How often to clean out?

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chilwell

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How often should I clean the piggies out? We got them yesterday so obviously fresh bedding and stuff but they poo like there's no tomorrow!

Should I clean out today? How often do you do it?
 
Welcome to the forum,

As you have noticed piggies do poop a lot.

I find it depends on the piggy and the type of bedding they are on,

My bonded pair, Harry and Sparky are cleaned out every 5-7 days sooner of they smell whereas Thomas whose on his own its 7-10 days. They are both on newspaper and hay and I check daily to ensure they are not too wet if they are they are cleaned out, I replace any soiled bedding and top them up with fresh hay, piggies hate to be dirty.

Hope this helps
 
my piggies are on wood shavings, fleece and hay, i go by how it looks/smells/feels.
if the fleeces look damp, they get changed, if the shavings are damp, they get changed, if it looks messy, it gets changed, if it smells they get changed.
on average the smaller piggys are fully cleaned out every 5-7 days, the larger piggies every 3-5 days, with 'spot cleaning' every other day to remove poops and damp corners! i could never leave a full clean out longer than 6/7 days.... my lot are messy buggers!
 
Thanks everyone!

Mine are on Chipsi wood shavings and I'm finding it a pain in the rear! What kind of fleece, just ordinary everyday fleece?

I am thinking fleece may be a better solution!
 
fleece is great if you dont have too many piggies! word of advice dont use fabric softner when you wash it as it will no longer absorb the wetness then :) Buy normal everyday fleece (its best to buy two or three so you have an extra for when the other is in the wash) you can put newspaper or towels underneath for extra absorbancy :)
 
My indoors tribe of seven is on fleece with an underlay of newspaper and cheap towels. I find that I need to change every three days, but need to spot clean (pick up the poos) twice daily - there are LOTS!

Fleece has the advantage that there is not as much mess compared to wood chips when you change it, but it won't absorb the smell as well as wood chips and needs a lot more regular little clean-outs, especially around the toilet and hay corners. On the other hand, fleece washed without softener wicks away the pee, so they are always dry and longhaired guinea pigs have less tangles.

You can get fleece and towels very cheaply in lots of places (baby fleece). Some people prefer another layer of vetbed between towels and fleece, and one member used shredded paper between two layers of newspaper as underlay.
 
like others say it does depend on alot,bedding,cage size and in general some piggies are messier.
All my boys are indoors on newspaper,towels and then fleece on top and i clean theres every second day occasionally every 3rd day and spot clean twice daily,
there is less smell with fleece,its cost effective, soft on there feet,and looks pretty too!
 
My girls are indoors at the moment on fleece and I'm changing it approx every other day.

When they're out in their hutch (on hay) I will clean them every 5-7 days, depending on how they are looking. The most important thing is that they're dry :)

p.s. Good luck with your new piggies :)
 
I've always wondered about using fleece, my 4 piggies are on wood shavings with tonnes of hay. I clean them out every 6-7 days and make sure they are all OK.
With fleece is the whole of the cage covered in fleece or just the parts where they regularly pee? How regularly do you wash the fleece and how?
 
Spishkey said:
my piggies are on wood shavings, fleece and hay, i go by how it looks/smells/feels.
if the fleeces look damp, they get changed, if the shavings are damp, they get changed, if it looks messy, it gets changed, if it smells they get changed.
on average the smaller piggys are fully cleaned out every 5-7 days, the larger piggies every 3-5 days, with 'spot cleaning' every other day to remove poops and damp corners! i could never leave a full clean out longer than 6/7 days.... my lot are messy buggers!
Click to expand...

this is almost exactly the same as what i would suggest :)
 
Fleece wicks away the wetness, so its important you use an absorbant layer underneath the fleece - towels, waterproof bed pads etc.
My indoor pigs get changed everyday as they do start to smell. They have cat litter trays filled wth hay that they poo and pee and eat and this gets cleaned and fresh hay every day too.

I thought wood shavings were dangourous for piggies? :{
 
My two boys are on wood shavings and I clean them out from top to bottom every day, if I leave it for as much as 2 days the cage is filthy and smelly. But then again, my boys just go wherever they want!
 
I don't know how much they care about poops, maybe it's just me who thinks it looks messy... I do poop patrol several times a day (whenever I'm by their cage, really) and change fleece and towels before they start to smell, I wouldn't like to keep my nose so close to the ammonia smell of piggy pee. I've also heard it can make them sick somehow and that's why cages need to be well ventilated and clean.
 
skrikopanik said:
I don't know how much they care about poops, maybe it's just me who thinks it looks messy... I do poop patrol several times a day (whenever I'm by their cage, really) and change fleece and towels before they start to smell, I wouldn't like to keep my nose so close to the ammonia smell of piggy pee. I've also heard it can make them sick somehow and that's why cages need to be well ventilated and clean.
Click to expand...

Agrreed, me too - I'm sat next to them now- my lovely smelly poo machines ! x)
 
GuineaPigg said:
My two boys are on wood shavings and I clean them out from top to bottom every day, if I leave it for as much as 2 days the cage is filthy and smelly. But then again, my boys just go wherever they want!
Click to expand...

What type of cage is it what size is it?
I it is filthy after 2 days then it's not big enough or your pigs are extremely messy. My 2 girls were on shavings and plenty of hay and it takes about 5-7 days till it needs cleaning.
 
my two are great, they are bedded on newspaper with fleece on top and have a tray with just newspaper under their hay racks - this is the only place they seem to wee and poo, I just clean this out every morning and pick * any odd little poo that maybe lurking else where but (and I may jinx this now) they do seem to be incredibly clean !
 
My two girls are on Vetbed,with newspaper underneath. I remove poos twice a day,and wash the Vetbed every second or third day,depending on if i can feel any wetness.There is no smell,and my girls seem very happy with that.
 
I clean out every 3rd day. I sweep out all poop every day and change the litter tray every day too.

I have mine on fleece with incontenance sheets underneath or towels underneath.

It takes at least 45 minutes every day to keep things stink(ish) free.
 
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