When to use snugglesafe

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maharvey83

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Hi, I have had my piggies for a week and a half and they live outside in a hutch. I keep checking the temperature and tonight it is down to 12 degrees. I have put extra hay in their hideys but do I need the snuggle safes in there too? What temperature do you usually start using these? TIA
 
Is that 12 degrees in the hutch, or air temperature outside?

I would be inclined to put in a snugglesafe, if they don't feel too cold they will sit elsewhere, and the temperature will get cooler overnight anyway so it will help to keep the hutch a bit warmer. Do you have a hutch hugger etc over the hutch too?

How old are your piggies?

ETA My 3 pigs used to be indoors, but are now in a hutch in an outbuilding. The temperature in the building is usually a couple of degrees above outside and it's obviously out of any wind, but I still use a hutch hugger, and waterproof cover, plus extra blankets over the front at night. My remote sensor tells me it is about 19 degrees inside it overnight, which is good. But when it goes below 18 I will start using a snugglesafe or two.
 
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My piggies are about 12 weeks old. I haven’t got a thermometer so not sure of temperature inside the hutch. When it is consistently hitting these temperatures and the frosts start the hutch will go in my summer house. I haven’t got a thermal cover but cover the hutch at night with two blankets and a waterproof sheet. Does that sound ok?
 
I believe the usual recommendations is that young piggies should be indoors as their temperature control isn't as good as an adult.

I would be inclined to use a snugglesafe now - guineas are comfortable at a temp similar to humans - 18-21 degrees. I would also think a proper hugger and waterproof cover would be better, more thermally efficient etc especially if it is a made to fit one.

I would also put the hutch in the summer house well before the first frost - daytime temperatures become uncomfortably low a lot earlier than that (last year I think here we didn't have a frost until November...)
 
Is there any way they can be housed indoors? I agree in that they hutch should be moved into the summer house now. Don’t wait for it to get cooler/colder. I put in heat pads last week as it felt a bit nippy one night.
 
I agree with the others.

Its a bit too late in the year for piggies, particularly such young ones, to have time to get used to being outside (If they have only been kept inside up until they came to you) so it would be better for them to be kept indoors from now until next spring. You can then move them out next spring time so they've got all summer to get used to being outdoors and can move into the summer house next autumn/winter.
If being inside your house isnt an option, then I would definitely move them into the summer house now.
I would also recommend a thermal hutch cover as well as the blankets etc and tie a thermometer to the hutch so you can monitor more closely.

Being in the summerhouse will make a difference to the temperature My boys live in my shed (with a hutch in there also) and its not getting any colder than 19/20 degrees first thing in the mornings even though outside is 11/12 overnight. My boys are still free roaming the shed overnight and will hopefully continue to be able to for a couple more weeks yet. I'll then start to add in my warming measures once the shed gets closer to 15 degrees overnight, adding more as it gets colder - locking them into the hutch at night again, adding in extra hay, snugglesafes (I have four heat pads between my two piggies) and adding covers. I use a thermal hutch over, two blankets, a normal hutch cover and then a duvet over all of it.
 
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Piggies&buns said:
I agree with the others.

Its a bit too late in the year for piggies, particularly such young ones, to have time to get used to being outside (If they have only been kept inside up until they came to you) so it would be better for them to be kept indoors from now until next spring. You can then move them out next spring time so they've got all summer to get used to being outdoors and can move into the summer house next autumn/winter.
If being inside your house isnt an option, then I would definitely move them into the summer house now.
I would also recommend a thermal hutch cover as well as the blankets etc and tie a thermometer to the hutch so you can monitor more closely.

Being in the summerhouse will make a difference to the temperature My boys live in my shed (with a hutch in there also) and its not getting any colder than 19/20 degrees first thing in the mornings even though outside is 11/12 overnight. My boys are still free roaming the shed overnight and will hopefully continue to be able to for a couple more weeks yet. I'll then start to add in my warming measures once the shed gets closer to 15 degrees overnight, adding more as it gets colder - locking them into the hutch at night again, adding in extra hay, snugglesafes (I have four heat pads between my two piggies) and adding covers. I use a thermal hutch over, two blankets, a normal hutch cover and then a duvet over all of it.
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Brilliant thank you. Will move them in to the summer house at the weekend since the forecast doesn’t look like it is bringing a second summer heatwave any time soon!
will they be ok to access their run in th garden for the time being? I’ve been putting them out for an hour a day in the mid afternoon when the grass is dry but early enough so it’s not getting damp and they seem to love it. Lots of running around and nibbling the grass
 
maharvey83 said:
Brilliant thank you. Will move them in to the summer house at the weekend since the forecast doesn’t look like it is bringing a second summer heatwave any time soon!
will they be ok to access their run in th garden for the time being? I’ve been putting them out for an hour a day in the mid afternoon when the grass is dry but early enough so it’s not getting damp and they seem to love it. Lots of running around and nibbling the grass
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Yes while it’s still warm enough and dry during the day they are fine to still have lawn time. But you must build it up slowly - too much grass on unprepared tummies can cause tummy upsets. If you’ve only has them a week and they haven’t had grass time before coming to you, then an hour is probably too much.
This also goes for every spring also, you need to build it up slowly again. I always start by handpicking grass for them long before it’s warm enough for them to be on the grass. Then only 15/20 minutes the grass for a week or so, and then add in an additional 15 minutes every few days until they can be on it all day (mine spend 12-14 hours a day on grass during the summer)

Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time
 
Piggies&buns said:
Yes while it’s still warm enough and dry during the day they are fine to still have lawn time. But you must build it up slowly - too much grass on unprepared tummies can cause tummy upsets. If you’ve only has them a week and they haven’t had grass time before coming to you, then an hour is probably too much.
This also goes for every spring also, you need to build it up slowly again. I always start by handpicking grass for them long before it’s warm enough for them to be on the grass. Then only 15/20 minutes the grass for a week or so, and then add in an additional 15 minutes every few days until they can be on it all day (mine spend 12-14 hours a day on grass during the summer)

Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time
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Brilliant thank you. I’ll have a read. How do I know if they are bloated?
 
If they’ve had too much veg or grass, youll likely to see a digestive upset - soft poops. The course of action for that is to stop giving all fresh veg and grass and feed only hay until poops normalise.
Bloat is a serious medical issue resulting in a swollen hollow sounding tummy, pain, reduced appetite, reduced poop - it’s a serious issue requiring urgent vet care

The guide below explains further
Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
 
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