Outside Hutches

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Rubybubbles

Rubybubbles

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Hi everyone:)

Since moving into a smaller house, I have had to put Candy and Sparky into an outside hutch as no room, and one of my new childminded children was banging on their cage all the timepow-pow

I feel so guilty but get them in every evening, and I think they are talking to me, as soon as they hear the patio opening in the morning they wheek and come out from their bedded area.

So how can I make their outdoor hutch more comfy? I have put newspaper, sawdust and hay (loads of hay) but am now worried as it goes aaginst me using fleece indoorsrolleyes

So those with outdoor hutches, what do you do? I was thinking of using megazorb (any good links please) I just want them to still love me lol!
 
Hi :)
My girlies live outdoors too due to lack of space and my hubby being allergic to piggies. My girls also live on newspaper followed by wood shavings followed by hay and they are just fine. They also have 2 domes in their hutch, 2 hammocks and during the winter, they had snugglesafe heat pads as well as cosies, loads of hay and added insulation.
Thank you for asking this question though as I have been wondering about Megazorb myself
 
Claire W said:
Hi :)
My girlies live outdoors too due to lack of space and my hubby being allergic to piggies. My girls also live on newspaper followed by wood shavings followed by hay and they are just fine. They also have 2 domes in their hutch, 2 hammocks and during the winter, they had snugglesafe heat pads as well as cosies, loads of hay and added insulation.
Thank you for asking this question though as I have been wondering about Megazorb myself
Click to expand...

:) Makes me feel better knowing another outside piggy is on here!

They have a large pigloo and a wooden arch for the other end, filled with hay for them to hide, chomp, or as they like, chew on the wood-c You can't see the pigloo for the amount of hay I put in and on, as I am so worried they will get cold")! I saw the snugglesafes heat pads, so will def gettin those.

thanks hun
 
I don't have outdoor pigs but I use megazorb for litter trays. I pay between £5.80 and £7.20 a bag (85litre sack) depending on which place I get it from- either local feed suppliers or stables. I think one of the cheapest places online is Farmway which works out about £11.20 (?) per sack last time I looked. The mark up is steep because of postage/ delivery because of the weight.
Hope that's helpful. :)
 
My guinea-pigs live outside in hutches and I put lots of hay in, they also have some beds and guinea-pig sleeping bags and igloos. Two of my hutches have hutch covers and the other 2 are covered with tarpaulin but I take them all off the hutches in the day if its not too cold/raining. I've put old socks round the water bottles so they don't freeze in the winter and it worked really well last winter, the bottles didn't freeze at all.
 
Mine have their covered bit packed with straw which they love sleeping and hiding in. Then in their 'day bit' they have loads of layers of newspaper and then hay on top. They also have a pigloo :)
 
Just wanted to say your dog is really cute! :) I have Cavaliers too (a tri-colour, blenheim and ruby) and they are just the nicest breed of dog ever.

My piggies live outdoors. They have wooden hutches and runs and in the winter I just give them loads and loads of hay. As much as will fit in the sleeping area of the hutch! They burrow right into it. I check it often to make sure it's not damp so they don't get cold. In previous winters I had the hutches somewhere very sheltered but they're not so sheltered now (new hutches) and since last winter was so bad, next one might be, so I'm buying hutch covers and snuggle safe heat pads too! I also have woodshavings underneath the hay to absorb the pee, and just to clean the hutches often so they stay dry and warm. :)

If they are good hutches then they will probably stay warm enough. If they're thin plywood kinda hutches then they mightn't be very warm.
 
bumping as we all get ready for winter brrr

Okay so the girls in the morning are lovely and toasty I can feel the heat in the hidden area!

I have been thinking about vet bed, then newspaper then hay stuffed on top? I thought then as I change it, I can still roll the newspaper and soiled hay every day/other day! I saw some in my local Jollies (never seen them before but 30cm by about 90cm was £7.99 is that good?) I feel crazy mad with them being outside, and I don't think they are that impressed when they go back in the evening:... but I can't have them inside:(

Just being looking for a hutch cover and going to insulate with fleece like someone's photos? sorry can' think who!
 
Do you mean me? :)

DSCF1265.jpg


It is awfully windy here so the girls will be having their fleece tonight for the first time since March xx
 
My lot live outdoors too :)

Like Claire, it's very windy here too today :( Mine are covered with a fleece throughout the year but recently they have had two fleeces across the front of the hutch, as well as the rain protector.

Like you guys, I use newspaper then lots of hay and they have two wooden hidey-houses, as well as the bed part of the hutch to snuggle into.

I ws thinking of putting corrugated card underneath the newspaper (I was sat on a flattened diy box last weekend putting together a cabinet and noticed that it was really warm compared to the floor :)) ) But I'm not sure where I'd get so much card from and it'd be a pain to get rid of. I may try it in sleeping areas though.. dunno...
 
I just can not believe how the weather has changed :( I felt so bad to my girls this morning when I woke up to the windy weather. I have just been out and filled their bed with hay and their fleece will be going on for the night very shortly xx
 
My boys are outdoor boys too and I've found these discussions and suggestions about caring for our outdoor piggies very helpful. Thank you to all who have contributed! :)
I had my Hutch Hugger delivered today (it took less than 48 hours to be delivered - great service - ordered from TheRabbitHutchShop.co.uk) Fitted it to the hutch tonight with a little rug underneath it, just over the bedroom area. It's amazing how happier I am knowing it's going to be a little less drafty in there tonight - hope my boys are happy too. Just have to invest in some spaceblanket to make into a snuggle that'll fit under the hugger.
 
Mine are outdoors at the moment too, they have table mats on the bottom of the hutch as it makes it easier to clean, they news paper sawdust and hay...the bedroom they have fleece, and lots and lots of hay all under a cardboard box, so its cozy for the evening times. They also have their wooden hidey, wooden arch, wood block hay racks and shoe boxes to hide in and chomp :))

For insulation this year i plan on a layer of polystyrene and bubble wrap then fleece onto the walls of the bedroom, and fleece onto the rest of the walls, I have sewn bubble wrap to fleece to attach the the front of the hutch and a shower curtain modified to act as a rain protector so hopefully they'll be snug as a bug! :) good luck finding the right bedding for your piggies !
 
Your piggies sound very cosy to me! I like the idea of sewing bubble wrap to fleece as an extra insulating layer. Better get the old sewing machine out :)
 
Yes clare! thank you that is just the picture in my head lol!
MellyWelly said:
My boys are outdoor boys too and I've found these discussions and suggestions about caring for our outdoor piggies very helpful. Thank you to all who have contributed! :)
I had my Hutch Hugger delivered today (it took less than 48 hours to be delivered - great service - ordered from TheRabbitHutchShop.co.uk) Fitted it to the hutch tonight with a little rug underneath it, just over the bedroom area. It's amazing how happier I am knowing it's going to be a little less drafty in there tonight - hope my boys are happy too. Just have to invest in some spaceblanket to make into a snuggle that'll fit under the hugger.
Click to expand...

I ordered mine on Tuesday night and mine came today from same company (through ebay-c)
 
Little Piggles said:
My lot live outdoors too :)

Like Claire, it's very windy here too today :( Mine are covered with a fleece throughout the year but recently they have had two fleeces across the front of the hutch, as well as the rain protector.

Like you guys, I use newspaper then lots of hay and they have two wooden hidey-houses, as well as the bed part of the hutch to snuggle into.

I ws thinking of putting corrugated card underneath the newspaper (I was sat on a flattened diy box last weekend putting together a cabinet and noticed that it was really warm compared to the floor :)) ) But I'm not sure where I'd get so much card from and it'd be a pain to get rid of. I may try it in sleeping areas though.. dunno...
Click to expand...


oh thats a good idea! I have loads of boxes as we move all the time (Hubby RAF) and soiled boxes can go into the compost bin along with the guinea pig hay/bedding. Have gutted the girls out today and ended up drying the hutch with a hair drier as was not drying at all lol!
 
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