I Need Your Help For A Vegetal House

Mecklips

Mecklips

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all,

I have two guinea pig female, and I want to make a natural cage. So, I make a wooden structure of 120 cm / 60 cm ( 47 inches / 23 inches ), on the background a tarpaulin special earth and above earth ( land I don't know how I can say it).

You can see on the picture ( the cage was changed, is not cardboard for the litter ), my question is how I can do for that environment is absorbed dung and urine. I want to make an ecosystem like as if they were outside.

Thanks for your help and sorry for my english.
DSC_0009 (1).webp
 
Hello, Welcome to the forum. What is that you are using as a bedding please?

What is in the toilet area also?
 
Hey thanks for you answer, for the litter it's just earth like for a plant with cocoa chips, and in their toilet area is hemp and below an absorbent mousse.
 
I wouldn't just be using earth to be honest with you.

I know keeping on the contenient is very different to the UK and US so am tagging in @Wiebke for her thoughts

I have never seen a setup like yours so cant comment on the safety of things used
 
Don't worry and thanks for your help in fact like I want, it's created an ecosystem able to clean needs of my guinea pigs
 
I think that the issue you may have is that the volume of poop would exceed how fast it can bio degrade. There could also be an issue of fungal spores due to the moisture content, just thoughts though :)
 
Yes sure hay every time, you can see on the picture. But I don't know how I can create an ecosystem, for clean the earth of needs of my guinea pigs.

DSC_0069.webp
 
welcome here! I am not able to help you, I don't know the pros and cons of a similar absorbent layer... I can't absolutely comment. It might be a great idea, but I would consider that in the nature, outside, there is the action of the sun which makes some difference in the bacteria balance of the earth. Also out plants in pots are attacked by a lot of diseases and parasites which never create big damage outside.
I think you should study carefully the matter before starting a sort of experiment.
Maybe you can do another thing: you can build a "natural" cage (into a not at all natural flat, though) using for the bedding some of the "classic" solutions we all use. The risk of a dermatitis is high in a piggie and they cannot even use all the medicines...
I also try to offer a natural life to my piggies (and to my children); for example I prefer avoiding pellets and too many vegs, considering they are herbivores. I sometimes walk kilometers for finding the proper grass for their meals. But for the bedding I am using the fleece; and also my children use fleece when they feel cold...:D
But your idea is really interesting; if you find out a new method which works with your piggies, please share every detail with us!
 
@Lauren f yeah it's that I think too, for that I need help for
@rome_italy yes you have right, I can add a UV lamp and add drainage pipes on the ground.

Yes if I find the solution I'll share it ;)
 
Sorry to rain on your parade a bit but I have always been told that UV Lamps should not be used as they can encourage an environment where fungal thrives. How about using something like Vetbed for them to live on but then have a tray full of grass and edible plants (depending which ones are safe of course). That would be the best of both worlds.
 
You mean that I can make a part with Vetbed and another with plant and earth ?

I have my guinea pig in my office, so I do not want it to feel, and the litter normal and vetbed is smell.
 
Yes, though I am thinking not much earth being exposed, more like a lawn in a tray. I have not ever seen a pig that just lives on earth. If you put something underneath the vetbed to wick away the urine, there should not be much smell. Some people use towels, I use an incontinence bedpad.
 
Hi!
Please do not use soil/garden compost (black earth for gardening). Guinea pigs eat mostly hay and grass. These are hard to break down and guinea pigs need to digest them twice to get all the nutrients out, so guinea pigs make a LOT of poops and a lot of pees. Soil does not absorb the pee well and the poops will collect on the top, so your guinea pigs sit very quickly on a dirty, smelly surface and get dirty themselves very quickly. This attracts insects and other pests.

If you want to go natural, look for recycled bedding products that are made from natural materials like hemp (chanvre) or wood products. These are very absorbent, so your guinea pigs are always dry. You need to change your guinea pigs' bedding ideally 1-2 times weekly; the toiletting corners and sleeping areas two times a week.
Here are some examples available in France. You may find other places and products if you look.
Litière de chanvre pour rongeur - zooplus

Make sure that your guinea pigs have access to an unlimited supply of fresh hay. It makes 80% of the daily food intake. Soft meadow hay (foin de prairie) is good for them to sit on and sleep in. Guinea pigs also love it for going to the toilet. Stalky timothy hay (foin de fleole?) is best fed from a container or hay rack to prevent eye injuries. Timothy is the best hay for guinea pigs, but a combination of both hays is great - it allows them to eat and interact with it in different ways and enriches their lives.

For guinea pig pellets, choose products that are low in grain (ble) and calcium for a good diet; Versele Laga is a good brand that is more commonly used in continental Europe. Pellets should make only 5% of the daily food intake.

Here are our diet recommendations: Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet
 
Thanks for this answer, my piggies have hay all the day, for the pellets, I choose as natural as possible without cereals.

I know that, i have litter of hemp in the toilet area, I change it each two days, but I want to create a cage like is outdoor and don't smell.
 
I agree with all the concerns above of course, but about the nutritional value of hay and grass no, that is a mistake (or maybe I have misunderstood). The fact that a piggie needs to digest twice everything is because their gut is extremely fast compared with ours and their gut is not able to absorb all the vitamins (especially the B group) in such a fast time. Eating again the "poo" the piggies can absorb what they have missed during the first digestion.
hay and grass are extremely nutritious, in fact my piggies are fed 90% with hay and grass (and only a very little piece of bell pepper daily) and are growing up very well, growing from a weight of 240-310g to a 860-910g in 6-7 months. They would be ill and dead if the fresh grass would not be a good food... :))
 
If you want to create more natural areas, I would recommend that you get low seed trays from a garden centre and plant them up with grass and/or wheatgrass seeds (i.e. graines de graines de ble). The stalks and leaves of cereal grains are good, it is the wheat seeds (graines de ble) that are too high in fat. Have several trays that you sow a week apart, so you can rotate. This is wonderful enrichment - like an indoors grass lawn, but allows you to keep the cage hygienic and easy to clean, and much better to control. You can also easily replant and resow any used up trays that do not regrow well or have been eaten down too low. ;)
 
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