Is anyone else looking forward to winter?

[herbertsmum]

My boys will come in again this winter, **** about october time. I love them being indoors they definately get cuddles more often and I love making up little houses made of shoeboxes etc for them.

And I go a bit fleece crazy, cant wait to ahve the squeeking in my ear while watching the Tv.

 

[emmalala]

I couldn't wait for winter so they're in here now

 

[doglovinpiggylover]

aww that sounds great. My piggies are indoors anyway in my front room with me, but i love anything and everything wintery

 

[Midge&Panda]

My girls are indoor piggies, I'm not too keen on the hot (?) summer months, although I just love opening the front door in the mornings at the end of september and just feeling that slight chill in the air and smelling the freshness.

 

[Gemma McD]

I'm not looking forward to winter. Last 2 years we've had crazy snowy winters, really cold and snowed in! This year brings me a whole new set of problems. My piggies are outdoors and I just don't know whay to do with them when winter hits. Have no indoor cage and no idea what hubby will say if I say I need another cage :{

 

[youthnovels]

I'm not looking forward to winter. Last 2 years we've had crazy snowy winters, really cold and snowed in! This year brings me a whole new set of problems. My piggies are outdoors and I just don't know whay to do with them when winter hits. Have no indoor cage and no idea what hubby will say if I say I need another cage :{

I know people disagree but I keep my piggies outside in winter and always have done. I have a hutch cover which I put roof insulation under and a thick double quilt, it has a water proof front cover to stop any wind getting in, as much hay as you can shake a stick at and finally several snugglesafes with lots of fleece cosies. They seem completely fine.

Unless it's absolutely freezing cold then I may bring them in but very very rarely.

 

[Guinea pigs <3]

People think i'm mad but i don't mind the winter either! I'm not a summer person as i'm very fair and i don't handle the heat well, spring is my favourite season! But i do love being inside when it's horrid outside, oh and having the fire on, oh and winter only means one thing...

CHRISTMAS!

Oh i do love christmas! My piggies are always indoors so i luckily i don't have to worry about them getting cold...although i'll still be buying head pads as i worry about them over night when i'm all tucked up in bed i guess it's what they're used to, my piggies would freeze if i put them outside now, they are just not used to it!

 

[Gemma McD]

I know people disagree but I keep my piggies outside in winter and always have done. I have a hutch cover which I put roof insulation under and a thick double quilt, it has a water proof front cover to stop any wind getting in, as much hay as you can shake a stick at and finally several snugglesafes with lots of fleece cosies. They seem completely fine.

Unless it's absolutely freezing cold then I may bring them in but very very rarely.

Thank you, that is so reassuring that it may be possible and I don't need to spend a fortune on a cage to bring them indoors at the first sign of a frost! Will see if I can get hubby to rig up a weatherproof cover for them. Have you any pics of what you use, so I can copy? |)

 

[youthnovels]

Thank you, that is so reassuring that it may be possible and I don't need to spend a fortune on a cage to bring them indoors at the first sign of a frost! Will see if I can get hubby to rig up a weatherproof cover for them. Have you any pics of what you use, so I can copy? |)

I don't have any pictures at the moment (currently under going a renovation of the guineas housing!) but mine is very similar cover to the Scratch and Newtons hutch hugger (actually have the Scratch and Newton ones for my rabbits and can't recommend them enough!). I think if you have outdoor piggies, then they naturally adjust to the colder temps anyway. I wouldn't recommend someone to put them at end of Oct and expect them to be fine though! I think common sense is the best thing to use, as long as they've got plenty of hay, fleece and a friend to cuddle up to in my experience they are fine. I've had piggies since I was age two (21 now) and non have ever died due to cold weather! Sadly, when I was younger I didn't have snugglesafes, hutch covers or anything like that. It was just hay and more hay and they were fine. Now I've grown up and learnt a lot more though I try and give them as much protection as I can, more for my peace of mind than anything else!

 

[Becky92]

WINTER - URGH !

No more sitting out in the garden -_-

I love seeing my pets out in the lush green grass & with the nice weather just putting my 9month daughter in her buggy & sitting her outside my shed while i clean them she watches lol - bad mummy i know !

Last winter even with them all being in my shed all tucked up the bottles always froze up & i worried constantly about them.

I need to rethink my winter situation because my rabbits hutch wont fit back in my shed due to upgrading the piggys hutches.

Iv seen somewhere the idea of building a mini shed to put the hutch in - like a bike shed thing ... either that or ill hav t get another shed lol

 

[Guinea pig slave]

Brrr, prefer the warmer weather tbh but don't mind the winter.
My piggies are indoors all year and will be having their snugglepads when it gets cold enough. Am trying to devise something to cover the front of the set up for this winter rather than fleecy blankets as we've extended - thinking of getting OH to fit some kind of curtain rail the width of the pen (12ft) and I'll make some curtains to draw at night for them :{ ?/

 

[Guinea pigs <3]

Brrr, prefer the warmer weather tbh but don't mind the winter.
My piggies are indoors all year and will be having their snugglepads when it gets cold enough. Am trying to devise something to cover the front of the set up for this winter rather than fleecy blankets as we've extended - thinking of getting OH to fit some kind of curtain rail the width of the pen (12ft) and I'll make some curtains to draw at night for them :{ ?/

Oooh i'm loving this idea! Pigtures when finished pleased! Even us with indoor piggies still worry about them getting cold rolleyes i need to order my snugglesafes this month i think!

 

[Shalom]

I know people disagree but I keep my piggies outside in winter and always have done. I have a hutch cover which I put roof insulation under and a thick double quilt, it has a water proof front cover to stop any wind getting in, as much hay as you can shake a stick at and finally several snugglesafes with lots of fleece cosies. They seem completely fine.

Unless it's absolutely freezing cold then I may bring them in but very very rarely.

Mine also live outside, my husband only just tolerates them taking over the garden let alone coming inside! I have two dogs as well and one really likes the guineas and the other doesn't so that makes it difficult as well. Mine are a year old now and they spent that nasty winter in the hutch, I bought a snuggle pad which you heat up in the microwave and it stays warm for up to 8 hours, that helped.

 

[Gemma McD]

I don't have any pictures at the moment (currently under going a renovation of the guineas housing!) but mine is very similar cover to the Scratch and Newtons hutch hugger (actually have the Scratch and Newton ones for my rabbits and can't recommend them enough!). I think if you have outdoor piggies, then they naturally adjust to the colder temps anyway. I wouldn't recommend someone to put them at end of Oct and expect them to be fine though! I think common sense is the best thing to use, as long as they've got plenty of hay, fleece and a friend to cuddle up to in my experience they are fine. I've had piggies since I was age two (21 now) and non have ever died due to cold weather! Sadly, when I was younger I didn't have snugglesafes, hutch covers or anything like that. It was just hay and more hay and they were fine. Now I've grown up and learnt a lot more though I try and give them as much protection as I can, more for my peace of mind than anything else!

Had a look on their website and they do look good. Only problem I have is my hutch isn't standard, my husband built a run extension onto it and it only goes up to the 1st storey so the the whole thing is L shaped. He's going to try and make something for me so we can block out draughts and keep our babies warm. Hopefully with help of fleece bedding, a pretty cosy and lots of hay we can keep them snug. They were originally indoor piggies but since I've had them they've been outside now for 3 weeks. Weather has been warm enough to adjust and after your posts I feel more confident about winter |)

 

[Julesie]

I'm not looking forward to it. We don't have a fireplace in my house as the council took it out, left a gaping hole in the wall which they covered with some plastic and cellotape and left it there.

I'm worried about my guinea pigs being cold because it seriously does get freezing.

 

[Gemma McD]

Mine also live outside, my husband only just tolerates them taking over the garden let alone coming inside! I have two dogs as well and one really likes the guineas and the other doesn't so that makes it difficult as well. Mine are a year old now and they spent that nasty winter in the hutch, I bought a snuggle pad which you heat up in the microwave and it stays warm for up to 8 hours, that helped.

That's a really good idea, going to look into getting one of those as well as a bottle cover I've seen to help with frozen water. Lots of ideas to keep them snug and warm

 

[Gemma McD]

I'm not looking forward to it. We don't have a fireplace in my house as the council took it out, left a gaping hole in the wall which they covered with some plastic and cellotape and left it there.

I'm worried about my guinea pigs being cold because it seriously does get freezing.

Can't you get the council to board it up properly? If they took it out, surely they have to fix it.

 

[Julesie]

Can't you get the council to board it up properly? If they took it out, surely they have to fix it.

Well my dad is planning to phone them and ask them to put a new one in but I'm not holding my breath until I see it actually in place. It's been like this for just over a year.

 

[lily 74]

Thank you, that is so reassuring that it may be possible and I don't need to spend a fortune on a cage to bring them indoors at the first sign of a frost! Will see if I can get hubby to rig up a weatherproof cover for them. Have you any pics of what you use, so I can copy? |)

I think if you haven't room for a shed and it is not possible to bring them indoors then with the right care they are fine outdoors but it takes planning.

A thick duvet or insulation is a must, then a waterproof cover, it's the damp and cold you need to keep out

The hutch should be tounge and grooved and put in a sheltered part of the garden away from winds against a wall is good

plenty of hay, an upturned box with a arch cut out is a good idea in the bed area stuffed full of clean ,dry hay changed daily as they eat it!lol

I have hutch covers for two of my hutches, but the double story use a value shower curtain (less than £4 from asda)

 

[christine]

Every year I plan to keep the piggies in their outside quarters till the end of October,and guess what,every year I cant wait to bring them indoorsand always end up doing it endof September,sometimes even earlier!!

 

[christine]

Every year I plan to keep the piggies in their outside quarters till the end of October,and guess what,every year I cant wait to bring them indoorsand always end up doing it endof September,sometimes even earlier!!

Looking at the weather at the moment it might be even earlier like tomorrow!