Now that the weather is nice, I thought it would be nice to take the piggies outside sometime (in a pen, of course).
Anything I should be worried about, though? Specifically, I wonder...
1) whether any backyard weeds could be toxic to them or make them sick if they were to nibble on them. We don't treat our yard with any herbicides or pesticides, and the downside of that is that our lawn consists more of short weeds than grass. We have a lot of clover and Creeping Charlie in our yard, and probably other plants that I don't know the name of.
2) whether they can catch fleas or mites if they are outside. We don't own any outdoor animals but our next-door neighbor has dogs. Also there are wild rabbits and squirrels, chipmunks, and birds that live in our yard. Could the GPs catch mites or fleas just from being in the yard for a while?
If I let them outside, are there any weeds that would be poisonous to them?
Rats, I thought it would be fun to have them outside, but that is good to know. Thanks also to Lynx for the foraging list. We have a few of the "good ones" on that page in our yard, so if nothing else, maybe I can pick some of those, wash them, and introduce them to the piggies in small amounts.
Make sure you don't use fertilizer or insecticides on the grass. Another thing is to make sure the undergrowth is raked out too. It's home to parasites and bacteria that can harm guinea pigs. My guinea pigs graze outside daily and eat their fill, but not until I have taken every precaution to make sure that what they are eating is safe and the area is safe from predators.
NEVER leave them unattended! Not even for a second. Birds of prey and pretty much any predator can swoop down on them in an instant. Make sure you have a shaded area and that the temperature outside is right. 65-75° is the range that is recommended. Even in that range, direct sun can kill very quickly.
I'm not trying to turn you off about the idea of letting them graze outside. It's very beneficial for them, The awards outweigh the risk as long as you take the necessary precaution.
NEVER leave them unattended! Not even for a second. Birds of prey and pretty much any predator can swoop down on them in an instant. Make sure you have a shaded area and that the temperature outside is right. 65-75° is the range that is recommended. Even in that range, direct sun can kill very quickly.
I'm not trying to turn you off about the idea of letting them graze outside. It's very beneficial for them, The awards outweigh the risk as long as you take the necessary precaution.
Very good to know, thank you. 👍 We have a nice big tree that would provide shade, and we have never used any fertilizers or chemicals in the grass in the three years we have lived here. And definitely one of us would sit with them to watch them. The potential parasites/bacteria are my main concern, though; I don't know how we could prevent them from catching something.
If it's in a spot where there is no undergrowth and no dead and rotting organic material, such as dead grass clippings, leaves and things like that under the grass, you can be fairly confident that there are no parasites or harmful bacteria. Not sure what the climate is like in your area, but in Reno, NV where I live, it gets cold enough for the ground to freeze in the winter and it does snow. That kills off the harmful things. Between that and keeping my lawn raked well, my piggies have safe outdoor grazing. I do a hard rake twice a year; once after the leaves have fallen and again in the spring as the grass starts to come back.
SHOP AMAZON