Shed and guinea pigs

[Loveheart]

Ok this shed is small and insulated with 2 heatlamps and its very warm so im wondering if i can put my guinea pigs out there as my husband gets annoyed with my guinea pigs in the bedroom what does everything think about it??

 

[DocDolittle]

What's the average temperature? Recommended is 65-75 degrees. Are they protected from all animals and weather?

 

[Loveheart]

hmm well in winter it gets below minus 0 but we have 2 heat lamps in the shed not the red ones as they burn skin easier, And protected yes door is like a normal door , also i dont agree with that temerature, My guinea pigs in england always stayed outside and If it ever got cold i put more hay in there hutch and they were fine and if you put your hand in the hutch it was all warm and toasty.

 

[DocDolittle]

The room should have a stable temperature range of 65 to 75 degrees F (18 to 24 degrees C). 85 degrees and over and your guinea pig is likely to die from heat stroke. 85 plus degrees is typical in garages in the summertime. If you are comfortable, your guinea pig will be comfortable. If it's too hot or cold for you, it's too hot or cold for them.

A direct quotation from Cavycages.

 

[oreo33]

it sounds fine but is there lots of windows because they like sun light (at least mine do, they hate darkness so i put a night light near them)

 

[RubyPiggie2]

Oh really? Mine LOVE darkness! Heheh.
LoveHeart, is it really necessary to put them outside? Guinea pigs really shouldn't be kept outside, but there is a person here with her pigs in a shed but it is huge and she spends most her time out there. It should not be that cold, even if you have heat lamps. I really wouldn't recommend putting them outside. They lack love(no matter how much you'd hate to say it, but you'd have to be out there most of the day, which I doubt most people would be willing to do), social interaction, ect.

 

[Loveheart]

Well my husband hates them taking up most of the room, Hay on the floor the smell etc, And like i said i had 10 guinea pigs outside in england and they were very much loved I would let them all run free out in the Yard as it was all bricked in and then at night put them in there hutches, Well for these guinea pigs I might buy a shelf thing and put grids on it and Find some coroplast somewhere i hope Im thinking maybe put linolieum on cardboard box would that be waterproof??, and its a medium sized shed with 2 windows one on each side and it has vinyl floors. Right now we use the shed for dog crates and putting the dogs in there for night

 

[RubyPiggie2]

Well my husband hates them taking up most of the room, Hay on the floor the smell etc, And like i said i had 10 guinea pigs outside in england and they were very much loved I would let them all run free out in the Yard as it was all bricked in and then at night put them in there hutches, Well for these guinea pigs I might buy a shelf thing and put grids on it and Find some coroplast somewhere i hope Im thinking maybe put linolieum on cardboard box would that be waterproof??, and its a medium sized shed with 2 windows one on each side and it has vinyl floors. Right now we use the shed for dog crates and putting the dogs in there for night

Guinea pigs should NOT smell. The cages shouldn't be smelly at all, I don't see why your husband would complain. If you have petstore cages, clean it every 2 days, and make a cavycage. Linolieum in a cardboard box would work.. It should. And why put your pigs in the same shed with your dogs? Don't you have somewhere else to put your pigs?

 

[o0Ms Jenny0o]

Linolieum in a cardboard box?! It'd have to be a dang huge cardboard box. Poor ventilation, dark, and they'd eat it, and they wouldn't be able to look out. Put a thermometer out in the shed and see how cold, and how hot it gets in there. I don't really see a big problem with the pigs being in the shed as long as they're with you like half the day, and I imagine with more room devoted to them you could make a bigger cage.

 

[DocDolittle]

You used to let them roam your yard? Were they in a completely enclosed structure? And are there absolutely no other places you can put them?

 

[Loveheart]

Well i cant find coroplast only 3hours away from here which is annoying!, Yes in england i let them roam the yard it was enclosed with brick fences. well No other place unless we move house i guess

 

[Marlania]

Perhaps consider purchasing a C&C cage if you can't find the right materials. There's a forum catagory here for those who want a cage but either can't make it themselves or for those who can't find the material.

 

[dagwellismypigy]

You might be able to get the store toship it to you if driving isnt an option.

 

[cincycindy]

Well my husband hates them taking up most of the room, Hay on the floor the smell etc,

Would it be possible to just move your husband out to the shed? Sorry, I just couldn't resist!

With some relatively inexpensive modifications, you can likely make the shed nicer for your pigs. As others have stated, I'd be concerned with temperature extremes and drafts. There are large sheets of insulation material that you can purchase. I would consider lining the walls with these to insulate the shed. A small ceramic cube space heater could heat the space during cold winter temps. You would have to have proper ventilation/cooling in the summer months.

Then, the question remains as to how much time you'd spend with them if they are living out in the shed.

C.C.

 

[carrotflavour]

Would it be possible to just move your husband out to the shed?

Yeh I totally agree. I'm sure men smell more than piggys, anyway.

Cant you put them in another room? A room you often walk past (like the living room, kitchen or a hallway), they love it when you walk past and give them a little stroke. They think they're always the center of attention that way. Make sure to not put them on the floor if you do.

 

[o0Ms Jenny0o]

If you can't find coroplast you could use something like linoleum or you could just not use it at all. I have fleece and what I do is just put the cubes right on the fleece to hold it down, so I really don't need the coroplast. Are you using bedding?

 

[CavySpirit]

Would it be possible to just move your husband out to the shed?

Brilliant suggestion. Then you'll be able to get a real first-hand opinion of how toasty it is for him with the hay and two heat lamps when it's below zero outside. And you won't have to put up with snoring, stolen blankets, etc. etc. Sounds good to me.

Regarding the outdoors with the brick enclosure? You were just lucky.

Actually, I would never put a guinea pig cage in my bedroom. Why isn't it in some other room in the house? And I agree, it should never smell of anything except hay and fresh bedding. If you can smell it, imagine what they are having to smell.

 

[Furkidsmommy]

Is it really an issue of smell and mess or is it the fact that they are there? I think it is a shame that some husbands are not as tolerant of guinea pigs as others. I feel very fortunate that my husband is just as dippy about our piggies as I am. I would no sooner put my piggies in a shed than I would my children. The Piggies all 6 of them along with my 2 rabbits, 6 hamsters, and our gerbil happily coexist in our home. In addition we have minimal hay/bedding mess and no smell. In fact I occasionally ask guests if there is a smell in case I have become immune to it and there isn't.

 

[Loveheart]

He likes the guinea pigs and talks to them and occasionaly waters them for me, As I said before the shed is insulated it cost over 3k its nice and toasty.., Just my mother in law thats her shed but She said I Can put my guinea pigs in there If i want to, Also I would rather have coroplast as I wouldnt want the mess shoved out of the grids plus I already purchased 2 boxes of grids Its just the case of getting coroplast and I would like alot and not use linoelium as that seems like a pain I wish i could just melt plastic or something and make a big box haha, Wonder if a crate pan would work but i somehow doubt it!, And no we cant put them in any other room as this is my In laws house and we only rent the bedroom which is a pain too and I cant move out till i get my green card which shall be some day in 6months i suppose.

 

[cincycindy]

Ahhh, this makes a bit more sense now. If this is not *your* home, then it's more difficult for you to set up your piggies where you'd like to.

I also have a wonderful Heartland shed/barn on my property. I had it built for my two llamas several years ago and it was expensive. However, it would not be suitable for guinea pigs. If you can control the temps, humidity and drafts, it should work ok for you.

Good luck!