Exercise Outdoors...

[coxbrea151]

hello.
I have two female guinea pigs.

On warm, summer days I like to let the pigs get lots of running space by putting them in the run. They always have water, and are in a 8 ft long, 8ft wide inclouser bewing supervised outside. we only let them out when it's not too hot and not too cold. They love to munch on the grass (we make sure that there's only safe grass\plants in the run), and on some of the garden produce.

Is this okay? They love it out there, and they get to run and interact with people for half-hour to 2 hours, with toys and hides in there?

Now that I joined this forum I have read that they shouldn't go outside, is this an exception? They are normaly out in earlier morning and later evening, but not too late or too early.

 

[bpatters]

Welcome to the forum.

What you're doing is fine -- sounds like you're taking all the proper precautions about not letting them get overheated, no grass with insecticides or fertilizer, etc.

Do pay close attention to the temperature. Cavies can get seriously overheated at 85 degrees, so the temperature needs to be well below that. And do supervise -- biting insects can be a problem.

 

[HannibalLecter]

It's fine as long as you always supervise them. There are many predators, as well as humans that could harm them. You also need to have at least one sun protected area as pigs can get heat stroke & sun burns. You might even want to use sun block on their ears as they can get really burnt.

As well as doing the "butt test", basically sitting down in thin clothes or underwear in the grass. Through this ensuring that it's not cold or wet. You need to feed small amounts of grass daily before letting them eat such large quantaties however.

 

[coxbrea151]

They are used to the grass, I've done it for 3 years, goig on four. They have some no-sun area's, such as: 2 huts, multiple peices of black drain pipe,make-shift hides, etc.
I always supervise them too. The siol is also has no chemical's at all in it.