Indoors or outdoors?

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thelittlepiggielover

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Hi,
Just wondering where you keep your piggies and what would you say are the pros/cons of each? Also, how big is the accommodation for your 'babies'?
Thank you x:))
 
My two girls live outdoors in a two-storey 3.5x2 foot hutch they also have a 3x4 foot run. I like having them outdoors as they get fresh air and it is their natural environment to be outside. This is just my personal preference although many other people have their pets indoors. Of course when it is winter they still have to be brought indoors. :))
 
Their house at the moment is a feraplast 120 in my bedroom, I have two 11 week old boars. However I have bought a single and two teir hutch which I'll be combining to make a three story hutch for the rest of the summer! I like them being inside as I see them more often, even if it's just popping into my bedroom or wake up to the wheeking! However, I don't have the space inside at the moment for anything bigger, they do smell, and there is hay everywhere! Can't comment on the outside yet but will see which I like when I get round to making the hutch!
 
Ive got 10 pigs who all live indoors - my group of 6 (5 females and 1 neutered male) live in a 10ft x 2.5ft cage (two 150 cages joined together) - my bonded boys live in a double storey 140 and my two single boys each live in a corner 140 cage.

I prefer having my babies indoors only because i can interact with them whenever i choose and regardless of the weather. In terms of pro's and con's for each living environment, I'm biased and love seeing piggies indoors, so i'll let those with outdoor piggies answer that one ;)

When we got our first guinea pig it never occurred to us that they could live outdoors - our initial and only thought was purchasing an indoor home for them - its only through joining this forum that i learned people actually house theirs outdoors - not what id choose for my little darlings - however there are some very impressive piggy sheds on this forum that I'm very envious of :) my problem is my garden just wouldn't be big enough for the 12ft x 12ft mansion id want to build for mine!
 
I have a custom made cage for my piggies. Made by my own fair hand. Its just mff, conti board and correx though and was quite easy to make.
Its good because I could fill ALL of the available space with it.

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Our girls are indoor- Currently building them a C&C

Pros- Can see more of them so you can see more interaction. As they can hear all the noises in day to day life.

Cons- Hay everywhere:))

The boys are outdoors- Double story hutch 4x2 and they love zooming up and down the ramp, plus the downstairs space is for toys!

Pros- No mess;), Personally i like them being outdoors so they can have fresh air and hear wildlife.

Cons- Worrying about them in winter being cold, but i've always managed for years with outdoor animals, some people believe its hard pushing yourself in cold weather to go and handle them etc as you cant bring them indoors for too long because of temperature change but i've always just sat in the shed with mine:)< And it's cosy! haha!
 
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I like them indoors and outdoors.

We always had our Piggys outdoors years ago, to be honest I didn't know people had them indoors!

We have 2 boys outside and our three girls inside-I wouldn't have the room to have two lots indoors and it's only because we had a room extended that I'm able to make my girls a c&c-can't wait for that! :)

I do love to see Piggys outside, I think it's a natural environment for them-hearing the birds and smelling fresh air. Saying that though I LOVE having the girls inside, they interact and wheek at you and you see all their funny ways :)
Sometimes the hay drives me mad but it's tiled floor and a soft brush cleans it up in no time.

I think in future though all my pigs would be indoor but it just wouldn't feel right for the boys bringing them indoors now. The winters tougher with outdoor, ours go in the shed and I do feel like they are shut away but we do go out to them a couple of times a day and they are brought in for a cuddle. I find that the girls are held too much-it's just so hard to resist when they are up the bars wheeking at you!
 
My two girls are indoor piggies, they used to live outdoors. I love them being indoors as I see them all the time and I see them popcorn and run around and I like to watch them eating their veg. My girls became much happier when I bought them inside as they got more interaction and they love their big C&C cage with nice warm fleece. Also it's easier to clean as I just chuck their fleece and towels in the washing machine and put down their spare clean set of towels and fleece, and also as they're indoors they stay warm in the winter and don't get cold. Also it means I don't have to go out in the rain in the winter to clean out their cage!
 
We have two young boars (only had them a week). They have a two tier hutch with a large run attached and they live outside. They both seem really happy outside and have plenty of room to run around.

My daughter and I go outside regularly to see them and chat and we have cuddles with them in the morning and before my daughter goes to bed. My daughter also sits in the run with them and chats and strokes them while they're playing so they get plenty of company :)
 
Mine are indoors. Our house isn't far off a city centre and quite near a hospital, so outside they'd hear traffic and ambulance sirens, not wildlife! I'd love them to have their own custom shed, but only if I were living somewhere nice and quiet. Plus, to be honest, I'd otherwise be a little lazy about having to go outside to see them when it was cold. I hate the cold...:(|)
 
My four girls have always lived outdoors in a big roomy hutch although we did bring them indoors the winter before last as the temperature was getting down to -15

However, we have now brought a shed and the girls live and free range in the shed. They love it and have tonnes of room to play and hide. It will be so much nicer in the winter for them too.
 
Mine are outside in a large double decker hutch inside a shed. The shed has power so it has light and heating. It looks pretty scruffy at the moment due to to my house getting external renovations done so cement and render has been splashed on it. Once the works are finished, the shed as well my fences are all getting the same colour treatment so they match and the interior is getting a makeover.
 
I keep my girls inside, currently they only really go into their homes at night because their cage is waaay to small but as soon as I get a job I am getting them a 56x28 :)
 
My mum has had guinea pigs since she was a kid (a loooong time ago :)) ) and they were always outdoors with no problems, we had a pair of males from when I was 2 (my mum's pets more than ours) females from when I was 12ish and then the two males she currently have, all outdoors!
when I went to uni I missed having guinea pigs around so me and my boyfriend took the plunge and bought one (and later a second, but a story for another day) and they are indoors as our "garden" at the student house is NOT guinea pig worthy! I felt a bit bad having them "cooped up" indoors, but it is great to see them the whole time! they seem to enjoy our company so much! In the summer holidays, they come home and I can't put them out in the run soon enough so they can be outside...so maybe that says a lot too...? but now that they're indoor piggies we have to be careful it's not going to suddenly pour with rain (Winston has no idea what to do and stands there getting soaked!)
It's a difficult choice... definitely down to personal preference, and sometimes that's even pretty tough!
 
Mine are outdoors they love seeing the birds etc! i do cover them up at night to make sure there safe! and secure, In the winter I bring them in! but this year I'm hoping to buy a new shed and build some new hutches in there for them :) with lots of warm beading! X so saving up time! :) rolleyes
 
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