Outside pen for day play?

[KmKrazy9]

I have set up a pen using chicken wire so that my cavys can graze and play outside. I still bring them in at night though. I was wondering about 2 things, do I need some kind of covering over the top of the pen? I've read stories about hawks, and I'm worried about any dogs that might wander by. What could I use?
Also, what is the ideal temperatures for guinea pigs? It can get up in the high 90's in the summer here, and I don't know if they can handle heat that well. Is there any other suggestions? Thanks for any help.

 

[guineagurl]

You should definatly put a cover over it incase of predator's. If you have a frame around the chicken wire you could just add more to make a roof, but I cant really say as I cant see the type of set up you have.
Whats 90 degrees in Celcius? If its really hot, I wouldnt leave them out there in it, I know you can take precautions to keep them cooler but when its so hot that you wouldnt want to sit out in it all day, I think its time to bring them inside.

 

[Slap Maxwell]

Since she is the US, that is F. 90 degrees is WAY to hot to have a pig outside. Do not let the tempature get higher than 75 degrees while they are outside. Do not let it get lower than 65. Pigs get heat stroke VERY easily, so you have to make sure they are in a 65-75 degree environment ALL the time.

If your pigs are outside, and there is no top, you need to be watching them 100% of the time.

Good Luck.

 

[weaseldropping]

My pigs live outside most of the year in a run. It has a wooden frame - very sturdy and takes two to carry it, and it is covered with good quality wire on every single side. The reason is that we once had a much smaller run knocked onto it's side. We nearly lost our piggies, who predictably panicked and scattered. The bottom wire also stops the rabbit (I know, I've had all the anti-mixed-housing arguments - it works for this particular collection of animals) making a Great Escape tunnel. It is a larger mesh than the sides, and the pigs don't even seem to notice it. It soon tramples down into the grass, and the pros are better than the cons.
We live in the UK, and air-con for houses hasn't been invented here yet. The pigs choice in the heat is the hutch, which is really for winter as we've put in double glazing and cavity-wall insulation, or the run. I put a large sheet of plywood on top of the run when it gets over 75 degrees fahrenheit to give them shade, and keep moving the run around the lawn to follow the shade from the hedges and trees as far as possible. They don't like the heat, but in 20 years of outdoor piggies we've never had a heat-related health problem. Isn't it quite warm in some parts of Peru, anyway?

 

[weaseldropping]

Do not let the tempature get higher than 75 degrees while they are outside. Do not let it get lower than 65. Pigs get heat stroke VERY easily, so you have to make sure they are in a 65-75 degree environment ALL the time.

Honestly, ours cope fine with a temp range of high 40's to 100. They have a house for small amounts of rain, but they go into the hutch for major rain of more than an hour or so, and of course when the temp drops below 40 at night. I don't let them out in the snow, even though I would love to see what they make of it! I have always found pigs to be pretty hardy. Mind you, mine are completely used to it, and on the rare occaision we have adopted an unacclimatsed pig we have introduced the outdoors very carefully. Our last baby was born after a heavy frost and was out on the lawn the next afternoon (about 50 degrees) for an hour with her mum with no ill effects at all, but she had never been inside to get used to being at "room temperature".

Perhaps it depends on what the pigs are used to?

 

[Piglet]

What you can do is build a rectangle frame out of wood. Then staple or glue the chicken wire to this frame. Then attatch some hinges to this and connect it with screws on to your pen.