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GP - how cold is too cold?

7 replies

FabulouslyFab · 04/10/2019 14:23

I’ve just bought an indoor cage for my boy for the winter. Could I put him out in his hutch through the day and just bring him in at night? I know I’d go crackers if I went more than a day without fresh air! Advice please?

OP posts:
sleepismysuperpower1 · 04/10/2019 17:33

they like temperatures of 18 to 23c, and if it drops to below 15c they can get a chill. i think you could maybe leave him to run around outside for 10-15 minutes ish, but i would bring him in after that and ensure that he is warmed up.

sleepismysuperpower1 · 04/10/2019 17:34

sorry just read that it is a hutch not a run, it depends how well insulated your hutch is. do you have a run that you could put him in for a short space of time?

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 04/10/2019 18:45

It's more than just temperature though .
They need to have constants of temperature , don't bring them from cold-warm or put them from warm-cold .
They need to be dry . Damp can kill them. And draughts .

They are more likely to cosy themselves in their bedding so it needs to be dry , fresh plentiful hay . You might find he just hides rather than enjoy fresh air Wink

You can put a cover (clean plastic so it gets light) over the hutch to give him protection from damp and draughts . Anchor it slightly away from the front so there's ventilation.

SnugglePads (solid microwaveable plastic disc) wrapped in the fleece cover or newspaper , buried in the hay .

My pigs had a wooden playhouse with floor level hutches opening onto floorspace .
They were fine in the shed till about November then came in for Guy Fawkes and we played it by ear .
When they went out , I put fresh bedding (room temp) Snugglepads and a small heater for 30minutes . Then they went to their shed .
Out first two pigs (brothers) needed space and tolerated their indoor cage grudgingly .
Our neutered boar and his two wives didn't mind it (only for sleeping )

If you want a long term indoor , C&C is more versatile , I made huge cages when mine got older and we kept them indoors all winter .

How old is your piggie ?
Is this his first winter with you?
Has he had a cagemate ?

We had our last pig alone from Jan-April (when her companion died till she died) she was in our small bedroom and spent most of her time with DD.

FabulouslyFab · 04/10/2019 22:49

Thank you! Plenty to think about!
My pig was given to me in April and he had come from Pets at Home where he was by himself because he is very dominant. I really wish he had a pal but If it didn’t work out i would hate to have to keep two pigs separately.
Outside in the winter I would be feeding him in the dark morning and evening five days a week and i thought if I bring him in at least we would still have time to play :)
It has been a lovely summer!

OP posts:
alwayscauseastir · 04/10/2019 22:54

When I was in my late teens I had two GPs. They had been outside quite happily for 18 months. I remember seeing on the news about how terribly cold it was going to be so I googled what I needed to do to keep them warm and set about making their hutch as cosy as possible. Honestly, I thought it was the best hutch ever (with my 19 year old brain). I'd packed it with hay and newspaper I'd carpeted the roof and sides to provide insulation. You could hardly see them for the stuffing inside...

Next morning, they were both dead 😰. Moral of the story...bring them in rather than trying to keep them warm outside. I've forever been traumatised 😩

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 05/10/2019 00:16

You might be better just keeping him in, he'll have a constant temperature and you won't be going out in the dark to feed him.

I used to feel guilty that mine were in low light in their shed (there were windows that I could remove with predator proof bars/mesh in the frames . But I could tell by their pooh piles that they tended to stay in their bedding unless they came out for food .

You can leave a radio on indoors for him for noise .

Or have you thought about neutering him and get him a female (or two) . This would be a good time to neuter if he's inside , he'll be sterile in 6 weeks and you could put out a few searches for a sow .
He'll have a lardy pig for company to snuggle then Smile

itsbetterthanabox · 05/10/2019 02:45

They are much better off indoors. Try not to personify pets.

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