Hi there everybody!
I'm thinking about getting my 9yo daughter a couple of guinea pigs for her birthday. I've been doing a lot of research on the best diets and housing. I'm a huge animal lover and really like to keep my animals as natural as possible (pasture paradise/barefoot horses, etc). In our home we have a fenced in yard for our 2 dogs. I have a toddler play yard (the ones with the plastic "walls") that we don't use any more. I was thinking about setting this up in the fenced in area (for double protection) during the warmer months for the pigs to get plenty of outdoor time. They would have hides and water and things of that nature. My question is this: We have several thinner trees inside of the yard (and some larger). I was thinking that putting the fencing around one of the trees may offer them some extra entertainment. This one in question is one of the trees that grew forked and it has lots of crazy roots and things to climb on and under. I'm not positive the type of tree (winter so there's no leaves on it). Is this a bad idea? Could chewing it hurt the piggies? What types of trees to I have to watch out for?
Thank you!
I'm thinking about getting my 9yo daughter a couple of guinea pigs for her birthday. I've been doing a lot of research on the best diets and housing. I'm a huge animal lover and really like to keep my animals as natural as possible (pasture paradise/barefoot horses, etc). In our home we have a fenced in yard for our 2 dogs. I have a toddler play yard (the ones with the plastic "walls") that we don't use any more. I was thinking about setting this up in the fenced in area (for double protection) during the warmer months for the pigs to get plenty of outdoor time. They would have hides and water and things of that nature. My question is this: We have several thinner trees inside of the yard (and some larger). I was thinking that putting the fencing around one of the trees may offer them some extra entertainment. This one in question is one of the trees that grew forked and it has lots of crazy roots and things to climb on and under. I'm not positive the type of tree (winter so there's no leaves on it). Is this a bad idea? Could chewing it hurt the piggies? What types of trees to I have to watch out for?
Thank you!
Hello and welcome to the forum! About the toddler play yard; are the walls sturdy? Can you fix them into the ground so they can't be knocked down? You will still need to put some sort of roof over it to stop cats and birds of prey from getting in. The piggies will also need some kind of shelter inside the pen. As to the trees, most kinds of fruit trees are safe for piggies to eat. You may be able to identify your trees by the bark and the height that they grow. How are you planning to house them in the winter? C and C cages are widely used for indoor piggies these days. You will need at least a 2 x 4 size for two females, and even bigger for two males.