Cage Keeping Guinea Pigs Outside Part Time

[Bailey1204]

Okay, so I'm not stupid enough to think I can keep guinea pigs outside full time, I live in Wisconsin, but I was wondering about keeping them outside part time. My idea is to have, in addition to their indoor cage, a well-protected outdoor hutch that they would be allowed in during daylight hours (maybe 3-5 hours a day?) of mild days. I was hoping to have it be sort of a triangle shape with a solid area and a grass run that would be fully fenced. They would be semi-supervised, meaning they wouldn't be watched super closely, but I would be outside or watching them from the window inside and checking on them frequently. And, of course, making sure to introduce outdoor time/grass slowly. What are your thoughts on this? Advice on building/designing? Any advice is welcome.

EDIT: something like this:

 

[spy9doc]

A couple of years ago, I built what I thought was a nice covered enclosure so that on especially beautiful days, I could put my cavies outside where they could get some exercise and munch on dandelions and grass. They were absolutely petrified unless I was sitting with them! I put them at opposite ends of the enclosure and neither of them ever moved, either toward each other or to move around. I finally gave up and dismantled the pen. I keep thinking that I will try again with my current two boys, but don't hold out much hope with them either. I can put them on the floor on a rug and they just stay there. Perhaps if one starts the arrangement when the cavies are young, they will adapt and learn to enjoy it.

Things to consider (some obvious) are: unsprayed/untreated grass, plenty of available shade, accessible water bottle, no wandering dogs or cats that can get to them. and most importantly, the pen must be weighted down so that a hawk can't lift if with his talons! We saw a hawk land on the garage and then swoop down and pick up a squirrel and carry it off. :sad: Not my boys!

My cavies were as you described "semi-supervised" but I really couldn't relax with that arrangement. The only time it worked for me was when I was outside doing yard work. I simply made a cage out of grids and turned it upside down. I put something over one end to provide shade when the sun moved and weighted the cage down with a couple of 10lb. weights. Also, be sure to brush the cavies and examine them for ticks or other "crawlies" before returning them to their cage.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

I completely agree with @spy9doc.

I used to take my boys, one at a time, outdoors for a little fresh air and fresh grass. They were never in a pen, they were extremely well behaved and never strayed further than a few feet from their carrier. They were both older when I started doing this, as Sly was 3 and Pooper was 4 1/2 when we moved from an apartment building to a house. Sly was 5 and Pooper was 6 when they went outdoors for the first time.

They were also never unsupervised, much less semi-supervised. I never left their side. They really enjoyed it, but in short time spans. Until a hawk showed up in my neighbourhood, and he/she realized I had a small animal out in the open.

I stopped taking the boys out for early morning grass time, when I saw the hawk sitting on the porch railing of the house next door waiting for me to bring Pooper out. It was really only that summer that I was able to enjoy them in the outdoors, as Pooper passed away that fall and because of the hawk Sly never went out again either. The hawk, coupled with the ticks and fleas, really made me uncomfortable with them being outdoors period. I DO bring them in some thoroughly inspected fresh grass to eat from time to time, but their outdoor antics were at an end. My two young fellas now have never been outdoors, and Sly really doesn't care any more anyway.

 

[MamaGuinea]

I'm a newbie on here, and a new guinea pig owner. However, I have caught the guinea pig 'bug', you could say, and I love having them! I think guinea pigs are similar to rabbits in many ways, and I was very much hoping to keep them outside part time so they could graze on the lawn in our backyard. Guinea pigs can absolutely be accustomed to being outside, check out this cute story: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/guinea-pig-grazers-keep-backyard-trimmed-1.2339007

I recently built an outdoor hutch for our piggies, fully fenced and completely protected from predators, both from the sides and from above. For the past few days, I've been putting them in there every morning for at least an hour or more. However, they have not gotten used to it yet, and I am realizing that the transition will be a longer process for them. It's a big scary world with lots of new sounds, smells, etc. Also, it surely hasn't helped that our neighborhood cat (a very successful chipmunk hunter) already discovered them and came to check out the enclosure a couple of times - they got terrified!

Right now, they love to much on the grass, but they only do it within their little hideys - they are not comfortable being outside of their hideouts for more than a minute. Once they eat all the grass in their hideys, they just sit there. When I move the hideys to a different location, they run into them and continue munching on fresh grass. It will probably be quite a while before they are comfortable just roaming in the enclosure and having fun out there.

 

[CavyMama]

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I think guinea pigs are similar to rabbits in many ways,

They are not similar to rabbits in a lot of ways. Their diets are different. Their habitats are different. Their general needs are different. What is good for the goose is not always good for the gander.​

Also, it surely hasn't helped that our neighborhood cat (a very successful chipmunk hunter) already discovered them and came to check out the enclosure a couple of times - they got terrified!

That should tell you all you need to know about keeping guinea pigs outside. Not only neighborhood cats but dogs and humans can be a danger to guinea pigs. Not to mention insects! A cold snap or temperature spike can also cause problems or even death in a guinea pig.