warmth?

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3lli3-x

Hey, a little dilema here, basically we line the guinea pigs outdoor hutch with saw dust and fill their whole bedding area up with hay, as it approaches winter, we will move them into our shed for warmth, but the thing is we put the hay there so they can snuggle up to it and keep warm of a night but they eat the whole lot within a day! hat else can we do to keep them warm? ?/
 
when ours were outside we used to put a thinck layer of paper on the base of the hutch, then woodshavings, then tons of hay but they also had a fleecey blanket in the bedding area to snuggle on. you can also get heatpads that you can put in the hutch to keep them warm and theere are furry bed type things you can buy too
 
i know a lot of people dont agree but i use barley straw it is very finely chopped it is the russell rabbit one i personally havent had any problems with using it with my piggies they also have hay mixed in with it and as they dont eat it they have a cosy bed most of my piggies are in an outbuilding they also have old blankets on top of there hutches which i part pull down over the frount of there hutches in the winter
 
My piggies are also outdoor piggies. They have a scratch and newton hutch snuggle and a scratch and newton hutch hugger around the hutch. Inside the hutch, they have a layer of newspaper followed by wood shavings followed by hay in the living area and mountains of hay in the sleeping area. They also have a carpet over the front at night and a snugglesafe heat pad x
 
okay thanks, a lot i looked into them snugglesafe heat pads, and was concerned about the cover being covered in wee but if i took it off they could get burned so i'll probably pass on that one, although i may look into getting some form of igloo, or mat x
 
What about a cardboard box and cut a hole in the front and fill it with hay? They may poop and pee in it but it can easily be thrown away. You can also buy cheap fleece from many places like asda, tesco and make a snuggle bag or bed. My mother made mine as I'm useless at sewing! x x
 
I have bought a shredder, I have been saving all my letters etc and will shredd, so that as it gets colder, I can stuff that in the hutch as well as hay and fleece blankets :))
 
tinso said:
i know a lot of people dont agree but i use barley straw it is very finely chopped it is the russell rabbit one i personally havent had any problems with using it with my piggies they also have hay mixed in with it and as they dont eat it they have a cosy bed most of my piggies are in an outbuilding they also have old blankets on top of there hutches which i part pull down over the frount of there hutches in the winter
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I too use short cropped straw over newspaper & then hay on top but have a different hay in their racks. They don't have a bed compartment as such but a blanked off part of their hutch, curtains hung at the fronts & all their hutches are covered in insulation & are within their shed.
 
Hi. I have only just joined the forum, so hope I'm doing this right ! I have 3 piggies in an outside hutch, that I intend to move into the garage (not used for cars, just storage !) for the winter. When should I make this move ? Do you still exercise your piggies on grass in the winter ? I've not let mine out on the grass this week as it has got colder, but met someone who'd left theirs out for the day on Tuesday. Any advice would be appreciated ! Thanks.
 
Hi, welcome to the forum, you are certainly doing it right, ask as many pig questions as you like, we're here to chat. Make the move now, not sure what part of the world you are in, but here in the Northwest temperatures have dipped very low twice last week. I rarely exercise my piggies on the grass in winter, unless we have a really sunny day, as the grass is usually too damp, and makes their tummies damp. When they do go out, it is only for a short time. Can't really say about leaving them out all day, lots of issues there...safety, cats, cold, damp, shelter etc. to consider. xx

ps you can always start your own threads for any queries you have, if you can't find what you're looking for in the stickies at the top of each section. x
 
Thank you for your help Nutmeg. I was worried that I was being over-protective by not letting them onto the grass, but am glad to know that I'm doing it right ! I'm down in Kent, so the warmer part of the UK, but it is certainly a lot colder this week. I'll organise getting them into the garage tomorrow. Would you recommend opening the back door of the garage during daytimes so they get some fresh air ? I'd love to have them indoors (and did so 20 years ago when I last had guineas) but with a cat and a greyhound in the house already, I don't think it would be a good idea !
 
Thank you Claire, that was what I was proposing to do. Nothing's ever simple is it ?!? Thanks for your help. rolleyes x
 
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