Bought some new fleece!

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Liane

Liane

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I mentioned a while back in another thread that I was considering giving the fleece&towel combination a go - and I've just bought the 'trial' fleece today!

I've bought enough to kit out Elphie&Glinda's hutch - lovely pink and white polka dot fleece, and a dark pink fleece with butterflies. It just needs to be washed a few times and then we can give it a go! If all goes well, I've seen some that I like for the boys, and I've not quite decided what colours the bigger girlies with have! I'm also going to look into buying/making a matching cosy xx>>>

Anyone got fleece tips? :)) Mine are outdoor pigs, and from what I gather, I'm the first to try it outdoors;)

I'll post pictures once I've pinked-up their pad!
 
Don't really have any fleece tips other than id put something under it as I'm sure it will get pretty wet soon lol

i use Vetbed and won't change it for anything else. Iv gone from sawdust to fleece and newspaper to Vetbed with fleece underneath.

Have fun making cosies /huts =)
 
Pepperdog said:
your not, mine are outdoors in their hutch with fleece and towels :p I think its fab
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LOL, its just when I mentioned it before no one had ones outdoors with fleece, they were all indoors!

Do they get hot in the summer with the fleece? Mine aren't in there during the day, but I'm just wondering if it will retain the heat from the day and make them hot at night?


chrissy88 said:
Don't really have any fleece tips other than id put something under it as I'm sure it will get pretty wet soon lol

i use Vetbed and won't change it for anything else. Iv gone from sawdust to fleece and newspaper to Vetbed with fleece underneath.

Have fun making cosies /huts =)
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I was considering vet bed, but as I'd not heard much about it, I wasn't sure. I'll look into that too!
 
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I put a shade up for the days when I am at work and not able to put them in the run but during the days its nice they are in the run. I dont think the fleece makes them any warmer for the summer months. They have snuggles in the bedroom for warmth, have changed to one open one incase they get too hot as well so they can have the option where they sleep for their comfort.

I was told it wasnt a good idea for outside piggies but with no real good reason, I thought I would try it but could use alternatives to sawdust if it didnt work out and I am glad I gave it a try as I can brush it off or shake it out each day which keeps it clean, I do have to replace the towels every 2 or 3 days but only clean them out fully once a week - which might increase when I go from 3 to 4 piggies
 
The fleece you have on top, how effective is it? I need to wash mine a few times, but does it 'whip away' the moisture quite well? My mum is unsure about the fleece option because she says she can't see it staying dry.

I've chosen 100% polyester fleece, and I'm thinking of having a towel folded in two on the bottom, then the fleece folded in two on the top. Is this enough layers?
 
This is an interesting thread as I have just bought some "trial fleece" as well today. A question I have is about washing powder, do you need to use anything in particular or will the normal stuff do?
 
Milster said:
This is an interesting thread as I have just bought some "trial fleece" as well today. A question I have is about washing powder, do you need to use anything in particular or will the normal stuff do?
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From what I understand, 'normal stuff' will do so long as it doesn't contain fabric softner. It might be worth considering getting something that specifically has anti-bacterial properties?

There's a few more things I need to get before introducing fleece, such as a wash bag!
 
I use fleece blankets with newspaper underneath or mattress protectors which I've cut to size. Totally defy the object though as my boars have sherpa fleece on top too as it is so cuddly and they love it (awful lot of washing though :x)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sherpa-Fur-Fl...Crafts_Fabric_Textiles_SM&hash=item19c0c02b7f
£30 for 5sq metres, again cut to size.
My two girls have fleece blankets and pink vet bed.
Spot clean the pen obsessively every day and a deep clean 1-2 per week but they use litter trays as well which keeps their homes nice rolleyes
Forgot to add,my gang are indoor piggies.
 
Liane said:
The fleece you have on top, how effective is it? I need to wash mine a few times, but does it 'whip away' the moisture quite well? My mum is unsure about the fleece option because she says she can't see it staying dry.

I've chosen 100% polyester fleece, and I'm thinking of having a towel folded in two on the bottom, then the fleece folded in two on the top. Is this enough layers?
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I washed mine twice before putting it out in the hutch, it does stay dry enough - there will be patches where its slightly damp but if you are putting them out in the run it will dry again while they are not using the hutch. Its the towels I find you have to keep ontop of, if they are soaking underneath then the fleece cant wick any more moisture away. I have a thick layer of newspapers underneath too basically to take away some of the wet from the towels.

As I am allergic to some washing powders I use liquid, I brought cheap non bio liquid (as I cant use branded stuff), it cleans the fleece well and I use a 30 degree wash. I brought two pillowcases to use specifically for the guinea pig stuff, I share it out and put both cases in with a knot in it and that should contain any hairs and hay (although with a dog hairs is normal in my washing machine).

Did you know that fleece is actually made from recycled plastic bottles which is why it has waterproof qualities but the fibres allow the moisture to go through it if you dont use the fabric conditioner so they dont fluff up. But is why its so lightweight and easy to clean.

I do have litter trays in areas where they sit and eat a lot or munch the hay to keep the possibility of a lot of wee to a minimum. But they seem to like to widdle in the back of the bedroom area - have put a litter tray there so will see if that helps.
 
ruledbyguineapigs said:
where did you buy your fleece from?
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I bought some from Asda. They've got a nice selection at the moment, good sizes and good prices. I'm going to go back if this works and buy the boys some nice blue, white and red stripey fleece. I considered getting peppa pig fleece:))


And thanks for all the advice! I can't wait to kit out my hutch with soft accessories.

I can see winter being a problem due to the considerably less time spent outside of their hutch, and having to find somewhere to dry the fleece in winter! Is it fast or slow drying, would you say?
 
fast drying.

Mine are coming inside for the winter, I will be using fleece for that as well. And I can repair and renew the hutch in good days over the winter so its ready for the girls again for the warmer months.
 
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