So we're thinking of getting some guinea pigs this Spring. I have two DDS, 13 and 2. They will technically have one each, but obviously the toddler is far too young for any unsupervised handling, so big DD is going to be Queen of the Guineas. She is a really good kid and is already looking up plants she could grow for them in the veg patch.
So here's my dilemma. I had guineas as a child, they were in a good sized hutch by the back door, so easily accessible, but very much outdoor animals. They lived happily for years. From what I gather now, though, most guineas seem to be kept indoors.
We live on the coast in NI so can get some nasty gales, but rarely a really hard frost
So option 1- full time inside
DD1 sleeps on the floor above us, and any guineas would have to stay in her room. We have a cat who would be unlikely to bother them, but would probably like to sit and stare at them a bit. Not so much of a problem as we could keep the door shut, but still. Also we'd be a bit pushed for room - I'm not sure what size of cage would be considered big enough for them,but we could fit one in to a point, it would mean a lot of reshuffling though, possibly DD getting rid of one or two items of furniture which tbh she doesn't use anyway, and beyond a certain size of cage we simply couldn't manage it. On the upside they're right on hand to DD and could get loads of interaction. Would they smell though? I've also seen those little pet playpens you can set around on grass - so we could take them out with us when we're outside during the day?
Option 2- full time garden
This would be my preferred option, but I'm conscious of a few things. Our garden is huge but weirdly set up, on different levels/a bit of a slope- so you can only see the whole garden from DD's skylight,and a bit of it from my bedroom. Otherwise you basically can't see the garden at all and there are steps and a gate to get up it. I am a keen gardener and we are outside a lot for most of the year, and the area I have in mind for the guineas would be the closest bit to the house, past the steps and gate and just about in view of the windows, however it would be on a play area which is currently woodchipped
Like I said though, the garden is massive and there'd be loads of room to move them around but I'm just conscious that it's not an easily accessible back garden where you can just pop out the back door from the kitchen to feed them etc. On a dark winter afternoon, with DD2 being so little, it's an absolute trek to get coats and wellies on and just to get up the ancient old stone steps to get the washing in- however that wouldn't last for long and can be planned for
Option 3- outside 3/4 of the year but overwinter inside from end of October to end of Feb.
I don't know what to think of this idea, it seems to make sense, and in some ways seems the best of both worlds, but would require a greater initial outlay on both a hutch and a cage, which isn't a big deal really, but is it a needless faff/unfair on the piggies to switch them about like this? Could they cope with being inside for a few months after the freedom of outside?
Sorry for the massive post, but I'm very conscious of doing right by any animals we choose to have, and I won't get an animal if I feel we can't meet all its needs.
Any recommendations of cages/hutches would be great too- looking online it's quite hard to get an idea of what's suitable these days or not. The hutch I had for mine as a child was very simple, but a decent size, handmade and solid as a rock - we took the run off after the guineas died and it ended up as a kennel for our Cairn terrier for years. But looking online I can't find anything in the least similar, they all seem high/multilevel/flimsy and just not what I'm looking for, plus I know there has been a big kickback about hutch sizes for rabbits - not sure if the same applies to piggies