Indoors/outdoors - changing around?

[lizzie_71]

My piggies live in a large hutch in the garden at the moment. It's in a sheltered spot and well covered, plus they have a heatpad at night, but I'm still not sure whether I should bring them in for the winter.

They seem fine out there, and they have more space there than they would indoors as they have a two storey hutch, and the indoor cage is only one level, but it is still quite big and they have lived in it before.

But no-one wants to go out there to feed or clean them, and it's only going to get worse.

Would it be safe to bring them in, and then put them out again in the spring? Or would it cause more problems?

And can anyone tell me to avoid the inevitable row with my OH who is an animal hater and doesn't want them in his house

 

[Laure]

Yes of course it will be fine if you take them in for the winter to put them back out in the spring (as long as you wait until it is warm enough).
I do have to warn you thought that you might not to put them back outside at all. This is what happened to me after the first winter and 5 years later they have never set foot outside again (well appart from in the run I mean)! They change a lot when you bring them in. I think they get used to you a lot more and become much friendlier.
As for the OH I guess you need to pull at the heart strings about it being cold and you not wanting to be standing outside to clean/feed them etc....

Good luck!

 

[lizzie_71]

Yes of course it will be fine if you take them in for the winter to put them back out in the spring (as long as you wait until it is warm enough).
I do have to warn you thought that you might not to put them back outside at all. This is what happened to me after the first winter and 5 years later they have never set foot outside again (well appart from in the run I mean)! They change a lot when you bring them in. I think they get used to you a lot more and become much friendlier.
As for the OH I guess you need to pull at the heart strings about it being cold and you not wanting to be standing outside to clean/feed them etc....

Good luck!

They were inside for the first year we had them, they've only been out for about 6 weeks. I put them out because of my allergies, but because I'm using so much extra hay to keep them warm, it's actually no better :

They will go back out again, I spent £80 on a hutch only 2 months ago, and I'm not wasting all that money

 

[Black Jack]

Sometimes moving them from different cages or environments can upset the status quo and you may have a dominance struggle on your hands - it may not happen but you should be aware it is a possibility. Good luck O0

 

[smiler]

I think you should def bring them inside :smitten:

 

[lizzie_71]

Well, the plot thickens. Told dh I wanted to bring them in and he wasn't impressed. Decided to do it anyway. But now I'm not so sure. The thing is, where they are inside is on a shelf which means my son can only reach them if he stands on a stool, and my daughter (age 4) can't see them at all. They actually do more with the piggies outside, as they can reach the hutch really easily.

My son doesn't want to bring them in as it means he can't clean them out and feed them.

Arrrggghhh, not sure what to do for the best.