Hutches

ADMIN POST: OUTDOOR HUTCHES AND SHEDS.

Some of you have been asking what is or isn't safe for keeping Guinea pigs outdoors on a permanent/semi permanent basis. So we have collectively made a post for you all.

So Guinea pigs do best in ambient temperatures 65-75F (18-23C). In geographic areas that have extreme weather/ temperatures outside of these ranges we do not recommend housing guinea pigs outside. As a general rule of thumb, if the weather gets colder than 45F (7C) at night or in the winter, or hotter than 80F (27C) during the day or summer. Keep them inside. One thing to keep in mind is that these temperatures will be considerably higher in an outside hutch or shed, so use best judgement where needed if it feels hot. (See attached photo below) Similarly a poorly built, cheaper hutch will require extra insulation in the winter months.

SHEDS:
Best to rat proof your shed and keep an eye out. If you begin seeing holes in the floor or walls of the shed or a mess on the floor that wasn't there before, these could be signs of rats, foxes or other predators. You also, want to ensure your shed has no drafts. In the winter months, if your shed is all wire windows, block them over with clear plastic and bubble wrap leaving one for ventilation. Dampness and drafts are a bigger risk than cold. In the summer months, we recommend sheds should be installed with security grids to be able to safely open them during the summer months for ventilation and keeping a fan on, in rotation around them all. If you have a herd on the floor, you can put lino down to protect the wooden floor ..making sure lino is covered so it doesn't get chewed. Concrete floor is best if you can , with half bedding and half clear to help keep claws down and cool themselves down in summer by laying on it.
Sheds provide you both with protection from the elements, making keeping pigs outside your home, much more enjoyable. You can spend much more time in there with them in winter, chatting and interacting.

HUTCH:
They need to be very sturdy and best if it can be in a larger safe enclosure too. Bolt the hutch to a wall, fence or tree for support.
Foxes are well known for breaking into hutches. Make sure to watch out for slugs and snails. Putting copper tape around the legs or hutch may help. In the winter, best to put cage in an area protected from the elements including wind, rain, snow. **Please Note, if you get a new guinea pig during the colder temperatures, please keep them inside until March/April time so they can acclimate to being outside before the next winter.
Painting the hutch with a safe paint, like Cuprinol, helps to make them more weatherproof. Best time to paint them would be in the spring a month or so before the pigs are ready to live in it. This ensures it's fully dried and aired out properly. Using lino or vinyl stick-on kitchen tiles can protect the flooring of a hutch and helps insulate them a bit too. Wrapping the hutch in bubble wrap or polystyrene with carpet draped over front but with windows cut out for ventilation and light.. plastic sheet over top as they do require some light to be let in when the hutch is covered. Or you can use a proper hutch cover as they already allow for some light to get in.
Smaller boxes can be used in bed compartment so roof isn't as high. Shoe boxes work great as they have a lower roof. Make sure to stuff the boxes with hay to help keep them warm. Heat mats are a good idea as well. If it is really cold, bring them inside but they cant go in and out, in and out. If bringing them in, they stay in. No visits to house to warm up then back out a few hours later.
**Conservatories garages, outbuildings, sheds are a great place to put a hutch in the winter. With conservatories, most families do not use them in the winter months. So it is a good place to shelter them.

In the summer, never place hutch in direct sunlight as cage will over heat. Best to keep away from sunlight and other elements.
Algae on water bottle needs cleaning regularly including spout. Cotton buds are useful for cleaning them but make sure the cotton end doesn't fall off and block the spout.
For ways to keep guinea pigs cool in the summer, please refer to our heatstroke post. Link is at the bottom of the post.

THE DO'S and DONT'S..
So, when keeping guinea pigs outside:

*DO:
Do make sure you're able to protect them from large temperature fluctuations, by keeping them in an outbuilding (shed, unused garage etc.).

Do ensure the hutch or cage is predator and rodent proof, small gauge wire mesh, secure locks, no gaps. Remember foxes are strong and smart. They can get into many commercially available hutches by pushing through the mesh. Make sure weak points are reinforced.

Do cover the outside in a protective, insulating material. Carpet, landscape fabric, roofing felt, or tarpaulin can all be used to cover over the front is especially helpful in winter, make sure it allows for ventilation while keeping out draughts, if keeping outside in a hutch.

Do invest in water bottle covers. This will not only protects against frozen water bottles in the winter but can keep them cool in the summer and prevent the sun passing though causing algae build up or the potential magnifying effect that can ignite hay.

Do daily checks on the housing. Look for any weak points or signs of predators attempting to gain entry, chewing or scratches from inside or outside, rotting of the wood, rusting of the wire mesh, damage causing splintering, cracks etc. and make repairs as quickly as possible.

Do remove uneaten food daily to prevent attracting rats and mice. Keep their container of food inside or in a metal rat-proof bin.

Do buy a hutch large enough. Many hutches are too small as they are on top of a built in run area, guinea pigs should not be left access to the run area at night. During wet or cold weather this space does not count towards the total square footage of the enclosure.

*DON'TS:
Don't keep taking your piggies inside and back outside. Guinea pigs cannot tolerate temperature fluctuations and become sick from this.

Don't house your pigs in open topped or in an unenclosed house that can allow in predators, rain or draughts.

Don't place the hutch or enclosure out in the garden unprotected. Some commercially available hutches can be blown over in small winds causing injury or worse to the occupants.

Don't place the hutch or enclosure in a place where it will receive the full sun. Guinea pigs will overheat quickly and can be affected by heatstroke. Heatstroke can be fatal.

Don't place the hutch or enclosure where the rain can get inside saturating the bedding. Best to place hitch against a wall or side of the house.

Don't use fabric bedding! This can become damp, fairly easily, outside and a damp pig is a cold pig. A cold pig will eventually be a sick pig.

Heatstroke/Heatwave post.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/228367380635385?view=permalink&id=935523146586468

East Anglican Guinea Pig Rescue Pigloo/Greenhouse Experiment.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2296507840438528&id=306983952724270

**The link to East Anglican Guinea Pig Rescue may contain comments that are not in line with our guidelines.

Written by Sheri Latta, Julie DJspanky Mclennan, Katie Holmes and Kirsty Inkpen