warm in winter

Laura M.

Laura M.

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jun 14, 2019
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Location
Devon
How can I keep my guinea pigs warm in winter?
So far they have a hot water bottle wrapped in an old towel, and we have built them a new hutch.
What else can I do?
 
Pack in lots of hay. And have the hutch inside a shed or other outbuilding if you can. You can also use hutch covers. I think some later duvets and covers. Of course leaving some ventilation room.

Have they been living outside from before or did you just move them out? If the latter it’s not a good idea as they don’t cope with such temperature fluctuations.
 
My boys live in a hutch in my shed year round. The shed itself offers wind and rain protection so I don’t have to worry about that, but keeping them warm enough takes work! Plenty of warm hIdes, loads of hay stuffed full in the hutch, plus I have four snugglesafe heat pads between my two boys (which are used day and night). I then have two blankets over their hutch, then a thermal hutch cover. I then pull a duvet over everything.
Having a thermometer is essential so you can keep an eye on the temperature they are being exposed to.
If your piggies are outside, then you will need to do all the above measures, plus ensuring the hutch is faced out of wind and rain.

If your piggies are new, young or have otherwise been kept inside, then you should not put them outside at all until spring time and when the night times are warmer. They need to be slowly acclimated to being out in winter and putting newly rehomed piggies (particularly youngsters) outside at this time of year is risky to their health.
 
Siikibam said:
Pack in lots of hay. And have the hutch inside a shed or other outbuilding if you can. You can also use hutch covers. I think some later duvets and covers. Of course leaving some ventilation room.

Have they been living outside from before or did you just move them out? If the latter it’s not a good idea as they don’t cope with such temperature fluctuations.
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They used to live outside, but now they are in the barn because of the cold.
 
Put in a lot of hay or straw. Snuggle safe also does a microwave heat pad which I use with my piggies. Another thing is using a fleece tunnel. When it’s cold my pigs love to snuggle up in a fleece tunnel together maybe with hay around it.
 
Please don’t ever use straw for guinea pigs - it is far too sharp and causes injuries.
 
Bertie&Edward said:
Put in a lot of hay or straw. Snuggle safe also does a microwave heat pad which I use with my piggies. Another thing is using a fleece tunnel. When it’s cold my pigs love to snuggle up in a fleece tunnel together maybe with hay around it.
Click to expand...

Please don't use straw, it's not suitable for piggies as it's too harsh and sharp
 
Lady Kelly said:
Please don't use straw, it's not suitable for piggies as it's too harsh and sharp
Click to expand...
Piggies&buns said:
Please don’t ever use straw for guinea pigs - it is far too sharp and causes injuries.
Click to expand...
That is odd. I never use straw, by the way (though my life would be a lot easier if I did), but when I got my guinea pigs from the RSPCA, they gave me some of their old bedding to put my guinea pigs at ease, but it was STRAW! I'm not really sure if a rescue centre should be using straw. Do you think it is worth emailing them, or should I just let it lie?
 
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