Where to place the hutch

  • Thread starter Thread starter Animad
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Animad

Hi
I'm new to guinea pigs. I don't actually have any at the moment but we should, all being well, be rehoming 3 off someone. They are 3 girls who live in the same hutch.

We have a male puppy and have heard that you shouldn't put guinea pigs on the grass where dog's have been (presumably because of the urine). Is this true? As our lawn is fairly small and we don't have anywhere that we can block off to stop the puppy from going on there.

We have a patio which we can put the guinea pigs on but wondering what to do about their run? The hutch is one of those two tiers- top tier being the proper hutch and bottom being the run.
 
Hiya and welcome.
Yes, you definitely should not let your piggies eat grass where your dog has been, it can make them very ill.
Could you leave your run out permanently, so that you dog could not get at that particular patch? Alternatively, just don't let them go on the grass, but this is not really very good for them to be on concrete all the time. Can you separate the hutch from the run? Also I can't suggest you cut fresh grass for them because your dog may have been on it. People who have no gardens do this, but they always ensure it is dog free grass.
Lot's of people have dogs and guineas, but guineas do need there own little space that is safe for them. Hope you can work something out. x
 
Hi, thanks for confirming that for me. I have got tons of bricks in my garden which were here when we moved in, so I'll try and block an area off for them using the bricks. I'll put the hutch up on the patio and then buy a seperate run for the grass.
 
Shade is another thing to consider. If the hutch is always exposed to the sun it could get too hot for them.
 
If you can, place the hutch where it gets sun in the mornings to warm it up after the night, but not in the afternoons when it can get too hot in summer.

Make sure that the hutch is protected from the worst of the prevailing storm winds.
 
Hi, thanks to both of you. Hadnt thought of the sun etc. I'll find somewhere safe for them. :{

Should be picking them up tonight :)
 
Vickyt said:
If you can, place the hutch where it gets sun in the mornings to warm it up after the night, but not in the afternoons when it can get too hot in summer.

Make sure that the hutch is protected from the worst of the prevailing storm winds.
Click to expand...

I was just about to say the exact same thing.
Mine don't even live outside and I've put their hutch in a position like this :(|)

If you can't actually put it so the run is on the grass. I have a small idea.
You could buy a really big tray. For plants or just a normal one (and put holes in the bottom) and grow special piggy grass.
This is what I've done and it works a treat.

That way you can have half the run filled with grass or something like that.
 
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