Switching bedding

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kirst10

kirst10

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Hi folks,
I've been using newspaper and sawdust from the get go with my piggie, is this not the right thing to use?
I was told to by my vet, family, pet store - i thought it was alright, but now I'm thinking of switching to fleece, the only thing is i have no idea on how to go about it, just that it sounds a little less disruptive to Skittle's wee self.
Do you put news paper under a fleece blanket or is there a bit more to it? I imagine i'll be picking off the poo's prior to washing haha.
Also, does the fleece not just stink and stay wet?
With sawdust i've noticed it goes a nasty colour, and my pig wee's an awful lot too.
 
Hi,

some people use woodshavings and newspaper:))

Personally I use fleece, I put 2 layers of towels underneath and then a layer of fleece (washed 3 times before to aid wicking process)

I sopt clen the fleece everyday and change every two to three days for he boars as they wee everywhere! and once a week for th sws as they use a littertray with woodshavings in:))
 
I used to use woodshavings as well, but now I only use them in my hay trays with a layer of newpaper underneath and a layer of cheap hay on top.

I wouldn't be able to have so many piggies without fleece! My set up has a layer of newspaper, then cheap towels and then fleece. Other people use incontinence pads for the toilet corners under the fleece.

Make sure that any fleece is never washed with softener; it seals the surface. You will need to wash new fleece a few times before use to make sure that all the softener has washed out. You may want to wash your fleeces in an old duvet cover to prevent hairs little bits of cloggin up the filters. Always shake the fleece out well before washing. Do not overfill the machine or the fleece will come out all smelly and not properly washed.
 
I have 15 piggies and I use shavings, trying to clean and wash so many fleeces was a nightmare plus the shavings are excellent in the compost bin!
 
I use megazorb and lots and lots (and I mean lots) of hay! My piggies get so excited when their cages are filled up with hay and they popcorn and dash around, hiding under the hay. I use a bale of hay a week and most of this gets eaten. Every night I fill the cages with more.

I have used towels and fleece with my hospital pigs, but I find it starts to smell after a day.
 
I have been trying every way since august (megazorb, other dust free horse bedding both with newspaper) and def decided (as I only have 2!) 1 fleece, 1 towel under, newspaper under that - all changed every day is best to keep them completely dry, and easy to get hay off by brushing outside with a dustpan brush, there is no hay left on them when I do this. You couldnt do it with more piggies though I wouldnt think! The wash for them goes on every 2 or 3 days and it all goes on at 90degrees with oxy extra hygene at mo as treating a skin condition. I have a litter tray in the corner full of hay but I put so much in it does go everywhere but havent found it a problem :). Also put bits of vetbed and snuggle things randomly also brush these off and wash.
 
I started off using newspaper and hay, which needing changing everyday, then went to fleece with a drynights pad under, worked really well. Then the girls went outside so used woodshaving and loads of hay. But back inside now and I got some vetbed:))

Vetbed has been fab! I put drynights underneth and change the vet bed every 3-4 days. I poop patrol 3 times a day, once in the morning, again before getting children from school(I am a childminder, so poo is highly amusing to 5 year oldsrolleyes) then again in the evening. The vet bed has been much easier for me to clean than fleece with rough hay from the hay rack, as I can hoover it before going into the wash!

hth
 
Aaah, i'm still so unsure haha.
Me and my mister spend the majority of our days in work or in uni which is the main problem (and also why Skittle definately needs a roomie once he get his new cage at christmas ^_^).
So i'm not sure which is easier of the lot for me and mister pig! With wood shavings i find he gets it caught around his boy bits, especially as he's such a heavy scent marker. rolleyes
My nearest pet store is miles away too - guess i'll have to have a root about and stock up on some things!
Thank you all ;)
 
For me hay is great - my pigaloos prefered it to the fleece:) They are totally ecstatic when I add more hay in for them to run through. If the base is high enough, you can put newspaper, then wood shavings and then hay which is great because the wood shavings absorb the wee but it doesn't start stinking because of the hay. My pigs also burrow through the hay which is really sweet:)
 
woodshavings gave my pigs URI all the time so I stopped using them, but thats not to say that your pigs would have the same problems. I would use either Vetbed or newspaper with hay if you dont have lots of time to clean everyday as vetbed soaks up the wee and you just wash it, you can buy it on ebay-which is the cheapest I found,BUT! i did buy some proper vetbed that was more expensive but far better at soaking up the wee and keeping dry on top, so may be worth spending a bit more for an easier life, I bought this from pets at home but I have also seen it on the net and in really good pet shops ( If there is such a thing)
 
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