New to this, Hutch Guidance please

JLB455

JLB455

New Born Pup
Joined
May 8, 2019
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Location
Warwickshire
Hello, we have just brought two femail Guinea Pigs into our family, and we have fallen totally in love with them. I went and splurged on the biggest hutch, with run attached that I could afford, as I work all week so they are at home through the day and I wanted to them to have lots of space to play. (they have a separate run we can put them in when we are around). I also invested in a hutch cover which is in place to keep them warm and dry not shown in picture.

I bought bedding from the local pet shop, who recommended sawdust to line the hutch. I got plenty of straw, and a safe "paper" type bedding which is in their cosy sectioned off "bedroom" I have done further reading since bringing our two lovely piggies home, and have learnt that sawdust is not good!

Two questions for you experienced Guinea Pig owners please:
What should I line their upstairs enclosed hutch with?
Should I be putting a floor under the lower section of the hutch as this is directly open to the grass (which is rapidly being eaten away), and the earth.

I am worrying myself silly, that I haven't got things set up right, please help!

Other than that, we are loving our new lovely family additions, and they seem to be settling in well, and growing in confidence.
Thanks in advance for your help.

PS - this looks a fantastic forum!




112736
 
Run also not attached in this photo - it more than doubles the downstairs section, during the day we leave the cage open, so they can have free access to the secure run which sits infront of the downstairs of the hutch - and is fixed to it.
 
Hello, welcome to the forum. Hopefully
Some of our outdoor piggy owners will be around to offer advice soon.

At night you do make Sure they have no access to the run below? The under section?
 
sport_billy said:
Hello, welcome to the forum. Hopefully
Some of our outdoor piggy owners will be around to offer advice soon.

At night you do make Sure they have no access to the run below? The under section?
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They have access to downstairs, but not out into the attached run - the hutch cover seals up all the way around the downstairs section, keeping it dry and draught free. Is that ok?
 
JLB455 said:
They have access to downstairs, but not out into the attached run - the hutch cover seals up all the way around the downstairs section, keeping it dry and draught free. Is that ok?
Click to expand...

I would be concerned how predator proof the bottom run area was overnight, I’d be tempted to make sure they were locked away in the upper section if that makes sense
 
Don’t use straw for piggies, only hay.

Sounds like they are going to have an amazing home. What are their names? Do you have some pigtures?
 
sport_billy said:
Don’t use straw for piggies, only hay.

Sounds like they are going to have an amazing home. What are their names? Do you have some pigtures?
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Thank you. They have lots of hay to eat too, I had bought the straw for bedding, but will change that. The are Jupiter (she has a brown spot on her - as apparently so does the planet !), and PB (Peanut Butter - as she looks like she's been sticking her face in a jar of the stuff!)

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JLB455 said:
Hello, we have just brought two femail Guinea Pigs into our family, and we have fallen totally in love with them. I went and splurged on the biggest hutch, with run attached that I could afford, as I work all week so they are at home through the day and I wanted to them to have lots of space to play. (they have a separate run we can put them in when we are around). I also invested in a hutch cover which is in place to keep them warm and dry not shown in picture.

I bought bedding from the local pet shop, who recommended sawdust to line the hutch. I got plenty of straw, and a safe "paper" type bedding which is in their cosy sectioned off "bedroom" I have done further reading since bringing our two lovely piggies home, and have learnt that sawdust is not good!

Two questions for you experienced Guinea Pig owners please:
What should I line their upstairs enclosed hutch with?
Should I be putting a floor under the lower section of the hutch as this is directly open to the grass (which is rapidly being eaten away), and the earth.

I am worrying myself silly, that I haven't got things set up right, please help!

Other than that, we are loving our new lovely family additions, and they seem to be settling in well, and growing in confidence.
Thanks in advance for your help.

PS - this looks a fantastic forum!




View attachment 112736
Click to expand...
Looks fab :tu:
I would put something on the bottom though. I've got a similar hutch for my rabbits and I've put a sheet of wood underneath it. :)
 
Hi,straw is very thick and harsh,it can cause piggies to have eye ulcers/ injury.i would put lino on the floor to prevent urine seeping onto the wood base .The patio would be better to place the hutch ,as predators are less likely to gnaw the wood.you have done well with your research.the only straw based beddings you can use is chopped straw,eg bliss rapeseed oil straw chopped,medibed chopped wheat straw,aubiose which is hemp based.
 
eileen said:
Hi,straw is very thick and harsh,it can cause piggies to have eye ulcers/ injury.i would put lino on the floor to prevent urine seeping onto the wood base .The patio would be better to place the hutch ,as predators are less likely to gnaw the wood.you have done well with your research.the only straw based beddings you can use is chopped straw,eg bliss rapeseed oil straw chopped,medibed chopped wheat straw,aubiose which is hemp based.
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Many thanks for your advice, it is really valuable when you are just starting out !
 
I have an outside hutch but not one that sits directly on the ground. When it is colder the ground/patio is too cold for them so ideally you would want a wooden floor on legs so it is slightly raised off the ground and not subject to absorbing the cold from the ground.

What size is your hutch? I use aubiose bedding to line the hutch with which is my preference. I used wood shavings previously and also tried fleece but for my set up the aubiose is best. I go through easily twice as much hay in the colder months as I fill their bedding areas with it to help keep them warm and I also invested in two snugglesafes which heat up in the microwave and slowly release heat for 8-10 hours after. I also have an insulating cover and the weatherproof cover on top to keep them cooler in summer and warmer in winter as heat is equally as bad as the cold for them.
 
Lady Kelly said:
I have an outside hutch but not one that sits directly on the ground. When it is colder the ground/patio is too cold for them so ideally you would want a wooden floor on legs so it is slightly raised off the ground and not subject to absorbing the cold from the ground.

What size is your hutch? I use aubiose bedding to line the hutch with which is my preference. I used wood shavings previously and also tried fleece but for my set up the aubiose is best. I go through easily twice as much hay in the colder months as I fill their bedding areas with it to help keep them warm and I also invested in two snugglesafes which heat up in the microwave and slowly release heat for 8-10 hours after. I also have an insulating cover and the weatherproof cover on top to keep them cooler in summer and warmer in winter as heat is equally as bad as the cold for them.
Click to expand...
Brilliant, thank you so much - I have some small animal heated pads I have been adding at night which stay warm for 8 hours, but I will check out the snugglesafes. I hae also ordered some aubiose after further searching through previous posts on the forum earlier today - I think it may well have been one of yours :-) I have a weather proof cover which seems to be very effective in keeping out the rain & damp, this came from the manufacturer - I don't think they do insulating ones, but I will research them. If you are able to offer my any guidance on where to look for one, that would be fantastic. Thank you so much again.
 
JLB455 said:
Brilliant, thank you so much - I have some small animal heated pads I have been adding at night which stay warm for 8 hours, but I will check out the snugglesafes. I hae also ordered some aubiose after further searching through previous posts on the forum earlier today - I think it may well have been one of yours :-) I have a weather proof cover which seems to be very effective in keeping out the rain & damp, this came from the manufacturer - I don't think they do insulating ones, but I will research them. If you are able to offer my any guidance on where to look for one, that would be fantastic. Thank you so much again.
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Our pads are snugglesafe ones :-) It amazes me that there is still warmth in the morning (but I have been trying to put them out quite late so they have them for the coldest part of the night ! They go under all their bedding, which they then nest in.
 
Lady Kelly said:
I have an outside hutch but not one that sits directly on the ground. When it is colder the ground/patio is too cold for them so ideally you would want a wooden floor on legs so it is slightly raised off the ground and not subject to absorbing the cold from the ground.

What size is your hutch? I use aubiose bedding to line the hutch with which is my preference. I used wood shavings previously and also tried fleece but for my set up the aubiose is best. I go through easily twice as much hay in the colder months as I fill their bedding areas with it to help keep them warm and I also invested in two snugglesafes which heat up in the microwave and slowly release heat for 8-10 hours after. I also have an insulating cover and the weatherproof cover on top to keep them cooler in summer and warmer in winter as heat is equally as bad as the cold for them.
Click to expand...
The main hutch is 6'x2' - both floors, with a bedroom sectioned off area filled with bedding (currently straw & paper bedding). We are going to get it raised off the floor - someone has suggested rubber matting that is used in stables? I have ordered a vinyl cover to line the bottom with which the auboise can go on to. Hope they don't mind all this change ! They also have a cage, which we use when we are cleaning them out, and I will use incase of emergencies (sickness etc) or if there is a bad storm - as I wouldn't want them to be out there then! We will then pop the hutch into the garage for the winter months.... that is the plan anyway... there is a lot to learn, and it is great to find this forum to get help from those with a great deal of experience! Thanks again.
 
When the weather gets cooler in autumn you can decide if you want to bring them inside for the winter or perhaps bring them under cover, you could keep them in windowed garage/hut.

The base of your cage is fine for late spring, summer and early autumn, piggies love to eat grass, you can move it around so they get fresh grass. Could you put a little door made from a piece of wood at the top of the ramp so you can lock them in safely on a night? We did this with ours, although we have actually never left them out on a night x we hold the door open with a peg during the day and use a wing lock to lock them in if required I.e. if you want to move it. sorry it’s a rubbish photo
27BC7F6B-D99B-443B-8C77-37B4F9CEB398.jpeg0A9D1188-9484-474B-8868-57A681625197.webp
 
JLB455 said:
Brilliant, thank you so much - I have some small animal heated pads I have been adding at night which stay warm for 8 hours, but I will check out the snugglesafes. I hae also ordered some aubiose after further searching through previous posts on the forum earlier today - I think it may well have been one of yours :-) I have a weather proof cover which seems to be very effective in keeping out the rain & damp, this came from the manufacturer - I don't think they do insulating ones, but I will research them. If you are able to offer my any guidance on where to look for one, that would be fantastic. Thank you so much again.
Click to expand...

I've seen others using things like a duvet under the weatherproof cover and also things like bubble wrap can work to insulate them
 
Bill & Ted said:
When the weather gets cooler in autumn you can decide if you want to bring them inside for the winter or perhaps bring them under cover, you could keep them in windowed garage/hut.

The base of your cage is fine for late spring, summer and early autumn, piggies love to eat grass, you can move it around so they get fresh grass. Could you put a little door made from a piece of wood at the top of the ramp so you can lock them in safely on a night? We did this with ours, although we have actually never left them out on a night x we hold the door open with a peg during the day and use a wing lock to lock them in if required I.e. if you want to move it. sorry it’s a rubbish photo
View attachment 112774View attachment 112775
Click to expand...
Wow that looks incredible ! Lucky piggies. I will take on board all of the sensible advice you have given. There is a little door that can keep them upstairs at night, so we will start doing that. Thanks again :-)
 
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