Bringing guinea pigs indoors every night?

[Saitama]

So I haven’t owned guinea pigs in years, I used to have indoor only ones. I’m getting a pair of new babies tomorrow.

I have a huuuuge hutch for them outside, and will let them into a run also in the day in my garden. I am worried about night time and leaving them outside in the hutch though - weather, cats/foxes, etc.

I ordered a small cage to initially use while they get used to me, would it be ok to keep them in it in the house at night time while they’re still young? I don’t want to confuse them bringing them in and out, and it’s quite a small cage compared to their enormous hutch, will they be ok for the nights in it or I should just leave them outside?

I also work nightshifts so that means when I’m at work I know they’ll be inside safe, and when I have a day off and keep my night shift sleeping pattern, I get to be close to them and spend time with them as they’ll be inside with me

Is this doable?!

Yes , absolutely .

Guinea-pigs are very vunerable to predators ( and I often hear foxes yowling at 3am )

You need to make sure your indoor cage is big enough , make sure there isn't a temperature change from indoors to outdoors.

My pigs had a secure Playhouse for night time but in winter they came indoors for Guy Fawkes then when it got cold ( mid Nov) til warmer

Indoors , give them loads of hay and a hidey box to keep them busy .

I don't like the idea of hutches for 24/7 , some are flimsey as heck (I have a rabbit hutch for mine but its used inside the playhouse/pighouse or inside the rabbit run, now we only have one piggie .

Are your new babies boars or sows? You'll need to post Pigtures . They'll need NN to protect their identity.

They will need aclimatised to outdoors , start with short grazing time , maybe 30 minutes , to begin with, they need to avoid the risk of bloat and gorging on grass to avoid loose bowels .

Welcome New Piggie Babies

Thank you for all the advice. I managed to pick the pigs up early and brought them home just now. I’ve put them in the small indoor cage to settle. They’re both 6 week old Texel/merino brothers

The indoor cage that I have is small, 70cm by 55cm I think, they fit ok now but it’ll be cramped when they’re adults. They would be in it purely for the night though and then outside again in the hutch. In winter if it’s too cold for the hutch then they could be in a play pen inside, but my house is very small so that can’t be a regular thing outside of winter.

Do they sleep through the night or are they active? Would they mind being squished together in the cage temporarily? My hutch is 2 floors and is 160cm by 70cm ish, so a lot nicer than being indoors. Also the run is big but that’s separate from the cage and I’ll have to manually move them to and from it

I’ll keep them inside anyway until it warms up more and so they can get used to me, I kinda want them inside forever but there literally isn’t the space and my DH only agreed to get them on the condition that they’d mainly live outside - he loves them already, just is worried about indoor space

I’ll post photos when they’ve settled in tomorrow they’re adorable and super tame. The breeder does guinea pig shows and all sorts which I never knew existed!

And I know the indoor cage is too small but got it as a bonding cage so they can get used to me etc - didn’t intend for them to stay in it. I just think it’s safer to be in it for the nights though regardless of size?

Do they sleep through the night or are they active? Not active like hamsters but they are crepuscular which means 'active dawn and dusk' . They are programmed to think 'prey animal' so a load of their eating is done when its quieter .
My female guinea (nearly 5 yo and our last piggie) likes drinking water noisily at 3am. She is indoors now all the time except her grazing time

Would they mind being squished together in the cage temporarily? They don't mind if they chose to do
I had a large (3lb weight) neutered boar and two sows . Gave them a lovely big C&C in the small bedroom with a basket of hay . Little buggers spent the whole time in the basket . So I gave them our smaller cage (4x2) full of hay for night time only . Technically too small for three adults but they seemed quite happy in it (then they went out to their Pighouse..)

If you chose for them to give them small space they will whinge.

Especially two boars - they need a load of space.

Can you get your DH on board with setting up a shed for them? We had a wooden playhouse that my DC outgrew. My DH customised it .
He made two windows removeable and lined the inside of the gap with bars/chicken wire/mesh so they had a nice breeze.
They had a powerpoint for light/heater/fan

Really good solid wooden floor ( dig proof ) Not worried about them getting out , but stopping things getting in.

There's loads of ideas with rabbit housing in sheds. Though I found my guineas preferred floor level not ramps or levels. I had 5 at one time .
Two sows on one side and a boar+ 2 sows on the other .

Enjoy your pigs , they are lovely little animals . Greedy, chatty, great characters, very messy , thick as mince. But the sweetest gentlest little souls on Earth.

We've just been treating our piggie for an eye ulcer (the vet thought she night lose the eye) . She protested a bit but even cleaning and applying drops and gel and having all the Vet checks she never even attempted to bite us.