Fleece Bedding

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Liane

Liane

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Last month we had two new additions to our pig family - an Abyssinian and a long-haired pig called Elphie and Glinda.

I've been considering the possibility of trying out fleece as bedding. Currently, all my pigs have sawdust and hay, and they also have newspaper to block out any drafts. I've heard that fleece is good for keeping them dry, and thought that this may be better as Glinda is long haired.

My guinea pigs live outside and the bottom of their hutch is plastic. Do you think having a combination of towels and fleece would be good for them? What are your experiences of using fleece?

My main questions are:
1. How often do you wash your fleece?
2. How long does fleece last before it needs replacing?
3. Does it smell worse?
4. Will areas frequently used as a toilet still dry quickly?
5. Do your guinea pigs eat the fleece?
6. Are there any health implications of using fleece? (ingesting, washing chemicals, bacteria etc)
7. Where do you buy your fleece, and do you find it more economical?
8. Is it suitable for outdoor piggies?
9. What do you feel the main benefits are?


I told my dad about it and he said he would consider it. If it works out better than our current arrangement, we will be looking to using it for all three hutches.


Thanks in advance for your help! :)
 
Thanks for the link! I didn't even think to use the search function - my bad! My mum was surprisingly okay with the idea of frequently washing the fleece and towels in the washing machine (she's very funny about pig stuff making a mess!).

Personal opinions on fleece would still be very much appreciated, though! :)
 
I use fleece mainly because it means I can have a bigger cage. I have washable incontinence pads underneath because I couldn't keep up with washing/ drying towels as I only have an indoor airer. I change the whole cage every 3 days, which is 2 loads of washing. I wash the fleece inside an old duvet cover because even though I always brush it well, the filter got blocked up with hay and hair, etc. I had to get someone out to fix it as the filter isn't accessible on my machine.

I use litter trays with newspaper, aubiose and hay. I change the hay every day and scoop the poops up from the fleece.

I really like fleece as a bedding but you have to accept that it won't look tidy most of the time as the pigs will drag hay and bits round. It can be time consuming and it helps to work out a routine that works for you.

It's a good idea to buy a cheap fleece throw and use a couple of old towels to start with so you can see if you like it before spending too much money.

:)
 
Can't really comment on whether it would work well for outside piggies but it works well for me. I got all my fleeces from asda, at different times but they were on offer each time. Paid about £2/£3 per fleece. I do a complete clean out once a week, save up the dirty fleeces for about 3 weeks then wash them all. I usually wash them twice and then do two empty washes to clean the machine of piggie hair before putting our clothes in it :)) Although I read some new tips on here the other day about wearing rubber gloves and wiping the fleece as it removes a lot of the hair prior to washing so I'm going to try that next time.

I don't really notice it smelling better or worse than when they were on shavings to be honest. Their hay loft can get a bit wiffy, no fleece in that, so I change that more often.

They've never tried to eat it or suffered any ill effects from it.

They have been on fleece for about a year now, and I can still use the first batch we bought so pretty economical in that respect. I guess the more you have the longer they will all last as less frequently used.

If your pigs favour a particular area for weeing I'd maybe put extra paper/towel/fleece in that spot to offer more absorbancy. Or a litter try. Mine have corner litter trays in 3 out of the 4 corners in their cage.

Sorry I can't answer all your questions. I suppose the fleece is cheap enough for you to give it a try and go back to sawdust if you don't like it.
 
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Thank you so much for your replies :)
 
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