Fleece... Users Opinions.

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Rach1

Rach1

Junior Guinea Pig
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so, now we have added three more piggies to the mix I'm wondering if for the sake of my purse I'd be better moving to fleece in the cages?
I currently use wood shavings, shredded paper and hay. But that's gonna get costly... Which is fine as such but where I can save money on bedding and use a cheaper alternative I can spend it on toys etc.
So, I'm wanting users opinions on using fleece- if you use it how do you find it?
Would you recommend the change?
Do you find it smells more? Or less?

I've checked out the threads on beddong options but would like some daily users thoughts.
Kind thanks people.
 
Hi Rach. I use fleece over a paper liner in my C&C or my Ferplast 140 if that's in use. I prefer to clean out and change the fleeces daily as my cages are in the living room with us and it stops my OH moaning about any trace of odour. I shake the poops etc onto the paper lining, roll up the lining and bin it, take the fleeces into the back garden and shake them hard. Then they go in my washing machine with non bio powder and I dry them on washing line or clothes rack. Then I wash and dry the cage floor and set it up again. If I take my time the whole routine takes 25 to 30 minutes. At this time of year any bits of hay blowing round the garden get picked up by nesting birds. It is easy enough to poo pick before going to bed too. I very rarely leave a cage change longer than 24 hrs so don't have much odour at all. Hope this helps.
 
Hi, thanks yes that was helpful.
With a small herd of piggies to look after (which I love) it's a toss up between washing fleeces or the cost of buying bedding such as shavings.
My family help by sending me their shredded paper etc but wood shavings get expensive.
Also, fleece looks quite nice. LOL
I don't know if I would need a daily change as our piggies aren't in the living room like yours.
 
I use fleece, love it. When I first tried it i couldn't get on with it because of the smell, but i tried a second time as I love the colours and felt it better for my pigs. I learned that having a litter tray under their hay where they toilet the most with a decent bedding in to calm smells did the trick, and now i have no smells and we all love it. I use fleece on top of towels and hoover it out twice a day. I wouldn't use anything else now.
 
So, can I ask... You have separate litter trays?
Or just trays under your hay racks?
 
I switched to fleece a couple of months ago, and wouldn't go back to disposable bedding now! Much less mess and money!
I use a litter tray under the hay rack too. I change the towels & fleece twice a week :)
 
I have a hay rack at the end of each enclosure, with a litter tray underneath it. Here's a pic, you can see it to the left. I only have bricks holding mine as my girls liked going behind it and camping out.

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Thanks guys... The picture is great- very helpful.
Thinking I may make the switch. Would be a lot easier and as said above, a LOT less messy.
 
@Flutterby Good thinking using bricks - mine liked moving the tray about too :doh: but I manage to lodge it in place now by not putting towels underneath the fleece where the tray goes. So the towels around the edge stops it from shifting about. Aren't we meanies spoiling their fun ;)
 
Well the bricks serve the purpose of stopping them moving but also helping the pigs into the tray as it's quite deep, it stops it flipping up too. :)
 
I use fleece and both me and my boys love it. I don't find it smells at all. Though I get lots of hair all,over it and hay which can be a bum to get off. It's certainly a lot less messy to as obviously shavings don't go everywhere. I personally find the cheaper felt like fleece is easier to clean to the nicer more expensive soft fleece
 
I use fleece cage liners and feel they are much better than disposable bedding and more cost effective in the long run. I currently have one of the boys on fitch and as it's running out we've decided fleece would be a lot easier. So, shall be ordering two more this week.

With regards to the smell, I feel that is dependent on the number of piggies you have and the size of the cage, I have a 2x4 c&c with two boars and only need to change the fleece over once a week as it stays dry and doesn't smell until the last day or two.

Also, the litter tray is a good idea also :) I used to use one but now I just hay some standing hay racks and pick the hay up twice a day when I spot check :)
 
Think I will change to fleece.
The market down the road has a stall which sells offcuts of fabric cheap so I will start my search there.
Even if I have to stitch a few together or overlay them...
 
They sell nice fleeces in The Range, Tesco and Asda if you have any of them locally.
 
Yes, we have an asda and tesco.
We also have pound shops which sell pet fleeces for erm... £1 LOL.
They are actually quite big too.
 
I wouldnt go back to shavings my boys are all on fleece, I change out their cage twice a week but poo pick everyday, I find having litter trays in their hay area and plenty of hidies and tunnels focuses their poops to those areas which make it easier to clean up. Hths. These days if you have large cages for your animals I find it too costly and difficult to deal with getting rid of the wasted shavings etc the volume is just too high.
 
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