Bedding and Grazing Pens for your Guinea Pig
For ease of cleaning, several thicknesses of
newspaper should be placed on the hutch floor, then covered with clean
wood shavings or coarse sawdust to a depth of about 2.5 cm (1 in). A
thick layer of clean, sweet smelling hay should be placed over the whole
area and the guinea pigs will delight in pushing tunnels through it,
eating some of it and using some of it to sleep on.
Guinea pigs  are not
particularly messy animals; they urinate infrequently and their droppings are normally dry and inoffensive. Bedding should either be
burnt or added to the compost heap, where it will eventually rot down
into excellent manure.
Grazing Pens for your Guinea Pig
Guinea pigs delight in free range grazing. Providing
one keeps an eye on them and they have access to their hutch, to which
they will scamper if danger threatens, they can be given freedom of the
garden. To give them the opportunity of grazing on the lawn but, at the
same time, keeping them under control, guinea pigs can be provided with
a grazing pen. This basically consists of four walls which can be
constructed from solid planks, mesh covered frames, or almost any
material which will keep them confined. The height of the walls should
not be less than 37.5 cm (15 in), so that they cannot climb out.
 The animals may be provided with a temporary house in
the pen, where they can shelter from heavy rainfall or strong sunlight.
|
Guinea pigs CAN have wood shavings, unlike a previous comment stated. As long as they are proper shavings (not sawdust) and are made from aspen (not pine or cedar) and have been dust extracted, then they make a good bedding.