Where do I put their hutch? etc

Lunar_and_winnie_piggies

Lunar_and_winnie_piggies

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Currently, my piggies hutch is just outside the house, very close to the wall and sheltered from the wind.
They have a cover which goes over the top to stop rain and wind getting in.

However, as it is nearing Winter, should they come inside? We don't have room for them in the house and it is a bad idea anyway as we have cats. We could put them in the garage but it can get even colder than outside.

They have a hutch warmer (quite common- you probably know what I am talking about) which I put in the microwave for 7 and a half minutes, which stays warm for about 8-10 hours. I also put a BUCKET load of hay in there.

I think where they are is the best place for them because the only other option is to put them in the garage which is also very cold, and I honestly don't feel comfortable with that.

They have been out in the cold for a while and seem fine, but you never really know.

What do I do?
 
Not everybody is able to move their piggies into a house for winter (usually, they would move indoors around October and stay in until about April/May time) and piggies can live outside year round but they arent hardy and need a lot of protection and to be kept warm.
A sturdy hutch, good hutch covers, lots of hay and snugglesafes heatpads are essential for outdoor piggies. Stuffing cardboard boxes with hay and popping heatpads inside are great ways to give them somewhere warm to snuggle up. You do also need to ensure the hutch is staying warm enough inside so a thermometer is useful. Its great you’ve positioned the hutch out of wind and rain.
Moving the hutch into a shed or garage (although if the garage doesn’t have windows, then it isn’t good for them to be completely in the dark 24/7) is recommended so they are out of draughts but it is not always possible for everybody with outdoor piggies to do that

My two boys live in a hutch in a shed. They have four snugglesafe heatpads between the two of them, and the hutch is filled with hay. On the hutch is a thermal hutch cover, two blankets, and another waterproof hutch cover (which, being in the shed, is used purely as an additional layer as I obviously don’t need waterproof protection). The shed keeps them warmer and they obviously are draught free in there but I do have the option to bring them indoors if I can’t keep them above 10 degrees.

Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs
 
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Hello. My two boys are in the garage. It is cold in there but not as cold as outside. There are no draughts and they are dry. In the winter a put a large duvet over the hutch and pull it down at night. In the day I cover the front with a see through plastic sheet so they can still see out. They have two boxes with hay and a heat pads in there 24/7. We also don’t have a car in the garage. Will your garage have a car in it? Also another plus is that I’m dry when cleaning them out 👍🏻 Win win.
 
As above, not everyone can bring their piggies indoors for various reasons but if your garage isn’t used for a car, I would explore that idea. It may be cold in there but they will be out of the wind and rain and you can put a duvet or blankets over the hutch for extra warmth without it getting wet
 
Mine are outside, also in a protected area from rain and wind. I cover the hutch at night with a wool blanket... but what they love is the fleece cave/cat bed sandwich in the house portion of the hutch. It's 2 stuffed fleece cat beds with the top one upside down over the bottom one. When I stick my hand in there to give them a goodnight stroke, those boys are toasty warm! I was prepared to add some straw insulation around it, but then found no need. Before the temp drops too much, maybe test out a few things and see how they are doing.

They do pee in the beds some, so I rotate them every 2-3 days. I remove the bottom, move the top bed to bottom, then throw in a clean top. With 4 cheap cat beds, I clean every 2nd rotation, putting the fresh top on by nightfall. I plan to make some fleece pee pads with water proof backing this week so that I can just swap those out every couple days, rotating the beds hopefully closer to every week.
 
foxymichelle said:
Mine are outside, also in a protected area from rain and wind. I cover the hutch at night with a wool blanket... but what they love is the fleece cave/cat bed sandwich in the house portion of the hutch. It's 2 stuffed fleece cat beds with the top one upside down over the bottom one. When I stick my hand in there to give them a goodnight stroke, those boys are toasty warm! I was prepared to add some straw insulation around it, but then found no need. Before the temp drops too much, maybe test out a few things and see how they are doing.

They do pee in the beds some, so I rotate them every 2-3 days. I remove the bottom, move the top bed to bottom, then throw in a clean top. With 4 cheap cat beds, I clean every 2nd rotation, putting the fresh top on by nightfall. I plan to make some fleece pee pads with water proof backing this week so that I can just swap those out every couple days, rotating the beds hopefully closer to every week.
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It sounds as if you have a good system that works for you!

Unfortunately using anything made of fleece in an outside hutch in the UK isn’t advisable. The cold and damp conditions of a UK winter means that fleece outside stays damp so piggies will be exposed to being cold and wet overnight
 
weepweeps said:
Hello. My two boys are in the garage. It is cold in there but not as cold as outside. There are no draughts and they are dry. In the winter a put a large duvet over the hutch and pull it down at night. In the day I cover the front with a see through plastic sheet so they can still see out. They have two boxes with hay and a heat pads in there 24/7. We also don’t have a car in the garage. Will your garage have a car in it? Also another plus is that I’m dry when cleaning them out 👍🏻 Win win.
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No the cars are outside, but the garage is not only freezing cold, but unbelievably messy :D
 
Claire W said:
As above, not everyone can bring their piggies indoors for various reasons but if your garage isn’t used for a car, I would explore that idea. It may be cold in there but they will be out of the wind and rain and you can put a duvet or blankets over the hutch for extra warmth without it getting wet
Click to expand...
Ok cool
foxymichelle said:
Mine are outside, also in a protected area from rain and wind. I cover the hutch at night with a wool blanket... but what they love is the fleece cave/cat bed sandwich in the house portion of the hutch. It's 2 stuffed fleece cat beds with the top one upside down over the bottom one. When I stick my hand in there to give them a goodnight stroke, those boys are toasty warm! I was prepared to add some straw insulation around it, but then found no need. Before the temp drops too much, maybe test out a few things and see how they are doing.

They do pee in the beds some, so I rotate them every 2-3 days. I remove the bottom, move the top bed to bottom, then throw in a clean top. With 4 cheap cat beds, I clean every 2nd rotation, putting the fresh top on by nightfall. I plan to make some fleece pee pads with water proof backing this week so that I can just swap those out every couple days, rotating the beds hopefully closer to every week.
Click to expand...
foxymichelle said:
Mine are outside, also in a protected area from rain and wind. I cover the hutch at night with a wool blanket... but what they love is the fleece cave/cat bed sandwich in the house portion of the hutch. It's 2 stuffed fleece cat beds with the top one upside down over the bottom one. When I stick my hand in there to give them a goodnight stroke, those boys are toasty warm! I was prepared to add some straw insulation around it, but then found no need. Before the temp drops too much, maybe test out a few things and see how they are doing.

They do pee in the beds some, so I rotate them every 2-3 days. I remove the bottom, move the top bed to bottom, then throw in a clean top. With 4 cheap cat beds, I clean every 2nd rotation, putting the fresh top on by nightfall. I plan to make some fleece pee pads with water proof backing this week so that I can just swap those out every couple days, rotating the beds hopefully closer to every week.
Click to expand...
Ah good idea, hope our cats won't mind!
 
Piggies&buns said:
It sounds as if you have a good system that works for you!

Unfortunately using anything made of fleece in an outside hutch in the UK isn’t advisable. The cold and damp conditions of a UK winter means that fleece outside stays damp so piggies will be exposed to being cold and wet overnight
Click to expand...
if there is a waterproof cover, surely it would be less easy for damp air to get in?
 
Lunar_and_winnie_piggies said:
if there is a waterproof cover, surely it would be less easy for damp air to get in?
Click to expand...

Less easy maybe but I can assure you it still happens and this is why it’s not advised use fleece outside. Even if it doesn’t wick from fhe air, piggies will pee in the fleece and it won’t dry like it does indoors. Piggies will then be laying in cold and wet areas all night which would risk making them poorly.
 
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Lunar_and_winnie_piggies said:
Oh right ok, are there other substitutions for this?
Click to expand...

Outdoor piggies do best with wooden hides or cardboard boxes stuffed with hay
(plastic is also not really recommended as it can condensate in winter (from heatpads and pee) and then expose piggies to damp, and get too hot and sweat in summer)
 
I have two outside piggies,I found fleece remains damp in cold weather.though I have used vet bed in the bedroom part of the hut ch and it fared much better.i use lounging logs,stuff hay everywhere and heat pads.its not advisable to use unchopped straw as it can cause eye injuries to piggies as it is not soft.you are doing all you can for your piggies.maybe change to cardboard boxes or wooden hides.
 
We have a wooden arch and a wooden house filled with Hay and a heat pad each.

The waterproof cover will collect condensation because it should be warmer inside the hutch and so it needs drying a lot.

I find I too much hard work keeping them warm & dry outside and have a separate indoor cage. I don’t like to be out there in all weathers either though xx

Ps As others have said you can use a cardboard box, turn upside down and cut out a door and fill it with Hay that way they don’t pee all over the cardboard bottom and it lasts longer. Xx
 
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