How can I find my old pictures?

[Couperwife]

Morning.

I'm thinking about getting some guinea pigs for my 4 year old daughter (read that as...I want guinea pigs and I'm using her as an excuse!!) 

so, I have a classic eglu, can I convert it to a guinea pig house?

Would it be better to get a eglu go for guinea pigs instead? 

Can they stay out all year? or would I need an indoor hutch thingy too?

I assume I need more than one so they don't get lonely, would 3 be better?

I don't like the idea of a pet for Christmas so it would be an autumn thing.

Thank you for your anticipated answers 

 

Cathy

x

[Luvachicken]

I love guinea pigs but sadly OH is extremely allergic to them.

I was always told they should spend their first winter inside.

I would definitely get more than 2.

I don't know about converting the house though sorry.

Can't wait to see photos of your little guinea pig family when you get them 

[Lydia]

I can only speak as someone who has looked after other people’s piggies but they all used my Eglu classic. It was ok for them for the holiday period I had them (about 4 weeks) and it might have been ok over the warmer months, but I would think it was not spacious enough long term. I’ve over ever looked after them in the summer when they can come out and into the run and if they were confined to the eglu bit 24/7, I think it would cramped for them and very smelly for you to clean.

I found it to be a lot of work, more than chickens. Piggies wee for England and I found I had to clean (as in muck out and change the bedding completely, not hose down) the eglu twice a day to keep on top of the smell and poo. They saturated the aubiose and the newspaper underneath each time. 

My sister, who’s piggies they are, keeps them in a large 2 tier wooden house in her shed. This means they have a night area and a day area, which cuts down on the cleaning! In the warmer months they also have a separate outdoor run, although she brings them in each night. In the colder months they are permanently in the shed run and she takes steps to provide more insulation in the winter and she’s made sure they have as much light in there as possible. I think she might have brought them inside a few times when it was snowing and got really into the minuses but mostly they are kept out there.

i also babysat a friend’s house piggie for a month. She was a good friend so I put up with it, but boy did he stink! Cleaning more than twice a day and air freshener required! Given the choice I would keep them outside.

You did need more than one (friend’s piggie lived on his own and I personally think he could have done with a friend - he certainly enjoyed the company of my hamster next door to his cage). Sister keeps 4, although numbers vary.

Good luck with it! 

 

 

 

[Millie-Annie]

Hi I've had guinea pigs for 13 years now, obviously not the same ones LOL.

I have always kept them outside.  They cant regulate their body temperature so moving them inside and out is actually worse than keeping them permanently outside.  I had a large shop bought hutch, but when we had the problems with the fox, my husband built me a lovely fox proof hutch.  It is 7ft x 3ft.  They have a bedroom compartment with a thermal lined cover that goes over the top of it in winter.  I have two, but have had up to 3 before.  They definitely need a friend.

 

The only thing I would suggest if you are keeping them outside is you get them soon so they can acclimatise    

[The Dogmother]

OK, so...

You will need to have more than one.

They aren't hardy, so will either need a hutch which can be insulated in the winter, or one which can go in a garage or summer house

Piggies aren't clean toileters like bunnies (which use a litter tray) so they get smelly quite quickly and need to be completely cleaned out more frequently. I pop in to feed the neighbour's house pig when they are away and he needs cleaning out at least twice a week.

They need more handling and socialising than bunnies as they tend to be quite shy, so the eglu isn't brilliant as it's hard to get to them if they are in the run.

They make very cute noises, which bunnies don't.

[mullethunter]

WMy sister and I had piggies as kids. They lived outdoors in a wooden house all year, but their house was in the stables so sort of inside a building. Then in the summer they’d go out during the daytime to a wooden ‘summer house’ attached to a run.

My sisters (Pickles) died first - on Christmas Day! And mine (Ginger) lived apparently happily on his own for a few more years.

[Patricia W]

Yes, we ended up with a single guinea who lived until he was 10. Tried to introduce another but he wasn’t having it.  

It’s interesting that you’re thinking of moving away from chooks for your daughter.   I always regretted not having chickens when my children were small.  So much more interesting and responsive than the Guineas. Rabbits, gerbils, fish etc etc that we had!  

[Couperwife]

16 minutes ago, Patricia W said:

It’s interesting that you’re thinking of moving away from chooks for your daughter.   I always regretted not having chickens when my children were small.  So much more interesting and responsive than the Guineas. Rabbits, gerbils, fish etc etc that we had!  

We are keeping the chooks. We have 8. she finds them fascinating and the first thing she does on a Saturday morning is run down stairs, go outside (usually in pyjamas and wellies) and go and feed them dandelions or the grain if she can get into the feed store.

It's totally her job to get the eggs (or check for them) and collect them to load onto the egg skelter.

Thank you for your responses. still food for thought I think.

Cathy

x

[Patricia W]

Phew!  So pleased you’re not deserting chooks for Guineas! 

[Luvachicken]

On 19/09/2018 at 8:57 PM, The Dogmother said:

They make very cute noises, which bunnies don't.

And they waggle their ears