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Outdoor Hutch & run recommendations for guinea pigs

9 replies

BloggersNetwork · 20/03/2020 20:17

Soon to be getting two females, they'll live in the garden. I'd really appreciate your recommendations for a suitable hutch & run for all weathers. Budget around £100. Cheers!

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 21/03/2020 11:08

On a practical level - get a shed .

My guineas inherited a wooden playhouse (one of those little Swiss chalet cottage style ones) from my DC . It was solid , good solid wooden floor . Roof height that I could just about stand up in and the floor space was about 6'6" x 6'6" .

My DH did some work on the windows so we could lift two out and the inside was lined with metal bars , chicken wire and mesh , giving them safe ventilation. Windows had a simple bolt to hold in place .
He put a power socket in and a light . ( Essential for those dark nights/early mornings)
Bolt on the door and I put a heavy weight too (like Fort Knox )

It cost only a few £ because we had the materials ( DH isn't into DIY but he did a good job)

They had (according to our piggie family at the time) either a big haybox (made from a cupboard) or rabbit hutch , open 24/7 and access to the floor space .

Guinea pigs tend to huddle away , so those hutches with open space/sleeping area , they'll spend most of the time in the sleeping area.
They don;t cope well with ramps . Some of the double height ones are steep and narrow . Young pigs are athletic, older ones not so much.
The ramps take up a load of space and they need to be aware of the hole in the floor .

I bought a rabbit hutch for my guineas (as an addition to their run) . It spend one summer outside then I put in their shed .
It was really flimsy and II wouldn't have trusted it to withstand an attack from foxes if it was the outside residence .

You need to put it somewhere sheltered . Protect from rain and wind . The wired area is open to rain .
Guinea-pigs need to be kept draught and damp free .

A run is best seperate from your main hutch . They need moved a lot , guinea pigs ravage grass Grin .
Bunny Business do some really good metal folding ones ( I used heavy tent pegs to secure , make sure nothing can get in and it can't be tipped )

You need to check the ground is ok so I never gave my pigs free reign to go out ( rabbits can cope with all sorts of weather . Pigs cannot)

It is really tricky keeping them outside all year . Have you got space to bring them in for winter?
Even with our PigShed we brought ours in for overnight then made sure the PigShed was the right temperature to put them out .
Bedding needs to be dry and clean.

With rabbits there's the 3 Hop minimum and they should never have a hutch as their sole accomodation. Piggies it's a 4x2' minimum which is inadequate (add bowls , bottles , the space reduces)

Rabbit hutches are bigger and IMO better for piggies .
If you go onto sites like A Hutch is Not Enough ( again aimed at rabbits) there are links .

I look in some of the hutches , lift the lid , look at the sleeping area and think "Is that IT ? That's where my pigs would sit ? Four walls and hay "
Its not a life .
They like to wander round ( evidenced by the pooh Grin ) but they are prey animals and need to feel safe . So they bolt back to their safe area .

Guineas are amazing pets . Enjoy them Grin

BloggersNetwork · 21/03/2020 11:16

Wow thank you for taking the time to write such detailed information, I really appreciate it. So based on the research I've made and what you have told me, I am thinking about this? What do you think?
www.amazon.co.uk/FeelGoodUK-BUNNY-ARK-Hybrid-Double/dp/B01705IA3Q/ref=sr_1_25?s=pet-supplies&swrs=C6FBE4027D211076674282A139DD6834&keywords=outdoor+guinea+pig+hutch&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1584734484&sr=1-25

OP posts:
TeaPleaseBob · 29/03/2020 09:14

That really is far too small for guinea pigs (and definitely not suitable for rabbits) BloggersNetwork.

As already suggested a separate hutch/ shed and run are better. The hutch really should be as large as you can find, some guinea pigs manage ramps but minimum floor space should be based on one level. I have 2 male guinea pigs who live indoors and their cage is 160cm x 60cm and evening then they could do with a bit more space and have floor time often.

The chartwell hutches get good reviews and there are 5 foot and 6 foot options either single level or double with a ramp. If you’re planning to keep them outside year round you’ll need hutch covers and insulating covers to keep them warm and dry.

The guinea pig forum is a good place for advice on all aspects of care and can also recommend rescues in your area to adopt if goes when you’re ready.

Outdoor Hutch & run recommendations for guinea pigs
Outdoor Hutch & run recommendations for guinea pigs
TeaPleaseBob · 29/03/2020 09:17

You can also get this style with run attached to a suitably big hutch however it would be heavy to move if you needed to move to fresher grass

Outdoor Hutch & run recommendations for guinea pigs
swapsicles · 29/03/2020 09:21

Indoors is better if you have the space, way more interaction and much nicer to clean out, I hated cleaning out my rabbit hutch when I was a child in the wind and cold!

MissRainbowBrite · 31/03/2020 15:28

We've just moved our 3 into a grid cage set up indoors and they are loving it. It's about 5ftx3ft with a loft. No more messy sawdust and straw just their hay in the kitchen area which so far is keeping all the poops confined to that area so easy to clean up.

TeaPleaseBob · 31/03/2020 18:36

Sorry just reread and saw your budget 🙈
To be honest I don’t think you’ll get a really decent hutch and run for £100. Pets at home have a large hutch (bluebell) but it’s probably not fantastic quality and would definitely need a decent insulating/ waterproof cover.

We have a plaza 160 cage inside (they live in the dining room and are really lovely indoor pets who are always pleased to see you/ food 😂). Lots of people use c&c cages and you can buy the grids cheaply on amazon etc...

If you’re set on them living outside it would be better to wait and save up for a decent hutch and run or shed/playhouse for them. Just put aside the money you’d be spending monthly on hay/ pellets/ veg/ vet fee contingency fund for a while and you’d soon have enough. We probably spend about £30 a month on the piggies (they eat a lot of hay) so an extra 3 months saving would give you £200 budget for much better hutch

Unicorn34 · 07/04/2020 22:03

I am in agreement about indoor living for guinea pigs. I've had several and the ones that lived outdoors only made it to about 3 yrs old. My 2 indoor piggies are hitting 6 yrs old this month. They are healthier, happier, friendly and very talkative (especially when they hear the fridge door open!). They still go outside in a run in warm weather.

twinguineapig · 07/04/2020 22:10

I don’t think you’ll get a really decent hutch and run for £100.

^ This. You'd be able to get a good indoor set up for guinea pigs with that budget - we have this which is £44 and gives ample space for three pigs. It has a ramp so what we have done is get a ridged plastic tunnel from a pet shop and fix it to the ramp with cable ties so they can go up and down at will.

We bought extra of the grids to make a stand so it's not on the floor, it all fits perfectly in the space next to the chimney breast.

You've had great advice up thread about them being indoors, they really do prefer it as they are sociable creatures and don't deal well with the cold and wet.

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