Your opinions....

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Debbie32

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Good Evening all,

Things with Guinea pigs have changed since i last had them and would like your opinions....

I have had mixed feedback from people with regards to the winter and what to do....Some people say to bring them inside, however others say that they have always left them outside...what is your opinion please? I know its a long way away but me being me i like to be prepared.

Also have been told sheds are used too and some say heated and some say not?

Thanks for looking

Deb x
 
I personally have indoor pigs, if my pigs were to be kept outside they would be brought in over winter. Alternatively in a Shed, (Heated is good). If not heated then you need to make sure you have adequate bedding etc... hutch huggers.

There was alot of pigs died over the last winter, due to the fact they weren't brought in or given adequate protection, to protect them from the cold.
 
I would have indoor or a heated shed, guinea pigs do not tolerate temperature changes well
 
I live in Ireland and during the last winter when it was really cold, I only had my 7 year old Devlin, who has since died. I was so worried about her when it was snowing, living outside, in a hutch and run. But my dad kept insisting she'd be fine, when I wanted to bring her in. I was going to put her in the shed but I didn't have a proper cage to go in the shed, and her hutch couldn't be moved. And I didn't really think the shed would be warmer, except there wouldn't be drafts. I just gave her lots and lots of hay and made sure it was dry every day and she did just fine. I hope she was comfortable and happy enough for the winter and didn't suffer, but I don't really know. The hutch was in a sheltered area to avoid drafts and rain. She would come out in the run during the day still when it warmed up and run around. And she did live outside all her life, but she had a friend living with her, who just died a few months before her (in the summer). Devlin died in the Spring when it was warmer and she had two new friends, so it wasn't cold related at all.

I have new hutches now and next winter I'm getting hutch covers and snuggle safe heat pads for them. I think that'll be fine for them. I'll also have the shed converted to a bunny shed so I might be able to spare up some spaces for guinea pigs :)

I think that if you bring them in for the winter, or into a heated shed, then you have to slowly start introducing them outside in the spring again, because their temperature regulation would have changed.

When I have my own place and have the opportunity to bring them in at nigth and winter then I might set up a piggie room, I'm not sure. They'll definitely be out in the spring, summer and autumn days. I'm not really sure how much they feel the cold, but I do know they are fat little animals, with short legs and compact bodies, and do better in extreme cold than extreme heat.
 
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I brought my pigs in in October. I have only just started putting them back outside. With the cold weekend this weekend, I brought them back in. But that is just me. x
 
Well, the central heating has just gone in my pigs' outdoor playhouse. It's a 3ft tubular heater on a thermostat. And contrary to what some say, that tube can get hot to the touch and gives out some good heat.

It's situated above their second floor so no danger to them and high enough not for any hay to come into contact with it.

pigheat.jpg
 
Hi,

I have 3 pigs right now and 2 babies that all live in a detached shed with heating. This is because I have quite bad allergies to them despite allergy pills so I do'nt have a choice. If I did they would be inside for sure, only because it is so much easier to monitor them for illness and control the temperature.

I use a ceramic heat emitter for my pigs that is controlled with a thermostat. It works really well in their hutch. But I do worry about fires a lot even though it is far away from the hay and the hay cannot come into contact with it. But I'm a bit of a worrywart about fires.

In the late spring and summer I don't have heat in their hutches. And they do enjoy going out in their ark to eat grass and run about. Even if I had them inside I would take them out on sunny warm days to enjoy the grass, with shade of course.

My neighbours pigs died of heatstroke last summer. We had a very hot summer which is unusual and they were on vacation so their pigs perished. I had to hose my hutches down with cold water and give them frozen water bottles. So luckily my guinea pigs survived. Its more difficult keeping them outside in my opinion as I did house them indoors for 3 years until my allergies went beserk.

I hope this helps :)
 
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