Joining two ferplast cages together.

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klee

klee

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I'm bringing the girls in for winter and I now have 2 Ferplast 120 cages, as they are a bonded 4 I don't really want to split them up so my plan is to join them together in like an L shape with a ramp going across into each cage to join them together.
My plan at present is to remove one of the front doors and lift up the side of the other cage and cable tie them securely together.
As the join between the cages won't be even for the piggies to use does anyone have any idea what I can use to bridge the gap so it is like a platform? Also what do people use to make ramps? It will need to be fairly shallow with sides so my golden oldie Rosie can manage.

I'm fairly excited about bringing them in, just need to finalise the connecting of the cages :)
 
Ive seen several members joining cages together using a plasti tube but t means cutting a hole in the end of each cage which you may not want to do?
 
I use two of those log bridges, with wooden sides nailed on for safety (as it's a high ramp). The railings keep the two held together and rigid, but obviously you couldn't solidly connect two in an arc that way. Maybe you could put either /both ends up on something, like a brick or some other platform, to decrease the distance and make it reach? I prop the end of my ramp on a brick to lessen the incline. I've seen a few C&C setups with those log ramps connected to wooden houses, boxes, etc. That assumes none of your pigs have any mobility issues that would prevent a hop of a few inches.
 
When i joined my two ferplast 140 cages together i just removed the side panels to each cage (laid them lengthways side by side) and used some cable ties to secure the cages together. I then used 4 x plastic ferplast ramps (similar to these):

http://www.equinecaninefeline.com/catalog/clearance-plastic-ramp-ladder-special-edition-pink-p-4592.html

I cable tied two of the ramps together and covered them with vetbed for grip - i secured the ramps to the cage sides using carabiner clips (so i ended up with two ramps at either end of the cage where the two cages joined - i hope that make sense). When it came to changing the cages i just re-attached the cage sides - so no modifications and the cages were as good as new - the modification literally took minute to do and minutes to take apart.
 
klee said:
Ah yes, I have one of these. Do you think it will reach over the bases? I think it is the same size as that one. x
Click to expand...

Works ok for me? And the pigs whizz up and over it. Its the largest one you can get. (see photo)

13012012259.jpg


x.
 
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SpinningNickel said:
I use two of those log bridges, with wooden sides nailed on for safety (as it's a high ramp). The railings keep the two held together and rigid, but obviously you couldn't solidly connect two in an arc that way. Maybe you could put either /both ends up on something, like a brick or some other platform, to decrease the distance and make it reach? I prop the end of my ramp on a brick to lessen the incline. I've seen a few C&C setups with those log ramps connected to wooden houses, boxes, etc. That assumes none of your pigs have any mobility issues that would prevent a hop of a few inches.
Click to expand...

Is there any chance you could pop a photo up so i can see how you did it ? My pigs don't have any mobility probs apart from Rosie being old. Also sodapopd when you cabletied the ramps together was that so the ramps were wider?
 
IMG_20120910_094633.jpg


Yoshi is only 6 weeks old there so the brick looks huge! I cable tied the two log bridges together length wise but they were seriously unstable until supported by rails. Abi's seems to work but if you have an older pig who might not zoom over the top so well I think the platforms would give her a nice hand up. Mine are both young and basically launch themselves right over the brick onto the ramp most of the time.
 
SpinningNickel said:
IMG_20120910_094633.jpg


Yoshi is only 6 weeks old there so the brick looks huge! I cable tied the two log bridges together length wise but they were seriously unstable until supported by rails. Abi's seems to work but if you have an older pig who might not zoom over the top so well I think the platforms would give her a nice hand up. Mine are both young and basically launch themselves right over the brick onto the ramp most of the time.
Click to expand...

Not quite sure if Rosie will be able to manage to leap onto a brick, do you think something shallower like a upturned litter try might work?

Also Abi? What have you used for your big ramp up to your second level? Is it wood? x
 
You could easily knock something together with a few bits of wood - a platform
Spanning the cages and two ramps bits at whatever incline you need
 
If you dont go L-shape you can use the wooden log to create a bridge ans just lift the ends of each cage. That mean no DIY and no money spent!
 
I don't reckon that brick is actually more than about 4 inches; Yoshi is very tiny in the picture. Almost anything will work, but if yours are anything like my boars they will headbutt the heck out of anything as light as an upturned litter tray. All my actual litter trays have to be tied to the side of the cage or they get moved halfway across the place, courtesy of Machu's nose! It would be very easy to knock together a few little platforms with wood though, as Amanda says.
 
Here's the project in progress

20121116_194912.jpg


Now to sort out the ramp to cross into the cage, the playsticks log bridge is a little too short to reach across and be at a decent angle.
Either another playsticks joined to our original one to fit right across or to have a bridge going up to the shelf and then one coming down from the shelf into the other cage.
The plan is to have the girls moved in tomorrow afternoon- excited!
 
This is great.. I've just another 100 ferplast for a £10! gonna join to my 120.. please keep us posted...
 
susiewoosie said:
This is great.. I've just another 100 ferplast for a £10! gonna join to my 120.. please keep us posted...
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So far so good. 3 of my 4 girls have learnt to use the ramp for themselves now just to get Rosie using the ramp- which is proving difficult. I'm hoping banana may do the trick. She just can't resist it!

Girls moved in... fleece was getting too damp so they are now on just shavings and hay.

20121117_122605.jpg


The girls seem happy, I may have even seen some popcorns :)
 
Fantastic... soon as i get my space sorted, sorry but gonna copy yours...think i'll buy up all cheap second 100+ cages and just add add add...hehe..loving it!sx
 
susiewoosie said:
Fantastic... soon as i get my space sorted, sorry but gonna copy yours...think i'll buy up all cheap second 100+ cages and just add add add...hehe..loving it!sx
Click to expand...

So easy and cheap. My 2 cages barely cost over £30 from ebay. The first- the older one in front of the wardrobe was £1.04 and the other one was £30 so all in all a bargain.
Go for it, if you have the space and piggies who are willing to learn to use a ramp it is definitely worth it.

Edit: Only thing I would say, check the heights of the two cages are nearly the same. I don't know whether the 100 is the same height, I think it would still work just may be something to check.
 
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klee said:
Not quite sure if Rosie will be able to manage to leap onto a brick, do you think something shallower like a upturned litter try might work?

Also Abi? What have you used for your big ramp up to your second level? Is it wood? x
Click to expand...

Sorry, i missed all this. the ramp is from a ferplast double 100 cage. I added sandpaper for the piggies to grip better.

x
 
Abi_nurse said:
Sorry, i missed all this. the ramp is from a ferplast double 100 cage. I added sandpaper for the piggies to grip better.

x
Click to expand...

No worries, I used the playsticks joined together to make a bridge/ramp/hidey. Seems to be working okay just need the old lady to figure it out. Thanks anyway :)
 
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