out all winter

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wannabepiggymum

wannabepiggymum

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello

is there anybody on the forum who leaves their piggies out all year round? I'm currently in a dilemma with my own housing arrangements and am starting to worry (months in advance!) about my piggies winter arrangements.
Usually I have them in the shed, but my accommodation at present does not have a shed - and I can't afford £600 odd for a new one right now.
Any advice/suggestions would be great? Having them indoors is not really an option.
 
I'm having some in a shed and some in the hutches over the winter...
Get hutch covers the best ones that your budget will allow... I'm also investing in some heat pods... Can get the off the Internet and most pet shops...
Extra bedding... And I'm getting some cozies aswell...
I'm stressing about this aswell... But I cant fit a shed in mine that will hold everyone in...")
x
 
well in Scotland it does get mighty cold, have you not got a porch? if not a shed, can you get one of those small green house? sorry i dont know how much they cost, but i have seen them about, not sure this will be warm enough really, cant think what else to suggest, but will keep wracking my brains for you!
 
yeh we use those heat pod things in my work (at the vets), I was thinking about buying lots of them to heat up for overnight & during cold days. I've also build a shelter for the hutches to sit underneath so that they don't get wet or covered in snow.

I use vet bed for bedding at the moment, and fleece/shredded paper. I had an idea of using carboard for insulation? anyone else done this before?
 
i am sure i saw a post on here recently where some body was insulating hutches with polystyrene.
 
I'm not sure how many piggies you have but could you not build / buy a mini shed - like a shelter with doors on around your hutch. Its mainly the wind & drafts you need to block out. My piggies are in a shed all year round in hutches but i add cardboard boxes in the bedroom parts stuffed with hay.

The main pain in the butt is frozen bottles - this year I'm doubling up on bottles so every morning & night i can swap the frozen / really cold bottles to a nice clean fresh bottle of water that i keep in the house.
 
My piggies are out all year but this year my girls will be in an insulated shed and my two remaining pairs will be in a two tier that we can move to the garage if needs be. This last winter was super cold so my pigs (I only had three then) were inside.

I know that sheds aren't the cheapest things to get (mine has so far cost £450 and that is without a base/its insulation/floor) but could you look at perhaps getting a second hand one off ebay or something?

Becky is right, the wind and drafts are the most deadly thing you need to be aware of in winter. You can either get a hutch snug (I don't know if you can get them made to specifications though) or try to build as good as shelter as you can around your piggy's accommodation. If you can get a hutch snug (or make your own) you can buy a cheap thick duvet from Argos or something and add that around the hutch for extra protection from the elements.

I hope you find a solution! :)
 
wannabepiggymum said:
yeh we use those heat pod things in my work (at the vets), I was thinking about buying lots of them to heat up for overnight & during cold days. I've also build a shelter for the hutches to sit underneath so that they don't get wet or covered in snow.

I use vet bed for bedding at the moment, and fleece/shredded paper. I had an idea of using carboard for insulation? anyone else done this before?
Click to expand...

Oh also....!
I've seen this done... And I'm pinching the idea insulating the roof with bubble wrap and you know those silver things you put in your windscreen on hot days....? Something similar to that... :)
x
 
Mine were outside all through the last winter and were fine, didn't even have a hutch hugger in all that snow, their fur grows extra thick, I stuffed the hutch with hay and used a heat-pad at night.
 
thanks for your help everyone! I've enlisted the help of my dad - we plan to insulate the hutch with polystyrene, and mum is going to make a custom snug to fit round it. Also ordered 2 heat pads to alternate through day and night !
 
If you are still concerned after insulating, maybe you could look out in your local paper for a second hand shed that might meet your needs.
 
Piggies body temps. are similar to ours so however you feel, hot/cold etc. they will feel the same. I also do not believe they grow thicker hair unlike rabbits.
Sorry I cannot offer you much advice as my lot are indoor piggies and their new snugglepads have arrived this morning :))
Guess who is playing in the delivery box full of shredded paper...rolleyes
 
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