when to stop putting guineapigs out in the garden?

[LittleBookofCalm]

when it is single figures?
it is meant to be 10 today, going up to 12

We stop utting ours out when it either falls below 13 degrees or if there is a North wind .......

Today it is sunny and no wind ( South East) about 13/14 so they are happily mowing the lawn!

They are called Turbo and Lightening and are the loves of my daughters life!

thanks dragon

Mine are out- although running around on the patio at the moment as the grass is a bit wet. We are in the midlands- It is sunny but quite chilly- they have a wooden hide full of hay they can retreat to if they feel like it...
They are are head deep in a pile of kale at the moment 

thanks, i put them out with some hay, which they simply eat

Our piggies came indoors a couple of weeks ago (they are usually in their shed for a few more weeks) .

I planned to put them out for a graze yesterday but the grass was damp, mine are 4yo so I'm being more vigilant with things like cold bellies that they'd have laughed off before.

Might move their runs up to the sunny bit so DD can put them out over Half Term.They might just sit judgily but they have griund cover to sit on

We still go out with the grass cutting scissors

Mine have moved into their winter quarter in the utility room. It has been lovely and sunny the past few days here in the EastMids but, the grass is very wet and despite the sun has not dried beyond damp.
Sadie is prone to guinea pig bronchitis, she got cold the other day and was grunting a bit (did think we'd be having a trip to the vet) but she's fine again now.

Ness is not impressed that she cannot get out as she has had a lovely first summer out most days.

I have these last days continued DH's habit from last winter of fetching a bag of fresh cut grass from our local park

Mine came in last week. Nights are a bit cold now. They've been out mowing for a couple of hours this afternoon though.

The RSPCA reckon below about 15 Celsius is too cold. I'm a new owner of guinea pigs so was googling last week.

Oh this is our first winter with piggies and wasn't sure how cold is ok to go out! Put them out mid morning for a few hours with the run in the sunshine, but wasn't sure when to stop that. (Dd thinks we should just piggie-proof the while ground floor and let them run wild indoors....)

Feeling badly. Had beloved guinea pigs when I was a child. They had a hutch with loads of clean straw and lived to a really good age. But They stayed in a small secure brick closed shed (with roof light) in a hutch off the floor At night all year round. During the day they would run in their run and eat grass (all year) with a straw filled smaller accessible hutch in their run. They would come inside every day for several hours pottering around and being loved and being lovely. All my friends with guinea pigs or rabbits did similar. I am taking it that rspca would say this is not appropriate. Actually feeling rather upset. Gussie and Orlando. Sweetest things ever.

Heron I am convinced that guinea-pigs of days gone by are a different kettle of fish to piggies now .

Is it the tweaking of the breedsThey probably had them but vets wouldn't have operated like they would now.

Guinea pigs and rabbits were kept outdoors . (Or kept in a cage indoors most likely on their own)

The guide lines are a-changing all the time. The fact your pigs lived to a good age is good - . I had a pig that got to (IIRC) about 7 yo. She was a homebred (error ) we didn't intend to but we were sold two 'girls' who weren't .

Things like not using sawdust or shavings - the effects would have been noticed over time how the coats and breathing suffered.

Straw injuries - but I've noticed far more sharp bits (and twigs) in our hay than in any bag of straw I've bought .

We did what we did and now we do what we do .

(My piggies as a child didn't get poncy veg and sweetcorn. My current hogs sneer at carrot peelings. My old pigs hoovered them )

Missed a whole paragraph there !

Is it the tweaking of the breeds. They now have the fancy coats , the selective breeding .The original solid guinea-pig is vanishing. Are they responsbily bred to satisfy the demands of the retailers. Or just bred over and over .Some breeders do allow only 2-3 litters per lifetime and will actively chose the best pairing. But I'm sure that's not the case for high volume , high turnover
Things ike tumours and cysts , I never heard of them way back . They probably had them but vets wouldn't have operated like they would now.

70isaLimitNotaTarget Thank you - I’ve been feeling absurdly badly. I have a photo of them (found at my dads house when he died - One of the most precious finds as I didn’t have one - I burst into tears when I saw them - decades later). Anyway just looked at them in photo they look so happy. I feel better !!!

As for the carrots. My photos has Orlando with a massive carrot stuffed into his mouth. Being sliwly demolished. Never thought to give shavings. I agree - they would have turned their noses up at those ! You may be right. They just don’t make them the way they used to. Anyway to all Guinea Pig owners - aren’t they just the best ?!

They are indeed the best
Beautiful to look at , beautiful tempers -even the feisty little ones , you have to admire them.
They love a cuddle , a chat "How are you pigs" , cluck at them , they whistle back. And our boar sings !
Ours are in our small bedroom (DD is 16yo so spends all her time in her room, she just yards away from them). She takes a pig through to help with homework (though they know nought about Business Studies and I'm sure they lied when they 'helped' with her Spanish GCSE)

Yes they pee if you ignore their warning ( "I DANCED on you , what more d'you want , a TEXT ? " they mutter)

My little tri-colour smooth used to poke her face out of the sleeping box door (like a little rat ) while her cage mate wheeked for breakfast.

I'm planning a Guinea-Pig wedding and how to arrange the C&C . I can enlarge it by 50% if I take the divide out and there's a couple of spare grids. Our neutered boar and the last sow (both 4yo) if they get on well , can join their cage spaces together and enjoy life together.
Plan is for Thursday night , after work.

When I was a child mine lived in the shed, but we did have a fab run for them in the summer. They had straw.
DH bought some straw for my GP's recently and I had to take it back and change it for hay!

My childhood bunnies lived outside all year round with free range of the garden and lived to a ripe old age. My Current Bun lives indoors and doesn't believe me that any rabbits could exist in fresh air. He has free run of the house and although he does go out in the summer, is not keen.

My remaining pig is indoors and my rule is if I'm okay outdoors with one layer on then the pig will be! I have to judge it as my DD thinks it's cold if it's below 24 degrees . This time of year it's shorter periods and with the run half on the patio with a towel down. Same thing in the Spring. Although last year the pigs went out some days in December as it was so mild.

My guinea pigs go out all year round. Only time they stay in their hutch if it's forecast to chuck it down all day. They have shelters in the run and are fine. I've often seen them trotting about in the rain! They grow really thick coats and are very happy even on the coldest days. They live out in their hutch too. I put in extra bedding so they can really bury down in it and cover the hutch with a thermal cover and two thick horse rugs overnight. I'd hate to keep them in - would be so dull for them. I really don't understand the idea that guineas need to come in in the winter and not go out on the grass! They've gone through 3 winters happy and healthy.

Popfan you are increasing my feeling better about my two treasures all those years ago ! Phew !