Indoor hutch advice needed please

[Gingerbics]

Hi we're going to look at 2 baby boy g pigs that will be ready for us to take home mid December ( so excited)!
As it will be cold they'll start their life with us indoors so am really keen to make sure we have the right kind of home for them. We'll have more time to think about outdoor houses for when things warm up. I know mn is a fountain of knowledge do thought if ask you first. Also if anyone could recommend the best kind of bedding then we can also get that ready in good time. Many thanks, so excited about meeting them!

Congratulations of your forthcoming piglets

Have you decided where they are going to live? They need a fairly constant temperature, away from draughts and damp.

Have a look at C&C cages (there's a website on Cavy Cages). You can customise them and add as you need to. You might want different levels which you can do. You might want to do a sleeping area, a food area and a 'corridor'.

I have a small animal pen for mine at night. It's got seperate panels that connect. At the moment it's a 5'x3' with an extra bit going to the window bay. (They have the small bedroom for nighttime). I was a bit worried in case our little boy tried to escape but so far he's too lazy. (He can stand up on his hind legs in the travel box but that's solid)

I have a 4'x2' cage - the deep plastic base with the bars top bit that can lift off. Fine for small pigs but ours are now 3 yo and about 6 months.
They definately need the space, one of the biggest issue with boars is territory. They like to be able to get away from each other if they want to.
They'll need hay, a few hiding spaces, water bottles , spaces for food bowls.

Bedding choices depends what you and your pigs like.
Megazorb or Carefresh is good to absorb smells and wee.
VetBed or fleece is washable and lasts ages, but you need to wash in a pillowcase or your washing machine gets all clogged.

I have tried all sorts, my boys liked deep hay best.

Bedding I use is : outdoors, cardboard, newspaper, soft barley straw (because mine are adults) and hay.

Indoors - a tarpaulin on the floor (it's on carpet), cardboard, paper puppy pads and towels (cover up the pads in case they chew). Then a trug of hay and shredded paper.

Our older boy is getting a bit 'middled aged' now. I put lovely fresh thick cardboard down in the bedroom cage and he was all "I can't walk on that ".
So a load of towels had to be laid out, like a cloak over a puddle, before he lowered himself to walk.

Good job we all love him - spoiled pigs.

Baby guineas like alfafa hay but it shouldn't be given to adults. I got some when I first got our piglet. Pets @ Home does alfafa cubes which look good.

Good Luck

BTW - the 4'x2' isn't their regular house. I did use it last couple of years (when I had my original boars ), as a night cage.
But since my GP2 died and we got GP3 it was not going to suit them.

Their outside house is a wooden playhouse.

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. So helpful!
I will have a look at the C&c cages you suggested. The piggies were gorgeous, 3 weeks old at the moment. I think I'll have to look for a guide to GP book.
Do you buy your hay from pet shop or by the bale? Also I wasn't sure which pellets to get, they're currently having a museli type mix and the lady we're getting them from said she'll give us some to begin with. I'm aware with mix type feeds they tend to puck out the bits they like only so may be better with pellets.
So grateful for you allowing me to pick your brain.

I buy bagged hay (The Range , Jolleys)
I did buy some from a GumTree seller (it was the baled hay because it was in 'slices' ) and it was really lovely, fresh long stalks, but very seedy and my older boy got a hay seed in his eye. (These things happen)
It's a bit of a drive but I'll get some more from them .
With a bale )of usually equine hay) it'll have sticks and thistles in it (I used to look after horses and I was at what was in there. Less of a problem to a horse than a guinea)

We give Burgess Excell which was what our little boy was eating (we got our older boys from Rescue as one year olds , then when we needed to boar-match GP1 we got GP3 as a 6 week rescue)

Whatever they are eating at the moment do a gradual changeover , mixing in whatever you want to feed then bit by bit.

You'll need wide heavy food bowls (I use dog bowls with shallow sides) some pigs like to sit in the bowl.
And water bottles.

Boars are usually weaned about 3-4 weeks before they start eyeballing their mum and sisters in an unsavoury manner.
Make sure they check that you are getting boars - we saw the evidence with ours get the seller to double check for you.

Great thank you, you're a fountain of GP knowledge! Top tip re checking the sex, blimey they start young don't they!
Do you add extra vit c to your water bottles, the seller added it as said with so many piggies it was hard to know they were all getting it from diet? Last question I promise ( for now!)
Thank you

The pellets are Vit C enriched.
Lots of veg is Vit C rich naturally,(red peppers , parsley, orange segments, leafy green veg). There are loads of threads on here about food and bedding. Some things only 1-2 a week, some things not at all.

Problem with putting Vit C in water is you don't know if your pigs will drink it (mine never touch water even though they have it)
You need to change the water and pellets daily even if there's some left because Vit C denatures.
And anything metal can react with it.

I give mine Vit C water in a syringe if they are unwell (calpol syringe)

My No 1 tip with boars is space and keep them occupied. Tunnels, boxes, food ( maybe two bowls, spaced apart. 2 piles of veg)

Our young pig is far heavier now than the older one (GP1 is smooth GP3 is a Rex) . They get on fine but have the odd scuffle. Usually one tells the other to "Shift" and they'll bulldoze the other out of the way instead of walking round

But though 2 boars will work nicely it's not a natural state. If they had their choice they'd much prefer a load of sows to rule over.(and breed with). GP3 used to try to jump on GP1 but he got an "Oi, I'm your StepDad , I chose you" fisheyed look. But GP3 has gradually overturned the status of GP1 though my DD won't accept this
But provided they bond and you don't put 2 boys with ladies, they are fine.

Phew! They're complicated little fellas then! Really helpful advice, I'm hanging in your every word! Thankyou so much,
Been looking at c and c cages for their indoor house, think I'll get a lid too so the 3 year old doesn't harass them too much.
Good advice re vit c too.
Want to collect our pigs now but got to wait a few more weeks.
You're a star!