Keeping Guinea pigs outside - new owner needing advice!

[babyroxie]

Hi all,

I had Guinea pigs as a child and am ashamed to say I had no idea they weren’t meant to be outside below 15 or so degrees, they lived outside in a standard hutch all winter. Now we are looking at getting either a pair or a group of four for our four children and I’m trying to work out how to keep them comfortable with the right amount of space.

Firstly, we don’t have space in the house for them aside from a 1m x 1.5m space in a spare shower room where they could possibly go when it gets really cold.

Therefore I’m trying to work out how to keep them outside for most of the year, bar the minus degree cold snaps when they could come inside and be in a too-small enclosure for shortish periods.

I’ve seen some Eglu hutches by Omlet that say they are insulated and suitable for all year round use. What are peoples thoughts on this? They are only 80cm x 80cm which is much too small to fulfill the recommended size for 4 piggies of around 70cm x 200cm (we would like to future proof hutch and run size for four, even if we only get two to start with).

I don’t understand why they are so small unless I’m misinterpreting! I get that they are meant to be used with a run, but is it ok to have four piggies in this size space when shut up to keep warm overnight? Or are you meant to leave the door open to the run all night?

We have a big back garden which can accommodate lots of run around areas during the day in nice weather. Is it safe to let the guineas in the run when it’s below 15 degrees or wet from dew, rain etc? Would they even want to go out in those conditions? I’ve looked at an 8ft x 4ft run which has a see through plastic cover that can go over it which would keep off the rain and I presume the dew, and also would trap in heat from the sun on colder days. Would that plus a 80 x 80 hutch be ok or too small?

I’ve also seen insulated dog kennels which I could modify a little to make into a hutch. They have rigid board sandwiched between two layers of wood. The largest one of these is 116cm x 80cm, so better but still not the recommended size.

I’m confused about what to do, but happy to spend a bit of money on the right set up if it will keep them warm and safe. Can anyone who has multiple piggies living outside for most of the year let me know what setup you have?

Thank you all x

 

[Piggies&buns]

A very important factor is that it is now starting to get late in the year to bring new piggies outside if they have only been used to living indoors until now.
Normally, where there is an intention for them to stay out year round, they would have come out at the beginning of summer so have had plenty of time to get used outdoor conditions and are getting used to a gradual cooling as autumn approaches. If new, young piggies go outdoors for the first time in the coming weeks then it can already be too cold for them to start with.
For this reason, some rescue centres will not rehome to outdoor homes at this time of year onwards.
The timing of being able to sort housing out may mean it’s wise to spend this autumn/winter planning it and then bringing piggies home in late spring.

We would recommend that you go to a rescue centre to find suitable, healthy and well bonded piggies.
They would also help you with suitable housing ideas.
Any housing you already had would need to be approved by them so it is well worth speaking of a rescue prior to sorting housing out - it would be awful to sort something out and then find a rescue don’t approve of it!

Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs

Forget about an Eglu altogether. They are entirely unsuitable for guinea pigs (and I’m sure the rescues on our approved list would reject an eglu). The enclosed part is the only living space that counts and it is far too small even for one piggy.
The run does not count as living space and piggies should never be left inside a run overnight or when unsupervised.

As you say you’d like four piggies you would need to have sows. Boars cannot live in herds - it’s two boars together only.
So you would be looking at having either four sows, or three sows with a neutered boar.

So, for four piggies the hutch needed is bigger than is commercially available.
The biggest hutch commercially available is 180x60cm/6ft x 2ft but you would need a recommended size of 210x60cm/7ft x 2ft hutch for four piggies so you would be looking at it being custom made; or getting two hutches and joining them together; or you would need to house them free roam in a shed (you could put a hutch inside but with the hutch door permanently left open).
The insulated dog kennel and the 8x4ft run with a 80x80 hutch are both unsuitable.

A run is in addition to this size - so they need a 7x2ft (210x60cm) permanent living space, and then an additional run space of equal to or ideally larger size (run does not need to be attached to the hutch and in fact we could recommend it isn’t attached to the hutch for ease of use - attached runs come with more cons than pros in my eyes). They cannot use this run space unless weather conditions allow.

No, they can’t go out in a run at all if it is wet, damp with dew, raining, frosty, cold/below 15 degrees etc. The guide is that they can only go out if you are able to stand on the grass with bare feet and wearing a t-shirt without feeling damp or chilly.
So this is another reason why their living accommodation needs to be big enough - they are going to be in their hutch 24/7 from around October until April time without being able to have access to any lawn/run time.

For outdoor piggies in winter you also need microwave heatpads called snugglesafes, insulation on the hutch, thermal and waterproof covers. A thermometer in the hutch is a good idea.

It’s good you also have a plan for bringing them in if it is too cold, but don’t forget when it’s too hot.
Hutches and sheds outside are a lot of work also - they can’t be out if it is over 25 degrees, remembering the temperature inside hutches and sheds is often higher than the outside temperature (it’s only 20 degrees here today, but my shed is at 25/26 degrees so they can’t stay in there and are in their lawn runs until it cools down this evening).

On the matter of cold, do be aware that if you bring them in during a cold snap that they then cannot go back outside until around April or May (when the night times are over 15 degrees again and frosts have stopped).
The change from warm indoors to cold outdoors is not good for them. So if you did have to bring them in, then they would be staying in for the rest of winter. While a smaller than ideal cage is fine for an emergency situation (ie a couple of days indoors during a heatwave), but as they could potentially be indoors for several months during winter the cage indoors would need to be big enough. This is also why bringing outdoor piggies inside for cuddle time during winter can be problematic. (This is where sheds have an advantage - you and they can be warm and dry during cleaning out, cuddle time etc).

I have four piggies (a pair and two singles). They live in hutches in my 8x6ft insulated (custom made) shed. The shed has an outer stable door with internal mesh stable doors so I can leave them with ventilation by using the mesh doors while still ensuring their security. There is space to run on the shed floor (in their respective groupings - not as much as it used to be when I only had two piggies!) during winter for a bit of time out of their cages. I have separate runs on the lawn which they go out in during summer (only).

Member Gallery: Sheds
Member Gallery: Hutches

Cold Weather Care for Indoor and Outdoor Guinea Pigs

 

[ScrufflesRules]

You've been given some amazing advice above, good luck with your future piggies.
I agree that the Eglu will not be appropriate. I don't think that any of Omlet's products are suitable for the small animals they are intended for unfortunately.
Don't feel ashamed about making piggy mistakes in the past- I'm just glad that you've found this forum. You'll find all the up-to-date advice on here, feel free to ask as many questions as you need.

 

[babyroxie]

Thank you so much for the detailed reply! It’s cleared up a lot of confusion. I was thinking you were meant to use small hutches at night then runs during the day for extra space all year round.

Ok so my idea now is to perhaps get a child’s Wendy house, insulate it (celotex covered with thin ply) secure the windows and doors so they are fox proof, add internal mesh / wire screens to the windows and doors, and then put a small insulated hutch (or two) in there on the floor that they can free run in and out of. We have electric outside so I could add some source of heating (either an oil heater to heat the whole space, or the type of heat lamp you use with chicks to hang lower so there is a direct heat source radiating out), and I could also add a light. Do you think this would be suitable as an all year round solution? Which of these heat sources would be more suitable do you think?

The Wendy house I’m looking at on eBay is 150cm tall (with pitched roof), and floor space is 179cm x 209cm which is about 5ft 10” x 6ft 10”. It has opening windows and is made from timber that is thicker than usual on the walls, with a felted roof.

We live in a sheltered part of the countryside in Surrey.

The spare shower room is still an option for bringing them into at night during cold snaps. It isn’t usually heated (as it isn’t used), so I could turn on the heating just enough for it to be 15 degrees or so, so it’s not house-warm.

 

[babyroxie]

Oh and another question! If the insulated wendy house was thought to be suitable, would it be good to link it to a run via a long tunnel? I have seen some by a company called runabout that are made of plastic and which have entrances and exits you can open and close, so the pigs could have access during the day in the warmer months and then be shut back into the Wendy house during nights. The tunnels look long, about 2 or 3 meters. Would a pig use a tunnel this long or would they be scared of it / hide in it?! These appealed as they are flexible so the run could be moved about somewhat. For grazing in different parts of the garden we would detach the run and put piggies in and out “manually” so to speak

 

[Piggies&buns]

The insulated Wendy house is a much better solution for year round living - it provides the space for four pigs as well as the protection they need.
You certainly could add a hutch or two - even one 5 foot hutch would be enough provided the door to it is never shut - and use the hutch(es) as their hay areas, pop heatpads under the hay in winter so they have somewhere to go and snuggle up. It would work very well.

An oil filled radiator would be the best heating solution. You are looking to take the chill off and keep it at a stable temperature.

They could go into your shower room provided the shower room and their Wendy house match in temperature.

Don’t forget you also need to plan in case you get two piggies, and then try to add two other piggies later but they aren’t accepted and they have to live in two pairs. Sows are wired to live in herds but merging two already bonded pairs isn’t always guaranteed as each pair will have a dominant piggy and when merged one of them has to be prepared to give up her position. A decent sized wendy house obviously needs to be convenient and suitable for four to live in together but also two pairs to live in. With any luck a merging of two pairs would go ahead well but it’s always good to have a plan b

You can certainly try the runaround tunnels into a run. I’m not sure how easy the tunnels are to clean though, and I’m not sure if all piggies would be willing to use them.
I did look into it but decided against it. I don’t let mine out while I’m not there to supervise so i couldn’t justify the cost of the tunnels when they wouldn’t be free roaming through them anyway - if I’m home I may as well just move them myself. I just carry my piggies from the shed to their run and use the opportunity for a little health check and cheeky cuddle (most of my four don’t like cuddles!).

 

[EllieS]

Hi, could I jump in on this this thread please? We’re new to Guinea Pigs and I have been hoping to get a pair in September - reading around I realise that our original plan is not appropriate. My father in law has allergies so my husband is very against having animals in the house.

I’ve already ordered a Chartwell hutch and run as recommended in various places. We have a large fairly habitable garage with windows and thick walls that we intend to turn into a den for the kids as they get older with sofas etc. We planned to bring the Guinea Pigs in there when it gets cold. It sounds as if we should make this space into a more permanent home for them if we get them this autumn - keep them there until the Spring? Is there any reason why we shouldn’t have the hutch and run in the garage? Would it be ok to put lino on the floor under the run and then put in wood shavings, hay etc?

Sounds as if we will need to keep a careful eye on temperature and heating for them. Should we have an additional run to let them play on the grass whilst the weather is still clement?

Thanks ever so much for your help.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hi, could I jump in on this this thread please? We’re new to Guinea Pigs and I have been hoping to get a pair in September - reading around I realise that our original plan is not appropriate. My father in law has allergies so my husband is very against having animals in the house.

I’ve already ordered a Chartwell hutch and run as recommended in various places. We have a large fairly habitable garage with windows and thick walls that we intend to turn into a den for the kids as they get older with sofas etc. We planned to bring the Guinea Pigs in there when it gets cold. It sounds as if we should make this space into a more permanent home for them if we get them this autumn - keep them there until the Spring? Is there any reason why we shouldn’t have the hutch and run in the garage? Would it be ok to put lino on the floor under the run and then put in wood shavings, hay etc?

Sounds as if we will need to keep a careful eye on temperature and heating for them. Should we have an additional run to let them play on the grass whilst the weather is still clement?

Thanks ever so much for your help.

Welcome to the forum

Given the time of year, it would be wise to keep them in the garage and then slowly move them out from next spring.
They are fine to be in the garage (the only times garages can’t be used is if it contains a car).
It’s fine to use Lino and then putting bedding and hay down.

In moving them out, you either need to do it slowly : put them out (ie you may well actually take the hutch outside for the day) on a warm day (when it’s around 15-18 degrees, because it may be warm enough for them to be outside in their hutch but it doesn’t mean it’s yet suitable for them to be on the grass). They will still need to be brought back inside at night. It can be like that for many weeks.
They can only stay out at night once night times are also over 15 degrees and that can be around May/June time.
Or you don’t put them out at all and wait until the night times are above 15 degrees and the fully move then out.

An additional run for while the weather is still ok - grass time needs to be built up slowly.
Too much fresh grass particularly in spring (and autumn when grass is growing again) on unprepared tummies can make them unwell.
Often it’s easier to pick grass to give them in their cage for a while, slowly increasing the amount. I start this around the end of February (ish) - it means they are used to grass before it’s even suitable conditions for them to even be on the lawn. Then when weather is nice they go out in the grass for 15 minutes for the first week (I start this around April). Then increase it to 30 minutes for a week, and then an hour, until they can be out for extended periods.
If they are going straight out onto the grass without it being picked and fed in the cage beforehand, then you’d only want them out for 5-10 minutes at a time for the first few days, then add another 10-15 mins for the next week etc.
This has to be built up like every every year after a winter off grass.
So if you start putting them on grass when you get them in September, they won’t be out for long before the weather turns, grass is damp and they can’t go out at all.

 

[EllieS]

This is wonderfully helpful, thank you ever so much!