To break myself into the many renovation and repair projects that I had planned over winter, and to rebuild my strength after having flu, I started gently by enlarging a small static run I had built in the first year of opening Castle Garth Guinea Pig Hotel. Considerations included - to build this run large enough so that there was also the possibility that I could sub-divide it into 1, 2 or 3 runs with removable dividers that would also enable me to place piggies side by side that were to be bonded. The dividers therefore had to be strong but see-through. I also needed to returf the entire area, which meant digging, weeding, soil enriching, more digging, leveling, finally turfing. So, here is the finished run. It is approximately 10 foot x 5 foot.

Sorry, can't help myself, close up of luscious green grass :)

The next photo is the large guinea pig run divided into 3 smaller runs. As the dividers are removable I can also have just 2 runs - 1 large run and 1 smaller run depending on the number of guinea pigs that are staying. For instance, if I have a group of 4 piggies staying and another group of 2. This gives each group plenty of room without compromise. Obviously, each group will know that there are other piggies in the next run and vice versa, but that just means there is a lot of interest and quite a bit of piggy communication between them. For a top, I use fleece to give any necessary shade which is draped and pegged. All piggies are constantly supervised, though.

This is the last run in the row, the one nearest The Lodge. The grass is about 10 inches in height.

This is the same run as pictured above after guest piggies have spent the afternoon playing/snoozing/munching - not necessarily in that order. They made caves and tunnels too. I would imagine this is what it looks like in the piggy wilderness of Peru :)

Elvis and in the back Shaggy. Some of the first piggies to experience the new run.