Possible to stack large c&c cages?

[4boipigs]

I have 4 boars and they are all separated. Currently 2 are in a divided 2x6. One is in a 2x5, and the last is next to the 2x5, in a 2x3. The 2x5 and 2x3 are on two tables in an L shape. The 2x6 is under the table on the floor. I am tired of this set up, but I don't have the space to move them around. I am wondering if stacking them on c&c grids would be possible. I would likely make the 2x5 and 2x3 into two 2x4 to rid myself of the L shape. Ideally, I would start with a grid stand to get them off the floor and build up from there.

Is this feasible? Is there some other way I can do it? I know cages this big will need support, but I just don't know where to start. There is an American c&c store I can get everything from so no concerns with materials.

I would like to try re-bonding/mix-and-match them but it will have to wait til everyone is done with puberty.

 

[Roselina]

Hello 4boipigs. That’s sounds feasible ….I have no experience of this though. Hopefully more experienced members will be along to advise you. Maybe asking some rescues if they do this ? Their space will be carefully managed … the suppliers of c&c grids should be able to offer advice.
Good luck anyhow

 

[Piggies&buns]

Stacking them is entirely possible. However having them stacked and on a grid stand as well may make them unmanageable.

To stack two cages it will end up being three grids high (cage, spacer row of grids to allow you access to the bottom cage, then the top cage).
If you have a stand then it will be 4 grids high, measuring 5 foot tall, and potentially (even if you are tall enough) hard to clean out and access. Plus it may make it vertically less stable.

As single piggies need to be side by side and a minimum of a 2x3 then you can build a stacked 2x6 cage. You would then obviously need to put dividers in so to make two 2x3s at the top and two 2x3s at the bottom.
If you want them to have a 2x4 cage each, then obviously you’ll need a stacked 2x8 cage with divides in each cage.

The wider you go, the more support will be needed across the bottom of the top cage to hold it up.

 

[Cheekypigs]

We used to keep two pairs of guinea pigs in a 2-level C&C cage - well, actually C&P, as the boxes were plywood, and that meant we didn't have any problem with the floor sagging in the middle, which is otherwise a potential issue, because the boxes were rigid. If you do this you might also want to put a plywood board on the bottom of the upper cage for rigidity, even if you use coroplast on top of that. Cable ties are also a necessity, because the extra span of the floor without supports could otherwise make it more likely that the grids will slip out of the connectors.

A triple level cage will take some thought, and I might be inclined to put a grid in the middle of the bottom two cages to support the upper level.

Access is your other challenge. What we did is we would have a couple of grids in the bottom cage which were not locked into the connectors, but instead sat in the outside corners of the connectors and were cable tied to the adjacent grid. That makes a pretty good hinge, and then we locked the doors shut with velcro tape. Of course the doors do not offer any support to the upper level - this is where the plywood floor comes in, as it spreads the load and stops too much weight falling on any one side grid, or on the middle of the floor grids.

I hope this helps, let me know if I can answer any other questions. I'm an engineer so this kind of thing is fun for me!