Welcome to the forum
It’s night time temps which you are watching now. Anything below 15 degrees is considered chilly for them. The sudden drop expected, certainly in my area, down to around 5 degrees will have me putting in winter measures. It’s those sudden drops which are hardest on them.
My piggies live in my shed year round so my measures are timed slightly differently given they have a huge amount of protection from the shed (and my shed is a few degrees warmer due to all its insulation) but at 5 degrees it’s too cold for them.
Think of them as like yourself at this time of year - if you’re cold, they’re already cold. They like temperatures around 18-22 degrees.
I would strongly recommend that if you do have the option to put them in a shed for winter that you do so - it will make a lot of difference to them just to be out of the wind chill. It makes cleaning out and interacting much easier for you also.
You say you got them recently. How recently? Were they already outdoor living?
This is an issue because piggies who have not had all summer outside to be able to slowly start to acclimatise to cooling conditions will really find it harder than piggies who have been out from April/May until now.
I generally recommend that it’s a bit late now for indoor piggies who have not been outside for a month already to go outside for the first time. It means that they are going to need more protection than those who are used to being outdoors.
I would suggest that you not only use thermal covers but to also insulate the hutch. Silver foil insulation stapled onto it works well. Adding blankets onto the hutch underneath the waterproof covers can also help keep more warmth in.
It’s a bit of a balance because if you do too much now then you are left with nowhere much else to go when it really gets cold!
Come next autumn/winter it will be easier for them as they will have had time to acclimatise. Given that time, i find they tend to cope better with cooler conditions than they do with heat.
I’ve never had mine get too cold in winter but it’s heat in summer which is the real test. I’ve only had one summer (the one just gone) where they’ve been able to remain outside all summer (I’ve always had to move them into the house).
You’ve got time to plan for summer though!
Hutches are dangerous places in summer. Even a run on the lawn can be dangerous. A sun heated breeze can raise the inside temperature quite considerably. Anything over 25 poses a danger to them.
Make sure you are using thermometers in the hutch year round.
Regarding the ramp.
There are a few things to note.
Piggies are not climbers and prefer to roam on a single level making two storey hutches not always ideal for all pigs. Upper levels don’t count towards the cage size in any event ie double storey doesn’t double the space.
They may learn to use it but they may also not. All you can really do is:
- Make sure that it is not too steep. Most hutch ramps are too steep for them so raising the bottom with something like a brick can help.
- Add grip to the ramp. They are not likely to use an uncovered wooden ramp. When I had a two storey hutch (which I soon split into two separate hutches for a pair up and a pair down!) I used Velcro to stick some vetbed to the ramp to provide grip. The vetbed could be taken off and put in the washing machine, having a spare piece to replace it with.
Otherwise put some veg on the ramp and see if they become encouraged that way. Time really and whether they have the inclination to try!
What sex are your piggies?
What size is the hutch? 5ft is fine for two girls but a 6ft is needed for two boys
Do note that for boars in particular, ramps can become a point of issue if one claims it and refuses to let the other use it. I only keep boars so that is another reason I don’t like ramps in hutches!
Overview
1 Outdoor guinea pigs living in a hutch
- How to prepare your hutch for Winter
- Insulation
- Daily care
2 Outdoor guinea pigs living in a shed/garage
3 All outdoor guinea pigs
4 Indoor guinea pigs
- Preparing your cage
- Preparing the room
1 Outdoor guinea pigs living in a hutch
How to prepare your hutch for Winter
Autumn is the time to start...
Contents Overview
1 What This Collection Is About
2 Guinea Pigs as Pets
- Family and Classroom Pets
- Sourcing Your Guinea Pigs, Common Pitfalls and Your Customer Rights
- Human Pet Anxiety: Practical Tips for Sufferers and Supporters
- Naming and Finding Out the Breed
- Guinea Pig Facts: An Overview
3 Living Environment
- Housing (with sourcing tips)
- Bedding (with sourcing tips)
- Enrichment...
