Typical routine?
- Thread starter Lucyy82
- Start date
I have 5 piggies living in 3 C&C cages (two mixed pairs and a single sow).
Our piggies live indoors, and range in age from 12 weeks to 2.5 years old.
In the morning (7am) we do a quick check and spot clean.
This is followed by a pellet top up and fresh veggies.
At lunch time (12.00 - 13.00) 2 - 3 piggies are handled by DD1, which involves laptime cuddles and a small food treat.
In the afternoon the reaming piggies are handled (the goal is 4 out of 5 piggies are handled every day).
Early evening and all water bottles are emptied and refiled, and we give either fresh grass (March - November) or a dried forage treat (Dec - Feb).
Hay bags are also topped up and hay trays are emptied and cleaned (but only every second day).
Our piggies live indoors, and range in age from 12 weeks to 2.5 years old.
In the morning (7am) we do a quick check and spot clean.
This is followed by a pellet top up and fresh veggies.
At lunch time (12.00 - 13.00) 2 - 3 piggies are handled by DD1, which involves laptime cuddles and a small food treat.
In the afternoon the reaming piggies are handled (the goal is 4 out of 5 piggies are handled every day).
Early evening and all water bottles are emptied and refiled, and we give either fresh grass (March - November) or a dried forage treat (Dec - Feb).
Hay bags are also topped up and hay trays are emptied and cleaned (but only every second day).
fanniephina
Junior Guinea Pig
I would love to keep a schedule and you can have some great samples here. The only thing I am strict on with my schedule is the time they get their salad (something they tell me loudly if I'm a moment off-no joke) and the cleaning of pads with cages.
Two of the three c&c's are in our family room with everything I usually have. Hubby usually is on the pc in the livingroom and the kids are always in and out so I am usually with the babies all day on and off. The past year I have had some health issues and don't sleep much but get up most night to check on hubby and kids. Leaves me with the babies almost all the time. I vacuum pellets on an off all day but it's not necessary. They do get their hay when they wake up in the morning (which varies, I like to wait for all three of them in the one cage and the other one the same) just because it's so much fun to see them go crazy. Pellets are daily as they are all still pretty young and they all have their own bowl so I just top off if I see they might have used more in one then the other. They are supposed to have 1/8 each but they actually will eat about an eighth more or so. I watch the bottles but I have quite a few per cage. For certain these get washed and refilled sometime in the morning but not strict.
Ok, my daughter is as crazy as I am for all our animals and we have them all pretty much around us. She brings her guinea pig downstairs a few times a day but we are both handling all of them at different times. I won't take them when they are eating, resting or playing together but that still leaves a lot of the day. I walk up and talk to them literally all day. Pumpkin is in the cage next to me and alone for now (my newfound boar; was mis sexed) but across from the girls so they talk a lot together. However he is with me a lot and I let him run around with my chihuahuas or he is with me and the chihuahuas on the couch here. My smallest chihuahua plays a lot with him next to me and it helps him.
Two of the three c&c's are in our family room with everything I usually have. Hubby usually is on the pc in the livingroom and the kids are always in and out so I am usually with the babies all day on and off. The past year I have had some health issues and don't sleep much but get up most night to check on hubby and kids. Leaves me with the babies almost all the time. I vacuum pellets on an off all day but it's not necessary. They do get their hay when they wake up in the morning (which varies, I like to wait for all three of them in the one cage and the other one the same) just because it's so much fun to see them go crazy. Pellets are daily as they are all still pretty young and they all have their own bowl so I just top off if I see they might have used more in one then the other. They are supposed to have 1/8 each but they actually will eat about an eighth more or so. I watch the bottles but I have quite a few per cage. For certain these get washed and refilled sometime in the morning but not strict.
Ok, my daughter is as crazy as I am for all our animals and we have them all pretty much around us. She brings her guinea pig downstairs a few times a day but we are both handling all of them at different times. I won't take them when they are eating, resting or playing together but that still leaves a lot of the day. I walk up and talk to them literally all day. Pumpkin is in the cage next to me and alone for now (my newfound boar; was mis sexed) but across from the girls so they talk a lot together. However he is with me a lot and I let him run around with my chihuahuas or he is with me and the chihuahuas on the couch here. My smallest chihuahua plays a lot with him next to me and it helps him.
Siikibam
Forum Donator 2022/23
My boys are given pellets and veg between 8-8:30 on a weekday, and 9-9:30 at the weekend. I then top up/change their hay about 30mins later and do a poo sweep. They get their second helping of veg between 3:30-3:50pm. Sometimes I change the water in the mornings and other times in the evening. They get a second serving of pellets in the evening (a handful) and their hay is topped up/tossed before I go to bed. Oh I normally do another sweep in the afternoon.
Watchman
Junior Guinea Pig
I have 6 piggies they get first set of veggies between 7-8 followed by a clean fresh hay and fresh water. They get their second set of veggies about 16.30 with another clean in the evening before bedding them down. They get fresh pellets each morning and maybe some more in the evening depending how many they have left to see them though the night.
LittleGems
Teenage Guinea Pig
Hey!
My piggies live in an outdoor hutch with double floors and thermal cover and hay galore for winter.
At about 7:00 to 8:00 , my piggies get their breakfast like @Swissgreys this is usually followed by some timothy hay and excel nuggets.
During the day 9:00-3:30 while I am at school my pigs just chill out and sleep. Then when i get back they gets about 30 mins to 1hour of cuddle time and parsely feeding for a lil snack. After the cuddle time the piggies come home to fresh veggies for their dinner and hay/nugget top up if needed.
After that at about 5:00-6:30 i go and check on the pigs and sometimes give them a snack of lettuce if they look hungry.
Finally a empty the water bottle and place the thermal cover on the cage.
xx
My piggies live in an outdoor hutch with double floors and thermal cover and hay galore for winter.
At about 7:00 to 8:00 , my piggies get their breakfast like @Swissgreys this is usually followed by some timothy hay and excel nuggets.
During the day 9:00-3:30 while I am at school my pigs just chill out and sleep. Then when i get back they gets about 30 mins to 1hour of cuddle time and parsely feeding for a lil snack. After the cuddle time the piggies come home to fresh veggies for their dinner and hay/nugget top up if needed.
After that at about 5:00-6:30 i go and check on the pigs and sometimes give them a snack of lettuce if they look hungry.
Finally a empty the water bottle and place the thermal cover on the cage.
xx
Emmamarie123
Junior Guinea Pig
At about 7am my piggies get their veggies then a spot clean, fresh hay and water if needed.
After I have finished my online course they get floor time, health check.
At 5 they get more veggies
Then they get lap time while I watch tv.
Before I go to bed they usually get a second spot clean and their hay topped up.
After I have finished my online course they get floor time, health check.
At 5 they get more veggies
Then they get lap time while I watch tv.
Before I go to bed they usually get a second spot clean and their hay topped up.
Lucyy82
Junior Guinea Pig
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Thankyou for all your replies, what do you tend to give as their fresh veggies? I’m giving at the mo - kale, corn,carrot, basil, coriander, peas and cucumber. Read so many things in what not good and what is and then some contradict each other is so confusing
Cuddles With Cavies
Junior Guinea Pig
I have three girls across two cages (soon to be four, a pair in each cage.)
Wake up at 7:30am. Give Amber her pain meds (she had lymphoma poor girl). Weigh out and feed pellets and top up hay. Go get me a coffee and breaky.
Around 8am. Prepare the pigs breakfast of veggies and feed them. My girls are on bedding so typically don’t need spot cleaning in the mornings.
8:30am I head off to work.
6:00pm I get back in from work. If the weather is nice everyone gets thrown outside into the runs. I spot clean, top up hays. If they’re not out in runs they get floor and cuddle time instead.
If they’re out in runs they come back in about 9:00 - 9:30, or whenever it starts to get chilly.
At about 10:30 I weigh Amber (she’s on daily weighing because of her medical problems) and then feed them their tea of veggies and refil water bottles and hay wracks. I leave way to much for last thing at night but I have the organisational skills of a carrot.
Wake up at 7:30am. Give Amber her pain meds (she had lymphoma poor girl). Weigh out and feed pellets and top up hay. Go get me a coffee and breaky.
Around 8am. Prepare the pigs breakfast of veggies and feed them. My girls are on bedding so typically don’t need spot cleaning in the mornings.
8:30am I head off to work.
6:00pm I get back in from work. If the weather is nice everyone gets thrown outside into the runs. I spot clean, top up hays. If they’re not out in runs they get floor and cuddle time instead.
If they’re out in runs they come back in about 9:00 - 9:30, or whenever it starts to get chilly.
At about 10:30 I weigh Amber (she’s on daily weighing because of her medical problems) and then feed them their tea of veggies and refil water bottles and hay wracks. I leave way to much for last thing at night but I have the organisational skills of a carrot.
Claire5012
Junior Guinea Pig
My 2 boys day starts with a scoop of pellets each followed by their salad. Typically it's about 8am unless I have a lie in and don't I know that they not happy! They're cage is at the foot of my bed and as soon as I start stirring they start wheeking. I look up and they're both staring at me. They must just sit there watching me waiting for me to move 
I give their hay a top up and leave them to it until about 5.30 if I'm working when they get another scoop of pellets. It's then a cage clean at about 10pm changing hay if necessary and drinking bottles (I do that about every other day or so) then it's cuddle time and grooming my long haired pig. Piggies will have a run around for at least an hour. Usually it's more like 2-3. They watch tv with me and have some green pepper cut into small pieces as some nibbles (popcorn substitute 
)
I give mine 4 different veggies for breakfast everyday. 2 of which being leafy veg. They have green pepper every evening but occasionally red pepper for a change or if I've run out of green. They get fruit twice a week and a handful each of dried forage mix once a week mixed in with their hay.
I found it really confusing as to what to feed aswell at first but you will soon get into it. I use the edible and forbidden veg and fruit list from this site and happy cavy veg list.
I give their hay a top up and leave them to it until about 5.30 if I'm working when they get another scoop of pellets. It's then a cage clean at about 10pm changing hay if necessary and drinking bottles (I do that about every other day or so) then it's cuddle time and grooming my long haired pig. Piggies will have a run around for at least an hour. Usually it's more like 2-3. They watch tv with me and have some green pepper cut into small pieces as some nibbles (popcorn substitute )I give mine 4 different veggies for breakfast everyday. 2 of which being leafy veg. They have green pepper every evening but occasionally red pepper for a change or if I've run out of green. They get fruit twice a week and a handful each of dried forage mix once a week mixed in with their hay.
I found it really confusing as to what to feed aswell at first but you will soon get into it. I use the edible and forbidden veg and fruit list from this site and happy cavy veg list.
Little Piglets
Junior Guinea Pig
I'm on a very erratic schedule, and usually up late and into early AM, or up during the day, etc. (it varies).
Usually get up, and at least check on them. They get fresh grass (timmy and alfalfa as they are younger) which is taught to be a "treat" i.e. "treeeeat" is what I say constantly in a kinda"wheeeek" exageration whether it's grass or veggies or eating from hand. Food pellets get quickly changed out, water is changed then or later on depending on last change the day before and water level. Usually a few hours later on, they'll get some veggies. I personally split veggies into 2 different feeding times, with various offerings at once. A female I have will basically eat whatever is in front of her. The male, is kinda picky, but slowly getting used to stuff the female took to right away. If he won't eat something, I'll try again in a couple days. If in a herd, they seem to follow the leader and eat what everyone else is eating.
Around 3-5 times a day, I'll try and give each pig about 5-15 minutes of lap time. Personally, I've found draping a towel over my quads with knees together while sitting, and placing one in the leg gap (towel acts like a sling and catches any poop if they absolutely must go or hadn't gone recently before removing; urinating so far has only happened once, after I made the mistake of playing a video online of a "singing" guinea pig, while holding mine and that apparently scared the hell out of him). If they start poking their heads down towards their genitals, they are needing to "poop" and trying to pull it out. That's a good sign they need to go back in the cage, hence the 5-15 minute lap sessions. If they are stretched out while petting, and all of a sudden "shorten up" or start looking around, etc. it usually means time to put them back. Once back in the cage, if you watch them, they'll usually back up to a corner and pee, or will start plopping out poo pellets
Also, I have a TON of 3" white PVC piping in different "T" sections, straight sections, 45 degree angles, etc. that I usually change around about once every 2-3 days. All the pipes can snugly connect to one another, and can be rearranged into different configurations. Almost immediately, each pig will go out and explore after doing this.
Usually get up, and at least check on them. They get fresh grass (timmy and alfalfa as they are younger) which is taught to be a "treat" i.e. "treeeeat" is what I say constantly in a kinda"wheeeek" exageration whether it's grass or veggies or eating from hand. Food pellets get quickly changed out, water is changed then or later on depending on last change the day before and water level. Usually a few hours later on, they'll get some veggies. I personally split veggies into 2 different feeding times, with various offerings at once. A female I have will basically eat whatever is in front of her. The male, is kinda picky, but slowly getting used to stuff the female took to right away. If he won't eat something, I'll try again in a couple days. If in a herd, they seem to follow the leader and eat what everyone else is eating.
Around 3-5 times a day, I'll try and give each pig about 5-15 minutes of lap time. Personally, I've found draping a towel over my quads with knees together while sitting, and placing one in the leg gap (towel acts like a sling and catches any poop if they absolutely must go or hadn't gone recently before removing; urinating so far has only happened once, after I made the mistake of playing a video online of a "singing" guinea pig, while holding mine and that apparently scared the hell out of him). If they start poking their heads down towards their genitals, they are needing to "poop" and trying to pull it out. That's a good sign they need to go back in the cage, hence the 5-15 minute lap sessions. If they are stretched out while petting, and all of a sudden "shorten up" or start looking around, etc. it usually means time to put them back. Once back in the cage, if you watch them, they'll usually back up to a corner and pee, or will start plopping out poo pellets
Also, I have a TON of 3" white PVC piping in different "T" sections, straight sections, 45 degree angles, etc. that I usually change around about once every 2-3 days. All the pipes can snugly connect to one another, and can be rearranged into different configurations. Almost immediately, each pig will go out and explore after doing this.