Novice owner - would like advice

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Mrs Teapot

Hello all you GP experts, I'm new here <waves>. I was wondering if some of you would be kind enough to answer my queries about our new GP's housing?

We have 2 baby GP's, females. We have bought a two storey hutch with a ladder that connect both stories. Not sure if I am being a bit namby pamby, but there are no sides on the ladder, nor are there any sides, upstairs, to stop them falling off the ladder or over the edge. Hopefully you will tell me they are clever enough not to do that? So far, they haven't braved the 'ladder of fear' , as they are slowly getting used to us from our twice daily visits/plays/runs etc when we force them out of their 'bedroom of fear'. :))

All housing advice gratefully received. I have many other questions - I will try and find the right place to post them.

Thanks for now.
Mrs Teapot
 
Well, the good news is that after a while they will get used to the hole in the floor and not fall through - the bad news is, it can still happen and they can hurt themselves badly.

My opinion take a thin wooden plank and screw, glue or nail it into the ramp and at the exit/entry hole, you can make a wooden "*" and attach it to the floor to stop them falling through.

Hope that helps a bit.
 
I would treat it as a normal stair case you would have in your house :))... Where the hole is you could fix a panel on one side and the other to stop piggies falling down it (like a bannister without the holes) and on the ramp just put a panel running down the open side (this doesnt need to be massively high, just piggy height) and you will be fine...
 
Thanks for replying.

I don't 'do' DIY, so what is the simplest/easiest solution - or is there none? I don't want them hurt.

The hutch in question is the Thistle Hall from P@H. If that helps.

Thanks,
Mrs Teapot
 
You could try putting carpet or rubber matting (like car mats?) on the ramp to make it less slippery - that might help. Or you could buy some cardboard tubes (pet shops sell them, or the inners from rolls of carpet if you ask for them) and attached those to the ramp, so they are going down a tube rather than a ramp? Just an idea.

Two of mine live in a hutch with a ramp and apart from the initial panic they now go happily up and down. But I have tried others in the same hutch and they just won't do it!

Good luck with them, and welcome to the forum

Sophie
x
 
I had a similar hutch and Timmy who was 6 weeks at the time never fell down but on the bottom floor, I had thick bedding-several newspapers, aubiose on top of that then a thick layer of soft hay. If he had fallen, I am sure he would have had a soft landing!
 
If you dont do diy then there really isnt another option i can think of... You can do things to "cushion" the fall like people have suggested but personally i would get someone in to do the woodwork to be on the safe side. It would take half a day and not cost much at all...:) Or if you have a handy OH or family member they could do it... It isnt a big job an you can get the wood cut at B and Q before you put it in...

I know with one of my piggies she bolts and i wouldnt want to take the risk when i do put them outside next year that she bolts and falls...
 
My guinea pigs go in hutches in the summer and not one has ever fallen (that I have seen). They manage the ladder with ease.

They tend to stay at the bottom during the day and then just go up at night.

Yes I do admit they could fall and could get hurt but being an animal thats low to the ground and does not bounce with every step like a rabbit they are a bit safer.

Mine took a few days to get use to the ladder.

If your not in to DIY minded then there is not much you can do but I would not worry too much, but thats just me :) I have the same hutch as you.

Any caging comes with risks, when I used a C&C cage one piggy jumped out and hurt its back leg, with my Nero 4's one chewed the plastic house in it then got a scratch on him from the chewed plastic.
 
Thanks so, so, so much for ALL your comments. Really its my OH who doesn't 'do' DIY :( Then again, neither do I.

Today the two babies (age about 11-12 weeks) braved going UP the ladder (after being put downstairs) but cannot go down. One of them went downstairs - halfway - then panicked, turned round and came back up. I put a dish of carrots and cucumber at the bottom of the stairs, propped so they could see it. They strained at the top of the stairs, sniffing like crazy. I left them to it, but hours later they hadn't braved down DOWN yet.

I hope they will.

by the way, what the 'poster' who cusioned the floor - what is that stuff with the funny name you mentioned? Began with A? I'm interested. You put it on top of newspaper.

Many grateful thanks,
Mrs T
 
We have Sage House from P@H and ours were scared at first. Eventually I put them downstairs with a box to hide in and took the stairs away until they had had a sniff around. They seem to be fine going up and down the ladder now and run up and down all day.
 
Welcome Mrs Teapot ... what a great name!

I have often wondered about the hutches with the ladder and the hole in the floor, and if they were ok.

I am sure that when your piggies get bigger, it will be easier for them to climb the ladder. Could they just live downstairs for now, or would that be in the run?
 
Thanks Goldie - you after a cuppa then :p

Well one of the piggies can go up and down the stairs with ease but the more timid one can go up but not down. As they are young and scared the food is upstairs anyway. Though I have tried tempting them both down with veggies.

Hopefully it will conquer its fear of heights soon.

I was worried about the cold last night (hutch outside, south west facing, underneath a 'lean to' roof. I put tons of hay in there but all they do is trample it down. They are not interested in burying in it at all. However today I found some bright pink fleecy fluffy stuff (looks like a bag of candy floss from a distance) that is made from fibrous material and stuffed into their little igloo thing for some extra warmth tonight. Hope they like it and don't eat it all (though it says its safe).

I am considering getting an indoor hutch for my daughter's room to put them in at night but will have to turn the radiator down in that room - she is in the coldest room in the house anyway. Any suggestions?
 
I think the idea of putting carpet there is a good one, however after a while it might get messy etc.

I am sure if the stairs were a real problem then P@H wouldn't be allowed to sell them?
 
Mrs Teapot said:
Thanks so, so, so much for ALL your comments. Really its my OH who doesn't 'do' DIY :( Then again, neither do I.

Today the two babies (age about 11-12 weeks) braved going UP the ladder (after being put downstairs) but cannot go down. One of them went downstairs - halfway - then panicked, turned round and came back up. I put a dish of carrots and cucumber at the bottom of the stairs, propped so they could see it. They strained at the top of the stairs, sniffing like crazy. I left them to it, but hours later they hadn't braved down DOWN yet.

I hope they will.

by the way, what the 'poster' who cusioned the floor - what is that stuff with the funny name you mentioned? Began with A? I'm interested. You put it on top of newspaper.

Many grateful thanks,
Mrs T
Click to expand...

Hi, the stuff is called aubiose-it is a horse bedding. Lots of us on here use horse bedding as its very absorbant. Aubiose looks a bit like wood chips but it is much softer and made from the hemp plant. Another type of horse bedding is megazorb made from virgin wood pulp.
The bags are about 20 litres, so big! A bag of aubiose for your 2 should last you about a month and costs £7.50 or so a bag..megazorb is cheaper but doesnt last as long.
You lay newspaper down first, then aubiose to about 1 inch thick then I put a large pile of hay in one corner.

If you do decide to try a horse bedding for your guineas, be careful as some contain harmful ingredients so not safe for guineas. The two I have mentioned are very safe :)
 
Hi

Hello Mrs, Teapot,
No sugar for me thanks?
I had a similar problem, however my 3 female youngsters soon got used to the ramp, the shy one will watch the other and soon catch on. I just left the food downstairs as that is where I wanted them to eat and a couple of weeks later they are up and down all day.
Hope they are settling down a bit now.
Chris
 
I put the ramp in my double hutch on thurs & you really do lose a lot of space upstairs cos of the size of hole thats cut out of the floor. My hubby fixed a piece op plywood along the long side of the hole aout 4'' high so they wouldn't fall down in the dark.The first night they refused to use the ramp but we solved that **** with the brill reccomendation of carpet,they are now playing catch chase up & down the ramp so they're getting loads of exersize.
 
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