Outdoor pigs in winter

[maharvey83]

Hi, my guinea pigs are being moved in to the summer house this weekend. When it has been too cold or wet to be in their run, we have brought them inside the house in a play pen so they get exercise. This won’t be an option over Christmas as we have family to stay and need the space. What does everyone else do with their pigs in this situation? Do they just stay in their hutches all day unless having candles? I was thinking about buying a c and c cage to have inside the summer house instead of the run?
Any advice would be great

 

[Piggies&buns]

Piggies who live outside should not be brought into the house for playtime once there is difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures. Bringing outdoor piggies into the house from autumn onwards exposes them to too great of a temperature fluctuation
My boys live in my shed. They get let out of the hutch and allowed to roam the shed floor but only if it is warm enough in the shed. This may mean it can range from being out all day on a sunny winter day as the shed warms up well, to lnly gettingan hour in the middle of the day and sometimes not being able to come out at all if the shed doesn’t warm up enough

 

[maharvey83]

Ah I just feel so sorry for them poor little things being sat in their hutch all day

 

[Piggies&buns]

If the hutch is big enough and has enrichment inside, then they will be fine. It's definitely worth seeing if you can get something up in the summer house for them to use though

 

[maharvey83]

What sorts of enrichment do you have? We have a 5ft hutch with hideys and tunnel in but just find the pair of them just hide away and don’t move around when in there

 

[Piggies&buns]

I tend to change up the hides they have during the day so they are different to the ones they mostly sleep in. I also hide their veg and pellets amongst piles of hay and use dried forages to keep them searching for food, toilet roll tubes stuffed with hay,