Playhouse Advice Please (Guinea pigs)

So have ordered 2 of these 4ft x 4ft playhouses last night for my guinea pigs. One for my Male pair and one for my female pair, I am going to have to find a better solution for my lone piggy.

I really can't wait to get the pigs out of hutches, They are in 4ft hutches at the moment and they really aren't suitable or adequate. I have been meaning to sort their accommodation out for ages but due to having so many vet bills I have not been able to afford it until now. The pigs went out every single day during the spring and summer so it was not much of an issue however I really dislike them going in them at all. I am super excited for the playhouses to come.

The playhouses are 4ft x 4ft so equivalent floor space to an 8x2x2ft hutch I believe so plenty of room for each pair, I plan to put in a second level with a plastic base and sides and fill with substrate litter and that could be their kitchen level. I will put hay in hay racks as knowing the pigs they waste a lot if put in a pile on the ground. Obviously they will have a box/hidey hutch in the playhouse stuffed with a shredded paper type bedding to keep them warm.

In the spring I aim to purchase some small runs to attach to them - probably just 4x4ft runs as they don't need anything too significant as they will go into the larger runs on the grass when the weather is nice.

I will be painting the playhouse's Seagrass with Country cream door and overhang I think to match the bunny shed.

My Questions are -

1) What do I seal the lino with to prevent any potential urine getting underneath it? - I will be getting some offcuts as tiles would be useless with piggies.

2) Because of the playhouse's size I don't want to board it all out with ply as I don't want to minimize any space. What other insulation solutions are available that don't need too much doing to it or need completely covering?

3) I want to heat the playhouses during the Winter, not toasty warm but one that will be comfortable for the pigs over the Winter months. What kind of efficient solutions are there? Parafin heaters are they safe?

4) How high off the ground should a second level for pigs be and what kind of thing is best for a ramp?


Hope you don't mind all my questions - the playhouses should be here within 2-7 days .

Hey Jack, your new piggy set up sounds fab!! :wave:
The only question I can help with is the heating one, I strongly recommend tubular greenhouse heaters; they come in different sizes and you can get a guard to cover them, they don't heat the place but take the chill off in very cold weather - I have one in Daisy & Digby's kennel, their water bowl never froze once last winter and the temp got down to -12!!! X

ripminnie said:

Hey Jack, your new piggy set up sounds fab!! :wave: ther - I have one in Daisy & Digby's kennel, their water bowl never froze once last winter and the temp got down to -12!!! X

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They sounds great - Just had a quick google of them. Just not too sure how we will get electric to them safely though x

Eeek they are so cute. They'd look lovely on my uni house patio for the bunnies too... ooh the temptation. No advice as I personally don't have much involvement in the care of our family piggies but your plan sounds great!

Yikes just ordered a load of lino tiles of ebay for my piggies hutch. Why arent they any good for them???

I think I'd use correx to line the floor. You could make a nice 4ft box with 6 inch high sides all round to contain the substrate. Travis Perkins sell 2mm thick sheets which would be fine as it would be sat on the floor so wouldn't need the strength of the 4mm thick stuff.

I have electric to my sheds so have tubular greenhouse heaters in them. I wouldn't use ANYTHING with a naked flame such as a parafin heater. Electric really is your only option. Tubular heaters are very low wattage (about 40 watts per foot) and keep the ambient temperature at about 2 or 3 degrees. Not hot, but certainly above freezing which is perfect for little critters and stops water from freezing.

Not sure about insulation. My sheds are lined with polystyrene sheeting but it's thick. Anything you put up would need to be covered, although if you make a correx base with high enough sides, the wiglets wouldn't be able to reach the insulation (at least not at ground level). You could try the silver bubble wrap and staple it to the sides of the wendy house. Just remember not to completely seal the shed - it needs air circulation otherwise it'll get damp with condensation.

I can't add any more than the others but would just like to say I would love to be a pet of yours! So looked after!

tulsi said:

Yikes just ordered a load of lino tiles of ebay for my piggies hutch. Why arent they any good for them???

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My piggies have tiles and they work fab. I cover them with news paper, aubiose and hay so they are protected under all that.

Mackers said:

I think I'd use correx to line the floor. You could make a nice 4ft box with 6 inch high sides all round to contain the substrate. Travis Perkins sell 2mm thick sheets which would be fine as it would be sat on the floor so wouldn't need the strength of the 4mm thick stuff.

I have electric to my sheds so have tubular greenhouse heaters in them. I wouldn't use ANYTHING with a naked flame such as a parafin heater. Electric really is your only option. Tubular heaters are very low wattage (about 40 watts per foot) and keep the ambient temperature at about 2 or 3 degrees. Not hot, but certainly above freezing which is perfect for little critters and stops water from freezing.

Not sure about insulation. My sheds are lined with polystyrene sheeting but it's thick. Anything you put up would need to be covered, although if you make a correx base with high enough sides, the wiglets wouldn't be able to reach the insulation (at least not at ground level). You could try the silver bubble wrap and staple it to the sides of the wendy house. Just remember not to completely seal the shed - it needs air circulation otherwise it'll get damp with condensation.

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Thank you Mackers, your post is very useful .

So are you saying to not bother with lino and just correx the whole of the playhouse floor? Sorry I am a bit dim with understanding things to do with D.I.Y. Where could I get hold of correx? I have never looked for it before so not entirely sure what shops stock it. I imagine Wickes or homebase might stock correx?

The buns shed has electric in so I suppose we could try and find a way of getting the electric to the playhouses - not sure my parents will be so pleased :lol:. I am always wanting things re-done and I have taken up most of the garden. It will look like a little village when the playhouses are here and up. The Tubular heaters do sound a good option though, Would be good to keep the playhouses above freezing.

I was planning on insulating the roof as we have some 50mm celotex still left over from when we done the bunnies shed. I thought doing the roof with that would be a good idea - we will see as it is quite thick. The silver bubble wrap sounds good. We could staple that around and then board half way up or something. Although might as well do it all if that is the case.

Milo+Fizz said:

My piggies have tiles and they work fab. I cover them with news paper, aubiose and hay so they are protected under all that.

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Whoops just re-read what I put . Sorry - I did not mean to say they were useless, I just know that they would not work with my piggies personally and knowing me I will not stick them right. I suppose if sealed and left to dry then tiles should work ok :thumb:.

My outdoor buns have heatlamps which are efficient and inexpensive to run-the ones i have are energy efficient too.They dont so much heat the whole shed but create a lovely cosy area and i like the red glow from them!

hoppetylop said:

My outdoor buns have heatlamps which are efficient and inexpensive to run-the ones i have are energy efficient too.They dont so much heat the whole shed but create a lovely cosy area and i like the red glow from them!

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What a brilliant idea, where did you get yours, what sort and do you just have them on through the night?

I prefer lino to tiles as the wee can seep between the cracks and be a pain to clean, not so bad with littertrained buns but if anyone has ever littertrained a piggy please tell me how.

The correx idea sounds good though.

I would definately want sides on the ramp and probably as shallow a gradient as possible.

If you don't need your correx to be 'load bearing' then you can get away with the more flimsy 2mm thick stuff. If you have a 'Travis Perkins' builders merchants near you, they sell massive sheets of it at about £10 a sheet. Otherwise, you can get it on the internet. Just google 'correx' or 'corrugated plastic' and you'll find masses of it. Some is really expensive, especially the 4mm thick stuff. I lined my piggy C&C cage with the 2mm thick stuff from Travis Perkins. Granted, it's not really rigid, but it does the job :thumb:.

I have tubular heaters in the kennel sections of my three kennel/run set ups. They are great :thumb: They give a very gentle warmth which just takes the chill off, but they don't make it hot and stuffy.

Thank you everyone , will do some research this afternoon. Would be good to see people's playhouse pictures even if they are for their buns.

While I was at college , mum got a call to say the playhouses are coming tomorrow between 7am and 7pm , I'm super excited. I need to paint them before building them up so hopefully the weather is good this weekend.

Guy&Fawkes bunnies said:

What a brilliant idea, where did you get yours, what sort and do you just have them on through the night?

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If you Google Wells Poultry (sorry cant do a link)the heatlamps are on their web page.I used the 175w energy saving bulb in their Prolamp holder.The holder is slightly more expensive than the standard one but wont overheat.I used the bulbs day and night last winter and they are still going strong.

hoppetylop said:

If you Google Wells Poultry (sorry cant do a link)the heatlamps are on their web page.I used the 175w energy saving bulb in their Prolamp holder.The holder is slightly more expensive than the standard one but wont overheat.I used the bulbs day and night last winter and they are still going strong.

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Excellent, thanks. Will have a look :thumb: