Guinea Pig daily routine?

[Sookeh]

What things do you do to care for your guineas without fail, every day?

I'm just wondering if I'm handling/cleaning their bowls etc as much as others .

[silver73]

I wash their bowls and water bottle daily. I throw out any uneaten dry food before I wash their bowl and look for and throw out any left over veg after a few hours.

I also cuddle them daily which we all love and it is really good for checking that their breathing etc is ok. One of my pigs has asthma and I know when it is mild or when it is bad and needs metacam.

Timothy hay in their hopper all the time and I also give them a hay starter of normal hay before their veg. This has worked well as they always eat the hay I put in for a starter and then they get their veg but I am mindful that their weight is kept up by eating the hay. It also helped me notice within an hour that Blonde pig was not eating properly, took her straight to the vet as she needed antibiotics and then a few days of hand feeding with Critical Care. I think it is really important to know your pigs habits as a sudden change can be a cause for concern.

Before they go to sleep I put fresh hay on the floor of their huts (they have one each) and put 2 large fleeces over the top of the cage either side and just leave a bit of light in the middle. They love this and you can hear them moving around a fair bit as they are hidden from the world so must feel very safe.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My 2 boars are out in their Pighouse at the moment (inside winter nights)

I do the pellets/water at night (changed daily and bowls go through dishwasher every day).They get a plate of supper veg if they haven't been out on the grass.
Morning they get a 'hello' check-up and a fresh plate of veg (I try to do different to supper.I give a choice of 4-5).
DD will go into the Pighouse after school to pester chat to them. She gives each an eye/teeth/claws/tummy check .

Then after dinner they come in for an hour or so while I change their bedding (Cardboard newspaper and hay in the haybox. Newspaper and fleece in their hedgehog house), I sweep up any loose droppings and food they've sneaked away.
At the weekend I completely empty their house and steam the pee patches

Looking forward to the holidays to spend more time with them

[FernieB]

My 2 boars live in the kitchen and squeak at me madly gently remind me as soon as I go in in the morning that it is breakfast time. They have some veggies for breakfast. At some point during the day they go out in their run if it's nice (for as long as possible). If it's horrid out, they have a run round the kitchen instead which is more stressful than a room full of toddlers. I feed them just before I go to bed - so they get fresh water/pellets/hay and extra veggies then. They are also 'tucked in' with a blanket just on the top of their cage (as soon as the blanket goes on they go off to their little houses!). They also get bits of parsley during the day when my DD's are cuddling them.

[BonkeyMollocks]

Hi Sookeh How are your piggies doing?

Daily jobs as follows:

First thing, they get put into their playpen. I empty food bowls and wipe with a wet kitchen towel (wash properly every few days) and fill with fresh pellets. Fill water bowls.

Clean cage (newspaper and hay) , I just roll it up and shove it in a bag. Put down fresh newspaper and loads of hay on top. I fill their little treat balls with Timothy hay or naice dandelion hay and hang them up. I also have a blanket going over the top of their night cage. They seem much more comfortable with it there!

Wash and replace water bowls for cages.

Cuddles, at least once a day. Big pig always comes out at 7 for emmerdale Little pig after. During that time I give them a quick once over, check nails, bum etc . More often than not they are out for a few short cuddles during the day as well :)

Most days they have a run round the living room or kitchen.

After cuddles in the evening its veg and bed time. Once they are in their cage I whip round their playpen and sweep any poo, tip out their hay trays (cat litter tray) and replace with hay for the next day.

All of the above everyday without fail. Once I got into a routine of doing it then it takes no time at all to do the practical jobs. Pigs know where they are at, Little pig won't shut up past six and everytime some one leaves the room he wheeks for England because he knows veg is soon.

Weekly jobs: Though clean of cage and pen. Weigh piggies.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

In the winter the boys were overnighting in the kitchen/dining room.
GP2 used to flip his empty bowl over or if he had a plastic plate he'd shove it under the divider into his brothers side

You can't ignore 2 hungry boys rattling the bars. (Not that they were starved BTW, they were up to their ears in hay or had hay cookies. It's the Principle !)

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Big Pig for Emmerdale.
Is Little Pig more of a Corrie Fan ?

[ByTheWay1]

OMG - I am a complete slob...... but they are 12 now, so seem to thrive on gentle neglect...

Daily - Clean water , feed veggies and pellets, shake down bedding hay, top up with fresh hay for them to eat, give them a hug, put in run on grass, get kids to find them some dandelions -easy in my gently neglected garden (see the theme..) - fetch into hutch at tea time.

Clean hutch with fresh everything once a week.

Clip nails every 6 weeks.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My DH is regarding the GP routine (jealous I expect )

Stale water harbours bacteria
Pellets lose their Vit C (and guinea-pigs are quite happy to pooh in their food bowl)

Half a bag of hay to keep GPs warm in winter (and hot water bottles/Snugglepads) is much cheaper than a trip to the vet.
They will only eat veg that is fit for us ,so it can't lie about in their bed.

Wet pooey bedding will encourage flystrike (eek)

When you think of it as prevention, it's easier.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

ByTheWay your guineas sound superb.

But how the dickens do you get away with weekly cleaning. Do your GPs pooh in one place and keep their cage clean? I'm trying to convince the boars to use a tray full of paper cat litter- No.
(My boys would need stilts to get through the pooh avalanche after three days )

And 6 week nails for ours would look like Freddie Krugers hand (maybe it slows down growth when they get older)

[BonkeyMollocks]

Big pig sits on my knee during the first half then once the adverts come on (I kid you not! They are clever little mites) he runs up and plonks himself under my chin, or on my shoulder (as of last night for some reason) .

Little pig does not like TV. He prefers to run all over the sofa and distract me from it instead. He thinks it 'takes away attention from him'

[Sookeh]

Hi Bonkey

My two boars are doing brilliantly and getting really big now! Scruffles made a full recovery and due to my nursing him so much every day he's really, really tame, wants attention constantly. DP said I should just buy a guinea pig sling and be done with it .

My main problem is cage space, there isn't much of it but hopefully will have the money to get them a bigger cage at the end of the month.

[Sookeh]

I use fleece and have been changing it every day

It tends to get really pongy if I leave it longer and DP moans about it.

It's making the washing add up though.

[BonkeyMollocks]

Aww thats nice, glad your getting on well with them after the bad luck you had a beginning! :)

Love the guinea sling!

I have seen you around and wanted to ask but thought that a guinea question in the middle of a chat thread may make me look a tad loopy

[BonkeyMollocks]

What is it with dh's and smells?

They are men, they smell as a default!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

may make me look a tad loopy


may???


No ,get over Bonkey who could accuse you of loopy. 'Speshly after seeing that grinning monkey photo on your profile page

[BonkeyMollocks]

There is always a place in my heart for a grinning monkey!

[ByTheWay1]

Ah... 70.... I think it is not just the nail growth that slows down as they get older - they eat very little now - mainly their dried pellet and greens - especially carrot tops and savoy outside leaves, so there is not a lot of poop to shake down.... and their nails used to be a pain to keep on top of, but yes they have slowed down a lot over the past couple of years. They shuffle whilst wiggling their bums now instead of popcorning or scurrying too - everything is just slowing down - like us I guess....

We spoke with their breeder yesterday (the girls wanted to know if he still did it so when these 2 finally go.....) - he said their mum is still alive!! Mind you she was 9 months old when she had her litter.... She's been retired from shows and from breeding for 10 years now!! I love that the breeder keeps them to live out their lives naturally - though he said he'd go broke if he had too many like her!! LOL

He says the average age his get to is 8.... and from the feedback he has had, if you keep his outside they live longer - less day to day stress was his guess.

[Sookeh]

I worry my pigs get stressed as they are in the hallway so it's high traffic and I have two very excitable DC's. I thought maybe they'd just get used to the hustle and bustle?

I dread the day my boars go, I'll be devastated .

I'd quite like another pair of boars from a rescue but DP has said he'll move out .

[damppatchnot]

Mine get fresh water, hay, pellets and veg every day

I'm summer they are all turned out but most live in large pens so get plenty of exercise

I strip everything down and wash and change all bedding once a week. Takes 5 hours as I have 25 but if the toilet areas are dirty mid week I scoop out and refresh the nursery has cat igloos in which I shake out every day and wash once a week

I also sweep out the workshop every day and mop at the weekends

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My hogs were out all day today with a water bowl and a shower curtain to shade them (and protect GP2 from magpies)

He will fall asleep in the run (all curled up) with GP1 on Sentry Duty.

It is really sweet to see the big boy standing beside his brother not that they indulge in all that huggy close nonsense you understand just watching while GP2 snoozes

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Sookeh I feel the same, I wonder who would be easier to 'match' up.

GP1 gets really stressed if he's not with GP2. "Where are you, where are you"
GP2 is really quiet, but would be a difficult match because he relies on GP1 to protect him and take the lead.So a baby boar won't take on that role.

I'm kind of hoping that when they do eventually pop their clogs (in many years time) that they'll go together.

[damppatchnot]

My herd were out again today. The girls in the big run and the boys in one each. Saves on the lawn mower!!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Our boys were out 9am to 7pm, they don't eat the whole time, not even GP1 could chew for 11 hours.
He squished himself into the small bit of their playboxes (they have 3 to keep them busy).

Supper was hay, pellets,water and a handful of Readigrass on GP1 side of the bed.

They were to have no veg plate, but GP2 gets a soft pooh problem if he gorges himself.


Dampatch do your GP get this?

Tomorrow when I look in the haybox, his poohs will be fine after hay, I just don't want to risk his guts.

[Sookeh]

Can anyone help?

I'm putting my boys outside today for the first time, I don't have a proper run but I'm going to put the top of their cage down on the grass with something heavy on top of it to stop them burrowing out from underdeath.

My two main worries are

1. A cat will come by and get it's paws in the cage and hurt one of them
   
2. They'll eat too much grass and get sick.
   
   Am I being overly paranoid?
   
   Honestly it's like the first few months with a PFB all over again! PFP

[BonkeyMollocks]

Sit out there with them and keep a eye, especially as you sort have a proper outdoor run.
Make sure you have a water pistol handy, that's the cats sorted

I have heard that grass should be built up over time.
Maybe half a hour to start with and build up from there???
Not 100% sure on that but its what I have read somewhere. Its want I would do with mine anyway :)

Too much grass too soon can cause something called Bloat .

Someone wutg outdoor pig will.be along soon Im sure film:)