looks worse than it is, but when you see any blood, you must separate them, as they're not giving in. Boars can end up seriously injuring or killing each other if let to, obviously you wouldn't allow that, but that's why we say only remove one when you see the first signs of blood.

It doesn't last long, its only a short period of their lives, but that doesn't mean they won't have a little row now and then, a 'lover's tiff' lol

I guess that's why a lot of people neuter boars and put them with sows to prevent this type of behaviour? Makes sense to me now rolleyes took long enough :))

Anyway, hope that helps!
 
thanks alot, do you recommend me neuturing my boys? i've not researched that far yet. they are currently outside with the rescue centre down at a park near me. Their mums gave birth down there and have been there since. they have a hutch etc tho, not just roaming free lol.

i think i may have to put some light mdf over the top as i have a husky and although she'll be well trained and supervised i will never trust her! animal instincts and all that! plus i have a two year old... so they'll be well locked in their cage when i'm out the room lol

maybe i could half mdf and half wire? so they get light. they're positioned in my bay window so will be plenty of natural light there.

xx>>>
 
you look like youve done a good job on that cage but it looks a bit small...
what are the measurments...?

if your worried about foxes getting in to your hutch... i have a fox that hangs round my garden and have done this to my hutches...

ive also made it a bit more sturdy by supporting the bottom of the hutch... and putting a few extra screws in roof... :)
the pannels are removable so i take them off in the morning and put them back on when i feed them in the evening... :)

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x
 
claremw92 said:
you look like youve done a good job on that cage but it looks a bit small...
what are the measurments...?

if your worried about foxes getting in to your hutch... i have a fox that hangs round my garden and have done this to my hutches...

ive also made it a bit more sturdy by supporting the bottom of the hutch... and putting a few extra screws in roof... :)
the pannels are removable so i take them off in the morning and put them back on when i feed them in the evening... :)

x
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this is a really fab idea!
 
doh...!
just read through all the comments...mallethead
ignore me... :))
x
 
claremw92 said:
you look like youve done a good job on that cage but it looks a bit small...
what are the measurments...?

if your worried about foxes getting in to your hutch... i have a fox that hangs round my garden and have done this to my hutches...

ive also made it a bit more sturdy by supporting the bottom of the hutch... and putting a few extra screws in roof... :)
the pannels are removable so i take them off in the morning and put them back on when i feed them in the evening... :)

d0393729.jpg

x
Click to expand...

How do they get any air in if its completely shut up?
 
thats excellent! if i find the guts to put them outside one day i will definately be boarding them up like that and putting an alarm system on the cage LOL

the hutch that i will now be using indoors (the revamped wooden one) is 4ftx2ft. as the get bigger i will **** end up with a big 2storey one. my guineas before had a huge 2 storey one but i sold it when they passed :( vowed never to have guineas again and here i am! but this time they'll be in with us so i'm looking forward to it.

:rose
 
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