Pine And Ceder Housing

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KalFour

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Hi folks,

I'm new to the site. Getting some piglets soon and currently setting up the enclosure and house.

I know that pine, ceder and some other woods should not be used as bedding. Are there any issues with making the hutch/house out of these woods?

-Kal
 
I would not recommend it; the problem is with the fumes that these woods give off, which can harm a piggy's breathing. Please use other woods for making huts or research washable fleece and fabric tents, caves and cubes.

PS: We have members from all over the world. From the woods you want to use, I assume that you are from the US? Could you please add your country or state to your details by clicking on your username on the top bar, then personal details/location. That will make it much easier to give you any appropriate advice, recommendations and links straight away.
 
I'm in Australia. Pine and ceder are easily accessibl and cheap. Harvesting local timber isn't really an option.
The wood is aged and cured. What exactlyis the problem? Is it the oil itself? The wood dust?
Canvas is definitly not an option. Weather extremes here require better insulation. Winters can get down to -5°C (but no snow), summer 40°C. Pigs will have a roof and a shadecloth seasonally, and will be kept indoors on winter nights.
They will have an enclosed steel enclosure to keep foxes, cats, and birds of prey out of their frolicking space, but I'd like the house itself to be as fox proof as possible.
 
As far as I understand it, the oils are the problem.
 
So what woods are good for the keeping the third little piggy safe from the big bad wolf without hurting it'slungs?
 
What woods are available to you? I am in Britain.
 
KalFour said:
So what woods are good for the keeping the third little piggy safe from the big bad wolf without hurting it'slungs?
Click to expand...

The best thing to keep your pigs from the big bad wolf (or other predators, even human burglars) is to keep them inside your house.
Would you consider housing them indoors?
 
Gosh, i have never thought to question the material a hutch was made out of! Truely, I have no idea what mine are......though all pigs are inside for winter.
 
Wiebkie - Apart from ceder and pine, there is oak, merbau, river reds, and a lot of other things that are expensive. The appeal of pine is that it's easy to find recycled and untreated.
Lissie - no. Also, why would a burglar be remotely interested in guinea pigs? That's bizarre.
Goth Mummy - I could just buy a hutch, but I wouldn't be completely confident that commercial pet housing is safe. I recently lost a cockatiel to metal poisoning. There's no regulation on pet products, and commercially available bird toys can be made out of toxic metals.
 
KalFour said:
Wiebkie - it is very part from ceder and pine, there is oak, merbau, river reds, and a lot of other things that are expensive. The appeal of pine is that it's easy to find recycled and untreated.
Lissie - no. Also, why would a burglar be remotely interested in guinea pigs? That's bizarre.
Goth Mummy - I could just buy a hutch, but I wouldn't be completely confident that commercial pet housing is safe. I recently lost a cockatiel to metal poisoning. There's no regulation on pet products, and commercially available bird toys can be made out of toxic metals.
Click to expand...
In england guineas do get stolen from gardens on occasion It is very upsetting
 
KalFour said:
Lissie - no. Also, why would a burglar be remotely interested in guinea pigs? That's bizarre.
Click to expand...

I don't know why. But I've read lots of news article (about guinea pigs) from around the world and see lots of them being stolen, or attacked and left to die.
 
Kiln dried pine is typically considered safe as the phenols are released in the drying process. The majority of hutches in the UK are actually made from pine wood.
 
Oh, well, there are lots of factors that influence and inform where guinea pigs are kept. Certainly indoors has its advantages, but outdoors can be completely fine as well. Mine are indoors in winter and outdoors in the summer, providing that we dont have a really wet summer again in which case they will be hutches inside the shed!

I did check and my hutches are kiln dried pine and the wood we used to repair them is also kiln dried :)

Although certainly there have been cases of guinea pigs stolen from hutches outside, I do think its rare and not something I would loose sleep over, well, not in the area I live in anyway. It would be awful if it happened but I dont think there are lots of people prowling round taking small furries. I would make sure my garden was very secured though if I had hutches outside.

If you do build your own hutch, OP, I would love to see photos!
 
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