ok - so we are getting baby guinea pigs in a few weeks. any advice?

[tookoolforskool]

never had guinea pigs before. We have got a hutch and a bowl and a cool toy that you can put hay in or carrots or fruit or whatever. ( dd chose it)
we still need a water bottle.
hay
straw ( or are wood shavings better)
food.

the breeder said they wont be able to go into the run for a few weeks...?? is this right?
I was planning on only letting DD hold them in the run in case they escape.
good idea?

do i need to get a waterproof hutch cover straight away?

I think straw isn't meant to be very good for them, the sharp bits can get in their eyes. Not sure what else is good, I use a towel with a fleece on top for mine and then just shake it out and wash it every couple of days but you may not be keen on that.

Don't know about the run but I let mine get their used to their (indoor cage) for a while before doing too much with them, they were quite nervous when I first got them so didn't want to scare them. They love their run now though, and are quite easy to handle.

Straw is a definate no no for piggies, as alma says it can get in their eyes, and also it is so coarse it can cut their insides so hay all the way! Woodshavings for the bottom of the hutch is fine - no newspaper as it'll go mouldy when they urinate on it if it sticks to the wood.

You will also need a vitamin supplement as guineas cannot make their own vitamin C so therefore need it put in their water or food.

The waterproof cover is probably a good idea to protect the top of the hutch but the felt will be enough to fend off the elements in the mean time.

With regards to the run it is due to them not being used to eating grass, and they will literally gorge themselves on it which will give them a terribly upset tummy so introduce grass slowly and then the run in a few weeks. Make sure there has never been a ground frost as because their legs are so short they can get damp underneath which causes illness and chills.

Is the bowl you've got a heavy ceramic type one? As guineas love to tip things over in their excitement of life!

Am very love getting new piggies! Hope you enjoy them!

yes. have got a heavy ceramic bowl :)

the bottom of the hutch is plastic coated.. and like on a drawer so you can pull it out. i was planning on newspaper and then wood shavings... so just hay then? and they use that as bedding too? or do i need shredded paper?

do i need a salt lick too? some books seem to say yes, and some just dont mention it at all.

will gradually give them a bit of grass over a few weeks then. Still think its a good idea to only let DD ( whos 5) only hold them when sitting down in the run herself. least if they leap off her shes 1) sitting close to the ground. and 2) they are safe and cant go anywhere.

with the vit c thing, the breeder said they will get enough from the fruit and veg.. is this not the case?

As long as you by proper guinea-pig dry food (not rabbit food) they will be fine. Guinea-pig food is fortified with vit c. I've found it better to use a pellet food as mine got selective with the mixed food so weren't getting a balanced diet. Proper piggie food + appropriate fresh food and you won't need a supplement.

There's a great website called Guinea Lynx that's a great resource for piggie owners.

Hope you enjoy your new piggies.

My guineas love carrot peelings, broccoli stalks and beetroot

You need wood shavings in bottom of hutch all over and then hay on top in bedroom.

If you use a commercial food there will be enough Vit C (as long as they don't selectively eat certain components).

If you are using run for holding and not leaving them in it I don't see a problem with over gorging on grass. Never put them on wet or damp grass (cos of them getting damp underneath as has been said).

You can clip their claws quite easy with a pair of toenail clippers. You don't need to pay for vet. There are plenty of websites and video's on you tube showing you how.

If they are long hair you will need a brush to groom.

If you give them celery you are supposed to break into short peices so they don't strangle there insides on teh stringy bit (but not sure if that is a myth).

They're fine to have grass in a few months and eat as much as they want after they have been introduced to it slowly but cannot have it from day one. The guineas stomachs are still developing and very small and they are used to the food the breeder has given them only, if you introduce to many textures, flavours etc their stomachs cannot cope with huge amounts and as a result they can develop very bad stomachs, very runny poo and sometimes this cannot be reversible, therefore introduce little and slowly.

As lunatic says woodshavings on the bottom and then hay on top, in bedroom etc.

This is a really good book to get

Amazingly useful and easy to read, and funny as well. Great for kids and adults!

If the reason for not letting them out in the run is to do with weather / age of the pigs (don't know much about this as ours are indoor pigs - no garden!) then you can always make an indoor run for them to let them out of the cage and make for easier handling.

We used a big paddling pool (the really cheap kind without inflatable sides, that only stands up when you fill it with water) or you could fence off part of an indoor room. The paddling pool is good indoors as it has it's own floor which makes cleaning up easier, and you can roll it up when not being used.

You (or DD) can sit in it, strew yourself with parsley & let them climb on you . (Stick a box or an igloo in the run so they have somewhere to hide from you too).

Maybe not too much parsley, especially if they are babies & not used to it... but you get the idea.
Ours love peppermint (leaves & stalks) & dandelions too.

Hi.. I am taking delivery of 2 piggies in a couple of weeks. First time I have had them since I was 8 so this is all useful info.

Hi Sparkle . The piggies I am getting are hopefully not going to be babies, will I still have to get them used to grass slowly, or will they be ok in their run ( if warm enough) from straight away?

Ask the breeder if they have had grass and how much (not like lb/oz obv ) but are they out in run quite a bit etc, if they have had it then it's fine. When you get them, give them 24hrs to settle in before going in the run regardless - just because they'll be stressed from the move and it's best to let them settle, also rabbits and guineas tend to scoff scoff scoff after a journey (think child in a sweet shop) so keeping them indoors for 24 hours helps level their food intake.

Am very excited for you! Best of luck!

sorry! am having a particularly blonde moment.... thought to myself wizzler... I know that name from somewhere and didn't put two and two together.... am hiding from WW thread (have been bad) apologies for the lack of acknowledgement.... am having a stressful time! Hope that you are good!

Be prepared to fall head over heels in love. They are the sweetest little things, so so so lovely. My 6ft 4 inch 17 stone dh is as enchanted with them as me and the dc. He calls them his girls.

oohh. the pool is a good idea for an indoor run. i shall get one.
thanks everyone. really appreciate it

Thanks for the advice Sparkle... might be quite entertaining if you come back to the WW thread and we can discuss the nutritional value of grass! That will give everyone else something to think about! Hope your stressful time is soon over.

The pool idea is great. I've just put mine in their garden run for the day and can see them sunbathing/sleeping in the doorway. Mine seem to be pretty much eating or nibbling something all day tbh. I have a chube and they're ripping that up bit by bit.

We are getting ours tomorrow. All set up but I've just had a thought about vets, do GPs have injections or only go when they are ill?

GPs don't need any vaccinations, just go to vets when they are ill or if you don't feel comfortable trimming their nails. You can also take them for general health check ups as well.

Thanks!

Good luck for tomorrow!

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