Sorting out C&C Housing for 4 girls and 1 boy - possibly for 6 months - help please!

[Hanlou]

As most are aware; my guinea pig girly recently gave birth to triplets. Added to the babies (2 weeks old today!) are the two adults. Sooo am going to have to give them a bigger cage than the Ferplast 140 they are currently all in - and soon!

Well after doing some thinking I think I can fit an 8x2 C&C cage in the dining room. (Will be making it this week! I have the Correx and the grids. )

But am not sure how best to split it to keep Dumpling (the only boy) separate? I will probably be putting Dumpling up for rehoming at 6weeks but if he doesn't get a home he will stay here of course and we would have him neutered. As there is possibility of him going back in with the girls and as he is going to be on his own the plan is to keep him next to the girls with grids between them so he can still smell and hear them etc.

Originally I was thinking of putting him in 3x2 section on his own and giving the girls 5x2 but the girls would be very cramped then. However; keeping Dumpling in a 2x2 (enabling the girls to have a 6x2) also seems wrong so am not too sure what to do...... I can add a loft no problem but am aware this doesn't count space-wise overall. Thoughts please?

I could put Dumpling upstairs in the Ferplast 140 but there really isn't the space right now to have him in the Ferplast 140 downstairs and have a decent-sized C&C cage for the girls so if I did that he wouldn't be close to the girls.

 

[lissie]

A 2x2 for temporary cage should be fine for your single boy. Just make sure he cannot climb into the girls cage. Add a top above the connecting point, and double the grids so he can't squeeze through.

He needs to be separated at 3 weeks to prevent any pregnancies.

 

[Hanlou]

He needs to be separated at 3 weeks to prevent any pregnancies.

I already know this which is why I will be making the cage this week lol. I will make the 'partition' between Dumpling and the girls two grids high and plan to use 'fine mesh' grids that I have rather than the open grids. I should add; I did not breed the pigs myself - and would never have done so - we didn't know Tilly was pregnant until she started to get bigger and bigger......!

Thanks for the insight. This is probably what we'll do then. He will get plenty of 'floor time' to give him some zooming time of course! Eventually we will of course give the whole herd the full 8x2 cage. I might be able to squeeze an extra grid in width-wise at Dumpling's end which would be ideal but it would make it very tight space-wise.

 

[piggyme234]

Could you not just have a level for Dumpling above the girls if you are talking about making lofts. 8x2 for the girls n 4x2 above in the middle with two ft each end to reach under for the girls. Heaps of room for the piggles. Perhaps Dumpling would appreciate a cuddly toy as well to keep him company.

 

[Hanlou]

Hello!

Thanks for the suggestions and yes a cuddly toy for Dumpling is a lovely idea. He does look so small to be separated this weekend!

However; we have sorted the cage issue. Am on my mobile so can't link but you can see pics of my set-up in a thread further down - we ended up putting them upstairs so they've got a lovely big cage and Dumpling will have their old cage to himself.