Where are all the guinea folk??

[guineapiglet]

Come on out, where are you all??

Have been round to guinea 'nephews' today, they are out in their run during the time of day when it wasn't hailstoning, and having a wonderful time running round squeaking .. I even had a cuddle with lovely blond boy Boris, took them some dandelions and lush long grass. Big boys now squeak when they hear my voice, Boris goes into hiding, as obviously prefers his pellets and can't be tempted out by grass... yet.... but I am working on it! The two fighting brothers are now BFFs again, outside in very large run, and Boris and less arsey brother also get on, but not all three of them..... boys eh? Three girls together fine, boys, not so good....

My big boy and little girl have been happily svooting round the garden today. Just as well we got that fence fixed so they can enjoy the freedom of having my whole(tiny garden) to roam. Last summer I never had my lawn mower out once.

I regret a tiny bit I had him neutered because thry would have made beautiful babies. Now come on summer so they can start doing most of their pooping in the garden and not the hutch!

I'm a piggie newbie.
Got two (male) about 2 months ago. They really belong to DD and DS. However DD and DS are 4 and 2 so essentially the piggies are mine.

They are called Rosie and Thomas (Rosie is transgender - DD had the name picked out long before we got them and I didn't have the heart to tell her Rosie is a boy).

We have tons of foxes around here so I'm not sure how I can let them out in the garden in the summer. Any of you have advice?

Also ours are not yet very cuddly so any advice on how to encourage cuddles? I pick them up daily but they don't seem to enjoy it much.

[grin]@Rosie is a boy

Rosie can always become Ross when DD is old enough to understand.

Food wins trust. Give your guineas individual lap time on a towel to soak up wee accidents. Offer treats of cut grass, cucumber slices, the inside leaves of celery are a delicacy. Stroke them gently whilst they eat.

Time to put them back in the hutch is when they natter their teeth at you means annoyed, if they get stampy feet can be a sign they want to wee. Not all guinea pigs are polite enough to give you a wee warning. I'm sure my Coco does it when she is relaxed especially when she has cuddled up on my dressing gown

Not all guinea pigs like cuddles. Millie Pig eats her treats and then gets restless and wants to explore. BTW a guinea that throws its head back is saying get off no more stroking for now thanks.

You won't be able to freerange your guinea pigs with foxes in the area. Get a secure run with bolts on the doors. Swivelling wooden latches are not fox proof.

YY your guineas need to be protected against foe - cats, foxes , magpies (in the case of my little black Abby boy).

We have a huge rabbit run that we secure with metal tent pegs (knocked into the ground with a hammer). It doesn't have a base (guineas don't dig but foxes do so I wouldn't leave them unattended )

Those metal pens with the mesh covers might be enough to stop your piggies escaping but it won't stop something getting in.

We have foxes in our garden and I would be prepared to do the buggers harm if I had to (even though I'm a long time vegetarian) if I caught them near my guinea pigs.

My GP2 body was dug up twice ( he was buried about 18" deep and three heavy soil filled flower pots put over the grave in the border) We couldn't dig him any deeper in the soil. The foxes dug under the pots

Thankfully he was in a sealed toilettry bag so they didn't shred him.
Never under estimate what these vile vermin will do .

70 and fortified. Thanks.

I do try lap time but they are not yet keen to sit and eat on my lap. They run off immediately. Although they will
Stay for a moment if I offer parsley. Perhaps I just need to offer tastier snacks.

Yes to foxes being vermin nightmares. We are infested with them. Despite living in greater London, we have a family which live to the rear of the house (near the wall of us and neighbour and a lone fox living near the wall to the front of the house. Plus a family living at the end of the short road. I know because the cubs come and play near our bins and car at night.

I will be super careful this summer with the piggies.
I've ordered this run thing for them for outside which should be secure enough if I'm nearby.

They are very sweet little piggies. They do like me stroking them in their house. Not so keen on being lifted and taken out yet. But they are only small and we've only had them a short time.

Is there anything I can do to make life more exciting for them. The have largeish indoor cage (house: 180cm x 80cm) and they have a little straw house to hide in and some hay tunnels. I also have some willow balls which they are loving to chew.
They obv get lots of veg. The dC pick grass for them. I buy posh dandelion hay for them and pellets. So all happy on the food front.
I make up a much larger indoor run of cardboard boxes and a large soft rug (circa 3m x 2m) and let them have a run in that. They seem to enjoy it for about 20 to 30 mins and then go and sit huddled under some cardboard. And they're usually keen to get back "home" after that.
Just wonder what else. Or perhaps
That's it and piggies want a quiet life?
I get the DC to help feed and brush them. Particularly Dd as she loves them so much. DS likes to look at them for about 5 mins and that's it but then he is 2 with the attention span of a goldfish.

More advice on piggies really welcome. I've had lots of pets as a child but never piggies (cats, dogs, rabbits, horse and even a cow).
Just very keen for the piggies to be happy.

Like all pets guinea pigs need stimulation to prevent boredom. Its just that after an exciting playtime half hour they need to tootle off for a power nap. And cardboard boxes are perfect for that

Mine like a food treasure hunt in the living room. Little piles of bell pepper hidden behind the curtains and under the furniture. I can do that for them because we have laminate floor, wires are out the way and I don't worry about mess. All my guineas go back to the hutch eventually by themselves

Tunnels (those plastic ones are good, you can bend them into a curve or straighten them and link them into a box. We sometimes do one going into a box but make sure there's another door out so they don't trap each other)

Paper bags (the beloved Primark bags with the handles cut off)

Boxes full of hay or shredded paper

Mine don't do laminate, they sit there ,googly eyed until DD rescues them

Hello all! :)

I want the nice weather... My piggies are desperate to get outside!

Me too!

We got ours at the end of September so they've seen precious little garden.

My cousin gave us a lovely outdoor run which hasn't been out of the box yet, but DD and i have already been designing a 'Piggie theme park' to go in it .

Won't miss the endless fleece blanket washing and pellet picking after having them in the indoor run either!

On a completely different topic - do any of your guinea pigs lick you? Luna keeps licking and nibbling at my fingers - she's very gentle and it's very cute but not something I've heard of guinea pigs doing .

Same here Sleeping ours had a tiny grass run (sitting on a bathmat in their small run) on Saturday while I cleaned the Pighouse.
GP1 was "My Garden, My Garden" as he wolfed down grass

Dum our piglet licks skin ( he's bigger than his 'Step-Dad now but still officially the piglet )

I tell DD that he's either very shortsighted, has just eaten pooh or he wants to make sure her skin is clean before he bites her.

Our GP2 would lick our skin if we'd eaten Chilli Heatwave Doritos Must be embracing his South American roots.

GP1 doesn't go in for that flim flammery .

We lost ours in September and November and last month ds2 and I fell in love with three at PAH but meanie DH said no .

Awww at piglet. It's sooo cute, and I must admit Luna is my favourite just a teeny bit.

DD fell in love with Bella at first sight and was so pleased to have her that I always made a bit of extra fuss of Luna so she didn't feel left out.

She is very much my girl now !

I think I'd we won the lottery half the garden would become a giant pig house.

I can't envisage us having the time, space or money to take on any more for the foreseeable, but we have already decided that our next pair, should we ever get them, will be called Womble and Fraggle!

our gp went out briefly on sat and had been out occasionally lately. he doesn't lick but all my other gps have

GP1 is DDs boy 100%
GP2 was DS pig but he was a very negligent owner so I took over as GP2 mum. (GP2 still got cuddled, fed, cleaned etc with GP1, so not neglected)

GP3 is the House Pig. (We all cuddle him except DS )
GP1 picked him.
I had a list of names (I was meant to choose) but DD vetoed them all.

You have to imagine shouting their name down the garden
My names for GP3 were - Boris, Tarragon, Sage,Heston,Neville, Kermit.
He was promptly named Dylan (not Dillon ) before we got him in the car; but is known as Dill (so keeps in with my 'herb' names)

GP3 kicks

Little back leg.......wham.

Bella is a kicker - she's happy to sit on a,lap & be fussed over but doesn't like the being picked up and carried bit.

Luna is more chilled out which is interesting as we thought they'd be the other way round.

I love the name Heston!

I haven't been well. Came downstairs this morning. As soon as Millie Pig saw me she ran to the food bowl and did a very sad little wheek. So I braved the garden and picked some grass. Millie and Naughty ate greedily from my hand. Coco being a princess had to have her own grass pile.

Judging by the uneaten veg in the hutch, the way I feed them must be special

The boars were wondering what I was up to (taking the tank to the garage) and thinking they might be in line for food.
Just had to euthenise the goldfish (looked on Fishnet so I knew clove oil then freezer was the humane way).

Guineas are now very sedate (the plate of grass might have helped) whispering to each other "The fish didn't pee on her or pull her earrings out of her ear. And she's killed it "

Aww fortified that you've been unwell. (I've got some clove oil left if you need me to , y'know dispatch you, quickly ?

What on earth is going on? I go offline for a few days and come back to find you all offering to put each other to sleep . Do I need to send Smoothpig round to sort you out with his hard states and stern wheeks?

'Stares' not 'states'

Not everyone Fernie -( the goldfish was in a bad way and as a vegetarian animal lover type person , it was my moral duty to ensure our pet didn't suffer.)

So now I'm a qualified experienced FK (Fish Killer), I can offer my new found services.
I could give Smoothpig an apprenticeship?

my pigs have had some smelling salts and been a bit maiden aunt, but they've got over the shock.

And where have you been, hmmmmmmmmmmmm?