Is a double story 4ft x 2ft hutch too small?

[genevie]

We live in a flat, so we have no garden and pretty small rooms in our home. We have a secure balcony, however, that's just over 4 ft wide and probably 8 ft long. We have a few things on there taking up some space, like a barbecue (never gets used!) and some plants and chairs, but there's space for a hutch going widthways.

I've seen quite a few double story 4ft x 2ft hutches, I'm wondering if this would be an okay size for two pigs? I've heard the minimum for two is 7.5 sq ft, and these would be over that size - plus there'd be two levels. But I'm a rodent owner, and I know in the "hamster world" only the bottom level counts as floor space, and any additional levels are usually disregarded. I don't know if that's what it's like for guinea pigs...

So, would 4 x 2 be too small? When we move, in the near future, I'd want to have them inside as there'd be more space. But for now my mum isn't keen on having them in the house.

Also, is it okay to have them running free indoors (supervised) while someone's home, and just in the hutch when we're out of the house, or asleep? I know that's what a lot of people do with rabbits...

 

[JoBo]

I did keep my pair of boys in a 2 storey 4ft x 2ft so i think it is ok, but obviously bigger is better, as long as your pigs get run time and dont spend all their time in the hutch it should be aceptable.

 

[genevie]

Bigger is always better I would go for something bigger if there was space. I'd happily go for a 4ft x 3ft hutch if I could find one ...