Plans So Far.

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Louise's Zoo

Louise's Zoo

Adult Guinea Pig
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Collecting my piggies next month and thought I'd run my ideas past you all and see if they sound OK or if any changes need making.

I might now be bringing home 3 sows not 2 but I'll know more next week.

I'm going to get the Liberta Rabbit 150 cage. I plan on lining the shelf area with fleece blankets and also covering the wire ramp with something. The base I am thinking of using puppy pads with fleece blankets on top plus a litter tray in the corner with some form of litter in it. Any recommendations for litter? I

There will be plenty of cosy beds and hide away areas plus food bowls and water bottles.

Food and hay I'm not sure on yet. My bunny was on high quality nuggets and Timothy hay. Is this also best for pigs? Can you recommend a good brand of food?

I'll add more to this thread as I pick up bits and bobs.
 
Hi, you need to line that shelf with, I would hate to see one of there little legs go through, then you are talking big vet bills. You need to take the wire ladder out, it looks very steep & you need to have a slow incline. You can make your own ramp with sides on it & carpet along the channel. Or half a bit of plastic pipe with carpet. Secure that with hooks. Someone has got this cage but I can't remember who.
Put another thread up with the title of the cage. I'm sure she'll have some tips & maybe put a photo up.
 
Ilene said:
Collecting my piggies next month and thought I'd run my ideas past you all and see if they sound OK or if any changes need making.

I might now be bringing home 3 sows not 2 but I'll know more next week.

I'm going to get the Liberta Rabbit 150 cage. I plan on lining the shelf area with fleece blankets and also covering the wire ramp with something. The base I am thinking of using puppy pads with fleece blankets on top plus a litter tray in the corner with some form of litter in it. Any recommendations for litter? I

There will be plenty of cosy beds and hide away areas plus food bowls and water bottles.

Food and hay I'm not sure on yet. My bunny was on high quality nuggets and Timothy hay. Is this also best for pigs? Can you recommend a good brand of food?

I'll add more to this thread as I pick up bits and bobs.
Click to expand...

In terms of litter trays there are many options. I use a small cat litter tray lined with wood shavings then hay on top. But you can use carefresh or other absorbable bedding products made of paper or wood pellets. It works well but piggies do still drag their hay over the fleece so be warned!

In terms of pellets there are endless pellets. Best is to feed a complete pellet rather than a muesli type mix. I would ask the rescue what they feed and perhaps initially stick to that pellet for your girls. I create a mix of whole pellets to give my girls a bit of healthy choice. Currently they are having a mix of science Selective and Burgess Excel mint.
 
Thanks for the replies so far.

I have just been having a look and C&C cages on eBay. They work out much cheaper for more room.

I can get a 5x2 with a roof for under £60. That makes a 180cm x 72cm cage. Hmmm..

Off to look at the forum C&C cage section now :yahoo:
 
about the litter in the corner, you can use the same puppy pads and fleece. :)
Timothy hay is considered the best hay for piggies, but a meadow hay (the one used also for horses) is very good and also the mixed one for bunnies you can find into shops. It depends on the tastes of the piggies: they need hay and must eat it, it is their main food. 80% of their diet should come from hay, but sometimes piggies are fussy and have their personal tastes...
About pellets, I use them only as a treat (some pieces a day - the latest guide line suggests one tea spoon of good pellets a day); the best pellets are made of a variety of grass, but no wheat/cereals/grains. Anyway also the best product has some sugar. Piggies under 6 months can eat some pellets/hay made of alfa-alfa. Read the labels of the food you are interested of and make your choice. I personally prefer walking kilometers for reaching a good lawn and cutting quality fresh grass rather than buying pellets, but this is only my choice (approved by my vet, considering that my piggies are growing up regularly with no urinary issues, no gas, and nothing else bad).
Versele Laga maybe produces the best pellet; Oxbow is good as well (people say) and also some not famous brand has some good product.
About the cage and its "furniture" you just have to start, then the piggies themselves will suggest you some change over time :love:. Also recycled and simple materials are suitable for building hideys and toys.
For example I bought two water bottles, but my piggies don't drink a single drop of water (neither from that, nor from a bowl)... and their hay rack needed some adjustments as well.:roll:
 
C&C all the way! :D
They are great because you have so many various options and design it how you want and make the most out of the space you have. We have three 5x2 setups with lofts, the boys love them :)
 
So, bit of a dilemma. I can't fit 5x2 C&C grids in the space I have for the cage. I can only fit something 150cm long. So it would be either 4x2 C&C which is 144cm x 72cm or a similar sized bought cage.

I really do like the 150cm Liberta cage but wow, it's really pricey and seeing as the platform and ramp plus many of the extras, aren't really great, it does seem like a lot of money. I have found a Little Friends cage which is 140cm long and 69cm wide for £70 which leaves me money over to get lots of extras.

The C&C 4x2 cage including roof and base would be £65 but I then need to buy the correx for around £15.

Whatever I go for, it will be raised off the floor on top of some Ikea coffee tables that I have so I don't think I will be changing the layout much however I could later add a loft or second floor to the C&C version.

What would you go for?
 
Ilene said:
So, bit of a dilemma. I can't fit 5x2 C&C grids in the space I have for the cage. I can only fit something 150cm long. So it would be either 4x2 C&C which is 144cm x 72cm or a similar sized bought cage.

I really do like the 150cm Liberta cage but wow, it's really pricey and seeing as the platform and ramp plus many of the extras, aren't really great, it does seem like a lot of money. I have found a Little Friends cage which is 140cm long and 69cm wide for £70 which leaves me money over to get lots of extras.

The C&C 4x2 cage including roof and base would be £65 but I then need to buy the correx for around £15.

Whatever I go for, it will be raised off the floor on top of some Ikea coffee tables that I have so I don't think I will be changing the layout much however I could later add a loft or second floor to the C&C version.

What would you go for?
Click to expand...
Would your space allow a 4x3 or an 'L' shape set up?
 
Tim said:
Would your space allow a 4x3 or an 'L' shape set up?
Click to expand...

Actually, L shaped could be possible. I even have a spare matching coffee table so it can still be raised off the floor. I will measure up tomorrow. Might only fit 1 x 2 extra on but better than nothing!
 
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what's about spending now 60-70£ for C&C? and in the future, when you have some money saved, you could buy extra grids for a second floor and a ramp, so that your piggies would have room enough for moving. The extra you are referring to can actually have no cost at all if you recycle some box, some bowl, if you have a bit of fantasy :nod: In only some months you might be able to expand the area and to make the best use of those 144cm.
 
Tim said:
Would your space allow a 4x3 or an 'L' shape set up?
Click to expand...

I just measured and no, L shaped isn't possible :no:

rome_italy said:
what's about spending now 60-70£ for C&C? and in the future, when you have some money saved, you could buy extra grids for a second floor and a ramp, so that your piggies would have room enough for moving. The extra you are referring to can actually have no cost at all if you recycle some box, some bowl, if you have a bit of fantasy :nod: In only some months you might be able to expand the area and to make the best use of those 144cm.
Click to expand...

This might be what I go for. I could probably add a second floor/loft within a couple of weeks once the new piggies have settled in. I could even go 3 floors high as I have plenty of space upwards. I'd just move the cage off the table and onto the floor :D

So may ideas and options. Just need to make my mind up :tu:
 
wonderful idea! if you go to the proper section of this forum, you can see a lot of pics of amazing personal design of C&C cages! :woot:
 
I've been looking through the C&C section on here and there are some amazing setups!

I've decided to go for the white grids and I have now made enough space for the 5x2 size. Yay! I may be adding a loft area later as I think they look so good. For now though it will just be a 5x2 rectangle with a hinged lid.

Today I got some bits from my local Poundland including a few packs of puppy pads, 2 litter trays and some storage boxes to go under my tables where the cage will stand.

Where is the best place to buy some nice fleece blankets? I have some here from Ikea but I'm not sure they're soft enough? They were very cheap though!
 
I know somebody who is using fleece blankets from Ikea and they are very good. It is not important how much they look soft, but what counts is that the wee has to pass through and you should never see a paddle on the fleece.
I bought my fleeces in a textile shop, but online and on Ebay you can find a great variety of them. Then you only need to wash them at least once, without softener.:nod:
 
Just ordered some fleeces off eBay. I can't wait to get this all set up! :D

Went to see the piggies today. Oh my gosh, they are so cute. Looks like I will be taking the 2 mums and the baby as the mums have lived together before. I think I am going to name the 2 mums Eva and Edna and the baby is Eileen (which I spelled differently as my user-name.. can anyone change that? :mal: )
 
I meant to get photos today. I took my teenage daughter with me so she could get a few pics but we both got too caught up giving the piggies cuddles.

Little Eileen is white with black face markings and one pink ear. Her mum is white with brown and black patches and the other the same.

I'll try and get photos next time I visit.
 
We already have an Eileen, sorry, unless you want to put an initial on it. ;)
 
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