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Guinea pig questions from a novice...

12 replies

jobnockey · 03/09/2017 20:54

So we've decided we'd like to have guinea pigs. As always with is kind of major decision I thought I'd ask mumsnet first!

Would be planning on keeping them Outside in a hutch by the patio doors... current,y thinking something like this: www.therabbithutchcompany.co.uk/rabbit-hutches/the-lodge-4ft-rabbit-hutch.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0K7NBRC7ARIsAEaqLRGzz0PiOj_ChYfD12ZVGHcCUEVxhfBUKw-Sj8Nu9lV1_sN5YiLgaJcaAld3EALw_wcB

Would this be big enough for 2 possibly 3 pigs? With this kind of hutch would they still need a separate run? We don't have grass so they'd be on concrete. We do have foxes nearby so would ensure it was super fox proof..

Will they be ok outside all year? ( have read up on insulating hutches, snugglepads etc but would like some reassurance from any owners who do this) we live in SE London so it's fairly mild even i depths of winter. Was perhaps thinking they could sleep indoors and go into hutch/run during day if it's particularly cold? We may want to cuddle them indoors in e evening so would it be a bit tight to then put them outside in the cold after they've been in the warm? What do other people do who work full time? When do you have play time?

Also, if we buy babies at this time of the year will they be able to acclimatise to being outside? We could fit an indoor cage in but nowhere near as big as they'd probably need...

Should we get pet insurance do you think?

Sorry for all the questions but I know that you lot have a lot of experience in this....

What else should I know?

Thanks in advance!

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 03/09/2017 22:13

Hello - welcome to the Wonderful World of Piggies Smile

Do you want 2 pigs or 3 ?
If you want 3 then you're best with 3 sows or a 2 sow+neutered boar group.
3 boars are tough to manage even brothers or Dad+2 sons.

That hutch you've linked-
The upper level is what you need to measure as the living area. They'll go onto the lower level to pooter about but they do prefer grass.
Some guineas don't manage ramps well , you can make them more like a tunnel, put grippy bits on and make sure they're shallow.
You need to allow for the space that the ramp door takes out too.

I've always preferred pigs on one level Smile

The area they'll use most s the wooden door area sleeping bit. How much space is there.

You'd need to secure it , foxes are the most (prepare for a 70 rant here) vicious, opportunist, stealthy, vermin who will have no scruples about taking any small rodents, killing them all because they can.
I've had one of my buried guinea pigs dug up twice , luckily he was sealed in a thick plastic bag, but I was gobsmacked how audacious foxes are .

I'm in Essex (so same sort of weather as you) , my guineas live in hutches inside a wooden playhouse. The hutches (5' long) are open onto the floorspace to allow excercise and they are put out into rabbit runs. I don't give them unlimited access because if I'm at work I don't think I'd be happy leaving them out.
If someone is in the house I get them to check every so often.

Mine come in for Guy Fawkes (noise) then about December they come in overnight until maybe late Feb.
I woudn't want my pigs out in the cold- they will snuggle up in hay and SnugglePads but its not good for them to be static.

Look at C&C cages for indoors (grids) you can make cages to fit an area.
As a rough guide 2 adults need 2'x4' minimum, I have a 4'x2' cage + C&C grids , my pigs are ok in the cage but they wouldn't like to be in there 24/7.

Early this year I had 2 sow+1 boar and 2 sows (so 2 cages/hutches)
Now I have the boar on his own and the 2 sows beside him (my guinea pig doesn't like him ) so I'll still need 2 cages for winter.

There are lots of adults in Rescue and some piglets if you'd prefer babies.
DD loves boars they are complete soppy Love Sponges Grin , they don't smell (the hay is the only smell bit) but you need to keep them clean.
And boars need more space to prevent issues with territory.
Check any allergy potential - the hay and the guineas (my DD developed allergies with GP3 but won't let me have her current very allergenic boy)

Boars are IME tidier than sows. Our sows are feisty sassy bossy girls (but all my pigs are Rescued so I've always gone for Pigs With A Story ).

Insurance - I got a quote once but TBH you might as well save some money for them.

Most pigs don't need a vet but find a CavySavvy vet.
As a rough guide - we paid £58 to have GP3 neutered .
When mine have needed antibiotics it was ~ £30 for Appointment+meds
£35 to have GP5 put to sleep.

They need checked at least 2 x day, morning hello and breakfast.
Night time supper and lock up.
Cuddle in the evening check for any injury, lumps bumps.
They get tame with handling and are very noisy Grin

I do morning duty, DD puts them in the runs when she gets home from school, we do evenings together.
You'll need to think what you'll do when youre away ( Boarding is £5 ish per pig/per day)

They are my favourite little animal. We're on GP6/GP7/GP8 at the moment , all 3yo now.
Haven't been forgiven yet for cutting GP8 claws and bathing GP6 and cleaning his little ears !

jobnockey · 04/09/2017 11:38

Thank you for your response, you are obviously a guinea pig veteran!

I’m now swaying towards a wider, single storey hutch although there’s part of me that still thinks it would be nicer to have a bottom storey too, for days when it’s too wet to go in a run. What do you think? Not sure what we’ll do in the house yet… those C&C cages look great, and quite cheap too compared with some much smaller cages I’ve seen. Just not sure where we could put it so they wouldn’t be in the way… maybe under DSs loft bed, he’d love that! Do they tend to be noisy at night do you know?

I think we’ll probably go for just 2 pigs so we can maximise space…. Do you still think sows would be better for us as newbies? We don’t really have a preference to be honest but there does seem to be more boars available locally at the moment, perhaps they’re harder to home than sows?

When you say, keep them clean, do you mean bathe them?

Finally, what do we need to put in the hutch for bedding/flooring? I know they needs lots of hay, but do we need a separate material for the flooring/bedding, like straw? I saw a hutch recently that had some kind of papery pellets on the floor… is this a good substrate? Do you have an idea of roughly how much we’ll be spending each month on hay/food/bedding etc? it’s hard to know how much they’ll eat?

Thank you again for the help – I know all this information is available online but there’s so much info out there it’s hard to know where to start!

(These piggies will actually officially be for DS as a reward for good behaviour - he’s been desperate for a pet for ages - but I am equally if not more excited about getting them than him!!!)

OP posts:
indulgentberries · 04/09/2017 20:17

Ours are noisy at night, I can hear them when I'm upstairs in bed. I wouldn't use that outdoor cage, the c and c ones are good but you need lots of cable ties to fix it together securely - more than supplied. We have one with an upstairs and downstairs for several piggies. It's 4 foot by 2 feet downstairs and 2 feet by 2 feet upstairs with a ramp. The ramp is hard for them to get up as it's not textured enough - they can do it if they run fast and get up before they start to slide back down!

Can you try and keep them on anything other than concrete? It's not friendly for their little feet.

OliviasWhiteHat · 05/09/2017 21:01

Sorry to hijack the thread but wanted to start a similar one so thought best to join in if that's ok?
I too am looking to get 2 piggies and keep them outside not enough room indoors. Although will have a run and little furry bed for them so they can be with us in the evenings.

I was going to get this hutch. And then add insulation in winter and heat pads.

Guinea pig questions from a novice...
Guinea pig questions from a novice...
indulgentberries · 06/09/2017 07:15

The outdoor area is great but the hutch looks very small. What size is it?

Slartybartfast · 06/09/2017 07:18

and olivia that hutch seems to be on the ground, i think that is just a summer house kind of run

OliviasWhiteHat · 06/09/2017 08:02

Would I be better getting a chicken coup type thing? I want to get the right hutch so any advice/suggestions would be great

OliviasWhiteHat · 06/09/2017 08:06

Or would a playhouse be better and then attach a run/tunnels etc?

We have a large lawned garden so not really limited space wise outside.

indulgentberries · 06/09/2017 14:48

My guinea pigs would move in if you did that.

jobnockey · 06/09/2017 15:00

What do you mean by playhouse?

I've been offered a 2nd hand 'foxglove' hutch (pets at home) does anyone else have one of these? it looks fairly spacious but would need to get a separate run...

Hello OliviasWhiteHat! when are you planning on getting yours???

OP posts:
OliviasWhiteHat · 06/09/2017 16:08

We are planning on getting ours in the next month (good behaviour pending lol) so I'm researching and planning.

I've seen piggies living in kids playhouse type things. Look fun Grin

jobnockey · 06/09/2017 16:42

Same as us then... I'm doing all the researching and planning and to be honest - I'm just as much looking forward to it as DS is... I only hope he keeps up his side of the bargain now behaviour wise or i'll be gutted!

OP posts:
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