Guinea pig help

[TemporarilyOutOfOrder]

We've been given a hutch, can guinea pigs live in them? Also would they be ok in the garden? We've got an old building attached to the house that used to be an outside toilet which we could put the hutch in in really cold weather.

Tia

Hi Temporarily

There's loads of "Can guinea-Pigs Live Outdoors" threads for you to peruse at your leisure Hours of reading fun.

How big is your hutch? There;s a website (C&C or Cavy Cages) that gives minimum and recommended sizes. But bigger is better with pigs.

How weatherproof is your hutch? Damp, draught and predator proof.

What size is the outbuilding?
Is it ventilated? Can you put heating in if you need to?

If you put them out in the hutch, you'll need to protect them in late Autumn through to Spring. (And when it got cold in winter, I was much happier knowing my boys were in at night) . We got an oil filled radiator for their Pighouse (and a thermometer) for winter days. Just ticking over on the low setting but put on 30 minutes before they went out.

If the outbuilding has a concrete floor you can make a raised floor for their accomodation to keep them off the cold floor.

If your hutch doesn't have a seperate sleeping area you can put in an igloo to give them a hiding place. Or add on a wooden box to give them a sleeping area.
Make sure it's positioned out of wind and full sun. You can put a heavy tarpaulin over the front in wet weather.

Thanks for all the information, I've not actually received the hutch yet but have been told they had two rabbits in it. I will know more when it comes but I'll have a quick read on here at the other threads