How do you decide when/if your GPs come inside for winter?

[LordOfTheFlies]

I know there's a thread about can GPs live outside all year round.

My 2 boys (approx 1 year old ) have their outside pig-palace (the wooden playhouse) which they are in night and day.
They have an indoor cage (IIRC 4' x 2' x 1.5') (they were in for Guy Fawkes w/end but out in the day)

I give them paper, shredded paper, loads of hay -changed daily because they pee for Britain.(In their big wooden box)
In this they have a cardboard box with paper,shredded paper,a fleece and a hot-water bottle in a fleece cover or a Snugglepad in it's cover, but only at night the past week or so..(also changed daily)

I know if it snows they'll come in and they don't like damp.
But how low a temperature would you let them be out in?

They were a bit arsey in the cage (territorial snipeyness on the part of GP1) until we gave them a shedload of hay and they were fine.
We had a cardboard box and a 'furry' rodent bed in the cage and they had one each. In the outside cage they like to be seperate during the day but together at night.

So,back to the plot.
Ground frost/threat of ground frost ,but that would be 2-3 degrees. Or is that too low to leave them out?

TIA

[LordOfTheFlies]

I would put them out in the day if I was home (I mean in the pig house not in the garden) and if the weather was vile/cold keep them in the cage either in the dining room or hall.

[slartybartfast]

the wooden playhouse, is like a shed is it? in which case i wouldnt have thought, unless you are in a particular freezing part of the country, that they would need to be indoors, once indoors they would stay in for a while. what did you do last year?

[LordOfTheFlies]

I didn't have them last year slarty they were rescues that we got 3 weeks ago.
(I had GPs as a child when I lived in Central Scotland, they had a big heavy cage-made from a old sideboard- and came in when it was winter.But they didn't have so much bedding or need cleaned so often)

The playhouse is my DS's wooden playhouse-like a little swiss chalet coyyage.Its on a wooden plinth and with a covered waterproof roof so it's nice and secure. Against weather and foxes/cats.

They GPs are good size 1 year olds (brothers), we bring them in for a cuddle after dinner and check them at breakfast.

I have to clean so often because they are messy and I really don't want them on damp hay.
But GP1 goes round everywhere in the pig house and does a bit of marking-either a few drops of wee or scraping his grease spot bum across the clean paper. GP2 isn't allowed in until he's done this

I'm going to feel their ears and feet and see how they feel.

[LordOfTheFlies]

coyyage- cottage
they-the

must-check-before-posting

[LordOfTheFlies]

I'm in Essex BTW.

Okay at the moment. Evil last winter at the end of November.

[slartybartfast]

reading again, is it an indoor cage they are in? a plastic one?

mine are in a wooden hutch, outdoors, with tarpaulin on the top, i brought them into shed one year but last year they survived outside, with a blanket on top of the hutch, under the tarpaulin.

i dont know if a plastic one is as warm as a wooden one.

[LordOfTheFlies]

Outside is the wooden playhouse (5'5" x5'5")with a wooden box (about 3'x3')inside with a cardboard box inside that which has got the fleece and Snugglepad/ or hotwater bottle. (Like Russian Dolls) .They can climb up a ramp and platform onto the wooden box (carpeted) so it gives them more room and somewhere to hide under the platform.

The indoor cage is plastic base with metal bars top half. But it's 4'x2'x 1.5' so much smaller.That's what they don't enjoy, so it's better for their temper to be out. I would still put them out during the day. If it's nice they have a half wood,half metal mesh screen door.

I'm keeping an eye on the temperature and the damp levels to see when /if they would be better inside.

[ragged]

RSPCA says indoors Ideally when below 15 degrees C, which means year round indoors as far as I can tell. But I keep mine outside, so am only relating what RSPCA said.

[LordOfTheFlies]

RSPCA also recommends that male littermates be neutered but mine have still got their market stalls and are A-OK,

[RhondaRoo]

I had to re-read the thread title and only then did I notice the topic and realise you were posting about Guinea Pigs and NOT Grand Parents

Damn you 'Active Conversations'

[LordOfTheFlies]

Oh bu**er I knew I should've let my parents out of the shed

[Himalaya]

I keep my grand parents in the shed with plenty of ripped up newspaper and hay all year round. I haven't heard any complaints

[LordOfTheFlies]

Oooh Himalaya maybe you should prod them with a stout stick check in the hay to make sure.
There might be a reason why you haven't heard your grandparents complain

[KRITIQ]

I got the grandparents to paint the shed first before I put them in there. It's less smelly having them in the shed! :)

(Only joking - MIL and FIL are brilliant and not smelly at all!)

My boars say indoors all year round - main feature in the living room. I know not everyone can do that, but I couldn't imagine them being outdoors at all - except under supervision in the run during the summer. Spoilt much? :)

[RhondaRoo]

ha! Still makes me giggle, but I'm easily pleased - can imagine them banging on the door "can we come in yet darling?" "Hang on, I'll check Mumsnet...." hee hee

[PfftTheMagicDraco]

I am very :( that this is not about Grandparents...


:D

[LordOfTheFlies]

My boys are in the dining room tonight- it's bally freezing here today. Last night they had their hay-filled box, with the Snugglesafe Pad, hotwater bottle and fleece.
Reheated them this morning but left the main door open to give them some fresh air (for 2 hours).
But tonight, I said to DC- time to bring in the pigs.!

[mohara]

Another here who thought that 'GP' meant grandparents! Active conversations and all that!! As you were........!