Use of a run

[Cla76ire]

Hey everyone,

I think I posted my original question in the wrong section, so my apologies, and I am reposting here!

I am looking into getting a pair of guinea pigs in the near future, but have a query I wanted answered before I decide for definite if they are right for us.

My question is about putting them out for a run. I've read that you can only put them out in the garden in a run from May to September. Is this the case? I guess I'd thought that if they had some shelter and bedding in the run then they would be ok out as long as it wasn't tipping it down with rain or snowing. I'm not sure how I'd feel about having a couple of guineas whose majority of their time was spent in their hutch for 8 months of the year.

(I'm considering a hutch with attached run, so they can come and go as they please)

Grateful for any words of wisdom!

Claire x

 

[Liane]

Guinea pigs can go out so long as the grass is dry and its not too cold or windy (or too hot).

My pigs started going out on the odd day last month, and have been out most days since start of this month. Last year, due to good weather, they stayed out quite late in the year. I would judge it day by day, rather than by month.


On a hot day, ensure they have plenty of shade and water, my pigs are usually surrounded with white towls to keep them cool. And they need something waterproof over the top. I avoid putting their houses in when its really hot because they can be a bit silly and stay in there even though it must be roasting!

The only problem with an attached run is moving it - pigs eat a lot of grass. Even my two boys go through a lot of grass in one day, and my five girls need their run moving several times a day.

 

[Cla76ire]

That's really helpful, thanks Liane. I will probably look at a separate run then, as will not only mean they always have grass to eat, but can also move according to weather and shelter/shade needed.

 

[Pumpkinpiggie]

I started putting mine out in the run a few weeks ago when the grass was dry. To start with I just put them out for an hour they have tunnels and wooden bridges in thier runs. Food, water and hay racks. I cover the top of the run with a sheet for shade. In very hot tempretures I put ice packs in cover by fleece. they love laying on them. During the winter months mine have access to the shed floor for a few hours a day. before I had the dogs they used to have floor time in the hallway