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Those with Rabbits and Guineas...

RubyTed

Wise Old Thumper
....we're all very passionate about the space we give our buns! I was wondering if you gave the same hutch space for your guineas as you do your buns?

I was talking to my 10 year old cousin who has 5 guineas (a three and a two) and offered her my spare 7 foot hutch (as I know the guidelines say 4x2 for a pair so thought that any extra space would be great) and she said that they'd just got them 6ft hutches and runs, so didn't need them.

Do you think guineas deserve the same hutch space as bunnies? I know if I had piggies then I'd feel unbelievably guilty putting them in a 4ft space, when the smallest hutch I'd consider for any bun is 7ft. :?
 
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for sure i do! i've got 7, a 3, 2 and a 1. but we're building a shed for them soon and they're all going in together! i can't wait!
 
Knowing me, if I had Guineas then I would prob give them their won room knowing me :lol: Lord knows here I would sleep? :shock:
 
Yeah, I thnk they should get a similar space. I am in the process of having to rethink my accommodation as I will be moving back home soon.I am thinking of getting a big shed and making two equal sized "pens" in there, one for my two rabbits and the other for my three pigs. I think it is especially important for the pigs as the rabbits will have accessto their run 24 7 all year round while the pigs will only have access when the weather is warm enough so they need a nice big space.
 
Both my piggies are in an 8ft hutch and the hutch is in the conservatory where they are safe and warm :) xx
 
we have house buns who have the run of a very large living/ dining/ kitchen area... the piggies have pens as i worry that they might get stood on or escape through a gap somewhere:lol: their pens are HUGE as they are outside pens for the garden that most people use for them to play in...
 
Not quite, but they still have large hutches and run spaces.

Although my guineas have outside access all year round
 
They dont really use the space! I had mines in a 6ft hutch with attached run but honestly he didnt use it much, he stayed hiding. Ive seen that most piggies do the same. Still give them the space to scutter around though i wouldnt put an animal in a small cage anyway
 
i can't say that my 3 piggies have the same space as my buns as both buns are free range - recently had one piggy escape from a run and she wasn't easy to catch!

i have a primrose cottage as their base (2 storey 5'x2') and 2 6'x4' runs with panel attachments to extend them.

and you know what??? apart from their crazy little popcorns, they barely move!! need a big run to move around the grass though as when they've scoffed all they can get at, they wheek and muggins goes out and moves it to fresh grass:oops:
 
My pigs have a 5.3ft hutch, which is nearly 3ft from front to back. The buns have 6ft, but only 18in from front to back.

So similar sized spaces, but the buns have free run of the shed too.
 
They dont really use the space! I had mines in a 6ft hutch with attached run but honestly he didnt use it much, he stayed hiding. Ive seen that most piggies do the same. Still give them the space to scutter around though i wouldnt put an animal in a small cage anyway

I agree, although ours have lots of space-there remains areas which are left untouched. Their main haunts are the hay bar, cocoons and food bowl area! I wouldo't give them less space but do feel it's wasted when they don't use it all!
 
A lot of people think that because guinea pigs are smaller, they don't need as much space. They might not utilise the space 24/7 (just like buns) but when they do their mad laps and pop corn, they certainly need the room. I have 3 pigs and 2 pigs in 6ftx2.5ft cages. The buns have the same size for their home base but then also get free range of my room. The only reason the pigs can't have this is because they are not toilet trained (virtually impossible), and we live in a rental so need to protect the carpets as much as possible.
 
I wouldn't say they need as much room, but it's important to remember they can't always free range/go in a run outside like bunnies do so you need to compensate with the hutch space you give them!
 
I wouldn't say they need as much room, but it's important to remember they can't always free range/go in a run outside like bunnies do so you need to compensate with the hutch space you give them!

I agree with this. I just find piggies to be quite different to bunnies, in that they need a more constant space, which doesn't need to be as big as for bunnies and free ranging. Not that I'd want to house bunnies somewhere small! I also find piggies to be more timid than bunnies in general, in that they want to hide more, and aren't so fond of big wide open spaces as bunnies.
 
I agree with this. I just find piggies to be quite different to bunnies, in that they need a more constant space, which doesn't need to be as big as for bunnies and free ranging. Not that I'd want to house bunnies somewhere small! I also find piggies to be more timid than bunnies in general, in that they want to hide more, and aren't so fond of big wide open spaces as bunnies.

my girl piggies are very much like this, they need loads of hidey holes to get them from one place in their pen to the other and if I make an unexpected noise they all dive for the nearest hidey hole! The boys are more confident and don't need to hide as much.

I read in a book (guineapiglopedia possibly) that piggies don't like to have space and will be intimidated by it but I do think as long as they have lots of places to hide they are fine.
 
Yes, I think with piggies they like space, but they like it to be familiar space. Bunnies are generally a bit more adventurous! :)
 
Yes, I think with piggies they like space, but they like it to be familiar space. Bunnies are generally a bit more adventurous! :)

Yeah, my piggies hate being moved! But the bunnies seem to love it. I know you're advised not to move hammies into different cages too often as it can stress them out and give them wet tail, and I think piggies find it stressful too.

I have to admit though if I hadn't got the bunnies first I would probably have kept my piggies confined to a small space because it takes so long before you see them appreciate the space that I wouldn't have realised they need more. I've just expanded my boys' pen and they won't even go in the new half. Whereas the bunnies enjoy more space straight away.
 
I haven't found my pigs to be timid at all. They love the space, and do make use of it. I don't even really have a hidey hole in their cage - they have a "cottage" (http://cozycavy.com/9.html) and then I rotate through things like cuddle cups, saks, and a couple of fleece tunnels (which are short, so they can't really hide in them as their head pokes out one end and their bum out the other!). Most of their stuff is made from fabric. No real hidey holes though.
 
They dont really use the space! I had mines in a 6ft hutch with attached run but honestly he didnt use it much, he stayed hiding. Ive seen that most piggies do the same. Still give them the space to scutter around though i wouldnt put an animal in a small cage anyway

This is it, my mum has had lots of pigs and when she gives them the space they don't use it. If you take their hidey-hole away they run about but the minute you put it in they hide in it so I think that's due to fear more than anything else. I think they prefer to be all snuggled up in a small space as they tend to be more jumpy than rabbits anyway.

That's not to say they should be in a tiny hutch, and obviously all pigs will react differently to space.
 
My piggies are in the same size hutch length wise as the buns but they only have 18" head hight rather than 2ft. Mine are an ancient bunch only eat sleep and poo :lol:
 
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