06/20/09

Below is the story of the changes from when I first started this website.

July 2007.  I'm lucky, my piggies live in our lean-to conservatory/utility room just off our kitchen, which has a big window so I can see them anytime I am in the kitchen.  Being in the utility room also means I have access to a lovely big sink with hot and cold water, so they are very easy to bath, and it is handy for cleaning out. The conservatory backs onto the garage as well so I can store some of the feed and hay in there.  I have four blocks of either 4 x 4 foot cages, or 8 x 2 foot cages.  They have dividers in so I can have a variety of combinations.  I also have a 4 foot two storey hutch which is currently in the conservatory, opposite these hutches. Outside we also have a two storey three foot hutch and another three four foot hutches.  These are currently empty. Eventually I would like to get a purpose built cavy shed, but that is in the long term plan...  I try to put the cavies out on the grass in runs every fine day.  They look forward to this as they also get delicious apples fallen from our neighbour's apple tree!  We are also planning a large outside 'free-range' run.  The grass seed has been planted and is starting to grow well.  This will probably be ready for spring summer next year.

Coming soon... 'The Guinea Pig Lounge'.  It is surprising really how quickly one can expand.  Mind you I did tell my dear husband when we bought the above cages that I wanted to order eight, not four!  In three months, I have gone from having 3 piggies to 30!  Oops....

My caviary is going to be moving into bigger accommodation.  I am currently building a new hutch block and clearing the new area out.

Well it took a day to clean out the new accommodation and move the blocks in and another day to finish the hutch block complete with dividers and litter boards.  I also made litter boards for my two storey four foot hutch and two storey three foot hutch.

The new hutch block I built is four foot by four foot.  I am very pleased with it and it is much easier to feed and clean out the cavies.  They seem very happy in it as well.

Next year I hope to make another block and the two outside hutches will move onto our rather large porch.  If I can manage it I might make two more blocks, but space is slightly limited.  Otherwise I might get another two of the 'boar blocks', as they are flexible in that I can stack them.

Coming soon.... A new block of Avondale hutches, I can't wait!

March 2008

Well 'The Guinea Pig Lounge' has undergone a revamp.  Bookcase with 'junk' finally been removed and now it is purely caviary apart from the freezer.

February 2009 update

March will see some changes in my caviary.  I am going to be having a shed to store all my hay and feed as well as a block for boarders and I am having some new purpose built hutch blocks for my caviary, 'The Guinea Pig Lounge' to make things easier for me to manage.  .

31st May 2009 - Cages arrived today...pictures soon.

June 2009

The caviary has undergone some changes, one of them being moving out our freezer to make way for a grooming table and some new blocks made by Adrian at Pet Properties.  I've kept the block I made and my Avondale block which I really like and have passed on my Punchard block to a friend.

I'm really pleased with these changes, and the new blocks will make my life a lot easier with cleaning out and also give the piggies more room.

We also have a number of lovely outdoor hutches for both our guinea pigs and for boarders to stay in during the summer months.

April 2008

I have been busy in the garden.  We had a raised vegetable garden that was always rather an untidy state and last year in particular was rather unsuccessful, so I have decided to turn it into an enclosure for the guinea pigs.  It won't have a cover over it as I want to be able to see and enjoy the pigs running around in it, however, of course they won't be able to be left in it overnight.

The enclosure still isn't quite finished, but as it was a nice day I thought I'd give them a chance to try it out.  Still got to paint a hutch to go in and add some tunnels, rocks etc... for shelter and play.

The May weather has been so lovely so far that I managed to get all of my sows and their babies out on the grass today (10th May 2008)  They had so much fun running around, 'popcorning' and playing tug of war with blades of grass. I couldn't resist taking another photo of them.

A selection of our outside hutches.

We have two of these runs, they are six foot by three foot.