Chook Me!

I need to keep my guinea pigs in a chicken coop for a week is this safe?

In a week im gonna pick up my piggies!! :} but for now my aunty has to keep them in her chicken coop ( The only place her dogss can not get to them) Is this ok? Should i put a wooden block or igloo in the cage so the chickens can not peck at them and the piggies can hide?? help!!

Public Comments

1. I would think the chickens could hurt them. Is there anything else you can use temporarily? Like a dog crate, or something similer.
2. In most cases, when a chicken sees anything rat or mouse like, it's instinct is to hurt or kill it... I would recommend finding something like a cat carrier, etc... to put them in... Also, if you mean an outdoor chicken coop, depending on your location, the weather could make them horribly sick or kill them. They need to be indoors. Also, with most chicken coops, the guinea's could probably escape REALLY easily, so I would recommend finding something else to put them in if at all possible. I don't think a chicken coop is very safe for any animal of this size, etc... Good luck
3. I think the chickens would try to peck at them. :( How about a dog crate or a large cage for them? I would think they can be sensitive to weather as well, so how about keeping the crate/cage inside?
4. Even if the chickens do not hurt the piggies physically, they can transfer nasty nasty diseases to the pigs. Do not keep them in there under any circumstances. Can your aunty keep them in a temporary enclosure in a room with a closed door?
5. Not a good idea. Chickens are vicious creatures and will probably kill the guineas. you will need to use two different cages
6. No… it is not the best place to keep them. please try and find somewhere else to keep them. Chickens harbor both salmonella and campylobacter bacteria that colonize the birds’ intestines. But do not usually cause the chickens any harm. These are then passed in the droppings that can be picked up by other animals / rodents. Birds typically harbor more campylobacter than salmonella; both can be deadly to you piggys.
7. I OWN GUINEA PIGS.... so take my advice. It is very bad for them to be put near chickens because birds carry on their feathers something called 'mange mite'. And once this gets onto your piggies, it is a very painful pest which makes them itch. If it is only for a week, then I guess you have no choice.... Place a wooden block or some other sort of stable dwelling that they cant tip over inside the coop with a bowl of food and water inside so that the piggies have shelter from the chickens, incase they peck. It is IMPORTANT to get a mite treatment from the store after you take the guineas out, just to kill off the mites. ;) good luck.
8. No, not a good idea. Way too different and I am sure there will be problems. WHy not wait to get the GP's after you have the proper cage? If you are not able to take care of the right from the start, then maybe think again about getting them at all
9. I have a friend who has a large pen in his backyard where he keeps his birds, chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs all together with no problems. They are extremely healthy and never fight. Consider, though, that his chickens are bantams and very docile breeds and that the guinea pigs and rabbits have boxes they can get into. He also rakes the pen and scatters a fresh bale of hay once a week. If the pen is very clean, the chickens are docile, and the guinea pigs have a place to hide, I think they will be fine. I've seen them housed together far too many times to worry too much about it, but there is always the exception...