New run/cage construction

[defected]

So, after looking after a couple of Guinea pigs, whilst the owners are on holiday, looks like, I'm finally going to give into the wife demands and get a Guinea pig or 2. Just have a few questions, I'd like answering about cage design if possible.

So living in the north of England, looks like they might have to spend half the time, living in doors and the rest outdoors, is that acceptable or do you have to pick one or the other?

I have a friend who is a joiner whose going to construct an area for them, 6ft x 2.5ft, Which from what I've read should be plenty. but how high do the sides have to be? I'm sure the wife, will wont the front as low as possible, so she can watch them run around and feed them veg, but don't want them, jumping the fence and running round the house, when there not meant to be.

From what I've been reading, I'll need to line there run, with a correct sheet, then have a fleece over the top of that. I'm assuming the fleece won't be an issue, but is there anywhere I could get a sheet of correct in the UK that size, I'm assuming, I'd need it somewhere in the scale of 7 foot long by 3+ft wide or is there any tips for joining the peaces together?

Thanks

 

[defected]

Ignore the question about sourcing correx, looks like ebay is the answer.

 

[DougalandDiego]

Welcome to the forum!
I am a new pig owner (got my pigs a couple of months ago) and I’m sure you’ll get a response from someone more experienced, but I would recommend deciding whether they primarily stay inside or outside. Guinea pigs are very sensitive to the cold and heat so I decided to keep my pigs indoors. If you decided to keep them inside there’s nothing stopping you building a run for them to go in outside for short periods of time (always supervised as lately I’ve read some piggies have managed to escape their outdoor runs).

Hope this helps!

 

[Siikibam]

The first and most important thing is that you need a pair at least. Boars can only live in pairs, but sows can live in groups, and you can have one (neutered) boar with many sows. Character compatibility is an important aspect of a long lasting bond.

If you’re building their housing from wood, you should first line it with lino rather than using correx. You’d also need something absorbent underneath the fleece - puppy pads, towels, inco pads, waterproof mattress protectors to name a few.

You also have the option of disposable bedding. There’s a thread that goes through the pros and cons of each type of bedding.