Sawdust To Fleece... ?

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Franah

Franah

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My Guiena pigs are probably (guesstimate) 9-12months old and have been on sawdust all there lives I asked the store they came from about the breeders and themselves. I know that fleece is very cost effective in the long run and I'm wondering whether to change them.
A few factors worry me,
as I'm only 16 I live with my mum and I think she'd be worried about putting the fleece in the washing machine.
Number two is it better for them in the winter months, they're in an outdoor hutch but I will be moving them to the garage which has no vehicles in (dont worry).
Also as I don't work myself how much will it cost for a decent fleece for a two story hutch aswell as one to wash and change.
And finally will they be okay considering they're so used to sawdust how will they go about pooing and weeing?

Thanks
Francesca xx
 
Hi Francesca, nice name by the way :tu: Snap!

I haven't ever used any other bedding but I do like fleece. If you're worried about the washing machine you can buy wash bags to wash the fleece in, or just an old pillow case!

I believe that saw dust can cause respiratory infections in guinea pigs so I would recommend changing, someone correct me if I'm wrong? Though I'm not sure if fleece is the best option for outside pigs as mine live indoors sorry!

I wouldn't worry about the price, you can get fleece really cheap from primark/the range/home bargains and put old towels and newspaper underneath.
 
Hi I can answer some of your questions but not all of them. I think you probably mean they are on wood shavings now ( sawdust is slightly different and not recommended for piggies)?

I have recently switched from wood shavings to fleece in two cages and Fitch in two others (Fitch is a particular soft paper bedding suitable for GPS).

You can buy a bag suitable for washing the fleece in to keep hairs and hay out of the washing machine - they are often sold for use with horses. Alternatively an old duvet cover can be used - tie a knot in it though to keep it closed.

You can buy a large fleece throw from Primark (the ones designed for beds) for £6 which should be enough if you cut it to do both storeys of your hutch. They also are selling their fleece throws for sofas etc for £3.90 at the moment.

You will need to wash them two or three times before use without any fabric conditioner so that they wick the wee away properly.

You will need something under it which is absorbent like old towels. You'll need to change the whole lot about every 3 days. You'll need to pick up the poops twice a day.

I'm sure they won't have any problems moving over - most piggies seem to love fleece and it is better for their feet.

I don't know if there are any warmth advantages of fleece over wood shavings or any other bedding.

Happy to answer any other questions on this based on my experiences though.
 
image.webp Yes @PiggySmitten :)
I don't like wood shavings, my boys sneezed a lot when I used it and I didn't think they liked it under their tummies and they would not lay on it, plus they have long fur so it was getting stuck to them. My boys walk a lot better on the fleece and plonk themselves down for a nap when and wherever they want since I switched to fleece :) I really like it. I change it every 3 days. I don't have proper fleece liners like in a c&c, mine are fleece blankets with towels underneath and newspaper under the towels. My hutch is lined with Lino and I also cut up puppy pads and put strips of them under the newspaper in the areas they piddle in. I put my fleece and towels in a wash jumbo horse bag which is appox £16 no hair, hay etc leaves the bag, you can use an old duvet cover as a wash bag tie the top with a thick strong hair bobble to stop everything falling out during the wash. If I can be of any more help just ask :)
Kell
 
If the hair and hay doesn't come out when you wash it, how is it clean? Don't you want that stuff out?
 
You have to shake and brush as much of that off before you wash it, you just have to shake them well again when they come out of the washer. The hair, hay and shavings will clog up in the washer over time if you don't put them in a bag :)
 
katali said:
If the hair and hay doesn't come out when you wash it, how is it clean? Don't you want that stuff out?
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It might still be there but at least it's clean once washed and, as Kell says, you just brush it before and after. I use a normal brush from a dustpan and brush set to brush them off over our outside bin before washing. TBH I haven't had to brush mine after washing but I was going to get a cheap lint/clothes brush to pick off the few remaining hairs after washing.

I'd do a 60 degree wash every couple of weeks to kill any nasties (but be careful if doing it with a premade liner as it may shrink a little - I've got a premade liner which did shrink a bit but I also use fleece throws I got from the Range and they didn't seem shrink - at the moment every wash is a 60 degree wash as I'm dealing with a fungal infection.).
 
I prefer shavings, but not all are safe, so be careful
 
i really want to switch them over but the intial cost of getting the stuff and making them fit puts my parents off I don't know why!
 
Franah said:
i really want to switch them over but the intial cost of getting the stuff and making them fit puts my parents off I don't know why!
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Perhaps you could make a list of all the bits you'd need (you don't need the Lino to move to fleece but I'd recommend some sort of wipe clean surface in the hutch whatever bedding you use - makes it a lot easier to disinfect etc) and then costs for those you'd have to buy and details of the ones you could repurpose something else for.

So if you don't have any old fleeces you could use, you'd write down the rough cost of those (probably going to cost you around £10 max to get enough for one set in the hutch and one on the wash. Hopefully your family will have some old towels but if not a bath towel seems to cost about £3 in Primark. The wash bag will depend on whether you have an old duvet cover or not.

Making things fit the hutch is just a matter of cutting and measuring - it doesn't need to be amazingly neat and perfect.
 
I don't know if fleece would be ideal when I'm back at school as I'm the only person who cares for the piggys as that was the deal when getting them, would it be okay to spot clean in the morning before i go and the evening after school?

and @My3cuteBoys how many squares did you get in a pack? :)
 
Try fleece and see you can only get a good idea if you just try it and see. I found fleece really time consuming you cant just put it down and leave it. Twice a day spot cleaning then a kitchen area had to be cleaned out daily. I used to take the pads out and hoover them it became very tiresome. I now use woodshavings 80% of the time because I only have a small cage and I use fleece on the run because it dosnt really get dirty.
If you are planning on a big hutch try fleece as it will be cheaper
 
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