[Gpdd] Health:Playing on the lawn

[Penny Charlesworth]

I'm still catching up on the Digests but thought I would add my thoughts on 
this one.

I have a large run on the lawn 12ft x 12 ft and 3 ft high where the 
Piggyfriend sows can go for a play when the weather is dry. In this run are 
several hutches in which they can shelter as it takes me quite a while to 
round them all up if there is a sudden shower. I also have an assortment of 
portable arks for the boars. I only put them all out in what I call 
deckchair weather. Not too hot, not too cold and when the grass is dry. In 
England that's about May to September ( although this year we had a lot of 
baking hot days when they had to stay inside with the fans on.)

They are never left unattended and, until recently, my beloved late lamented 
dog, Sophie, would guard them as if they were her puppies.

No chemicals are ever used in my garden and I have no neighbours so I never 
see a cat.

I have never had an escapee as the run is fastened down with wire hoops, the 
arks have heavy wooden frames and luckily the lawn is flat so they can't 
sneak out underneath. Anyway, the best grass is in the run as I don't mow 
inside it so they are not inclined to run off.

I'm sure that they love to go outside and have a run around and meet up with 
the other piggies.

The piggy droppings help to manure the lawn but I would not put the arks 
near my bird feeding area as the bird droppings might be contaminated. I 
rake the large pen after the piggies have gone indoors and add the scattered 
hay etc. to my compost heap.

Penny and the Piggyfriends.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "A GREIG" <greig164 at btinternet.com>
To: <gpdd at gpdd.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 05, 2006 7:00 PM
Subject: [Gpdd] Health:Playing on the lawn


> Sorry to go back to the subject we covered in detail a
> short while ago.
> I always let my guinea pigs play in a run on the grass
> when the weather is nice.  It can be risky at times eg
> a new cat in the neighbourhood started to take an
> interest in them this summer and although the rabbits
> were terrified the guinea pigs seemed to take it in
> their stride.  However I had to keep a watchful eye on
> them and be there to chase the cat away.
>
> Also this summer the guinea pigs escaped from their
> run on one occasion and although I found the young
> ones quickly, I had avery anxious time looking for
> elderly Bella and at one point thought I'd lost her
> for good until I found her at the extreme end of the
> garden under a bush.  I don't know if she wanted to
> escape or just could not find her way back.  Anyway it
> was lucky the cat didn't get her.  Also I'm amazed how
> hard it is to find a pure white guinea pig.
>
> Also it was awful when Maya got a chest infection and
> died and I think it may have been that the grass was
> slighly damp.  I didn't think so at the time but after
> she died I will be really careful now.
>
> Anyway someone posted that it could be dangerous to
> put them in grass that had been grazed by rabbits?  Is
> this because their dropppings could cause germs and
> bacteria which could be harmful to the guinea pigs?
> Also would this apply to guinea pig droppings also.  I
> alway try to rotate the area of grass where I put the
> run but am aware that the grass might not be totally
> clean.
>
> Thank you if anyone has any advice
>
> Anne, Maisie, Bella and Kiaroo.
>
>
>