Why Is The Auboise Not Working?

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Abs

Abs

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So it's Saturday, which means I'm dreading guinea pig clean out day. After having a thorough read of the bedding guides, I decided to get my girlies some auboise bedding a couple of months ago. It was a massive improvement over the sawdust, because the top layer stays dry and comfy. But I think I must be doing something wrong, because even after the first day, the wee has soaked through the entire newspaper underneath. And I literally mean half a Telegraph.

At first I thought the auboise layer wasn't thick enough, so I doubled it ... With no improvement. Even scooping out and freshening their favourite areas, their cage starts to smell after 2-3 days and I can literally see the soaked newspaper degrading before my eyes... Then obviously because the paper is wet, it breaks instead of me being able to roll everything up on clean out. Can anyone see what is going so wrong, here?
 
How many layers of newspaper do you use and how thick is the layer of bedding?
 
At the moment, about eight sheets of newspaper, followed by... Maybe 5cm at least auboise, usually with some hay on top.
 
I've just brought my first bag of this bedding and I agree it's a huge improvement on the shaving :) I brought it for the landing and the top of the stairs in my hutches as my boys wee there the most i too have found the newspaper is drenched after a few days I started using it on Tuesday and had to clean it out on Friday I didn't get no where near a week with mine, saying that though I'm really pleased with it apart from that. It does not seem to soak up at the bottom as I thought the wee seems to just we going straight onto the newspaper. I wondered if I'm doing something wrong too.
Kell.
 
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I used aubiose but I don't put news paper under it. When I clean out, it is the bottom layer of the aubiose which has taken up the moisture. What I think is happening is the paper is just drawing the moisture through the aubiose, paper will go soggy, it holds wet. I never use paper. So, rather than the aubiose taking up the moisture, and clumping, the paper just drawing the moisture and holding it. Does that make sense? I know it makes it hard to clean out without paper, but, you need 5cm at least to male a good bed, and you are not going to roll that much bedding up in news paper. I use a dust pan to get the most out, then the vac to get the bits out. I love it, it goes 2 weeks between major cleans.
 
Yes that makes so much sense, and I am glad I'm not the only one failing guinea pig science ;)

I usually have a plastic bag used as a sheet under the newspaper to stop the wee soaking into the wooden hutch, maybe just put the auboise straight down on the plastic?
 
Abs said:
Yes that makes so much sense, and I am glad I'm not the only one failing guinea pig science ;)

I usually have a plastic bag used as a sheet under the newspaper to stop the wee soaking into the wooden hutch, maybe just put the auboise straight down on the plastic?
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I'd be a little worried about the piggies digging and getting to the bag. Maybe a shower curtain would work better? You could just lift it out and empty the auboise into a bin bag :)
 
I use megazorb and was thinking of swapping to aboise. I too put newspaper underneath but after a week on the very corners of the newspaper are still wet and I can roll it all up and into a bin bag. I use 5 layers of newspaper and 2 inches deep of bedding
 
gus+walter said:
I'd be a little worried about the piggies digging and getting to the bag. Maybe a shower curtain would work better? You could just lift it out and empty the auboise into a bin bag :)
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Yes, anything that doesn't absorb the moisture below the aubiose. I find aubiose forms a flat surface and I doubt a guinea pig will dig through 5 cm as it is quite solid once laid down and compacted. I also found that if you put hay on top, the hay will get wet too, as that absorbs the moisture before it gets to the aubiose. Mine are indoors, so hay is fed from racks now, they have lots of hiding places and snuggle sacks. So if you use hay, keep it to the bed room area.
 
Treacle said:
I used aubiose but I don't put news paper under it. When I clean out, it is the bottom layer of the aubiose which has taken up the moisture. What I think is happening is the paper is just drawing the moisture through the aubiose, paper will go soggy, it holds wet. I never use paper. So, rather than the aubiose taking up the moisture, and clumping, the paper just drawing the moisture and holding it. Does that make sense? I know it makes it hard to clean out without paper, but, you need 5cm at least to male a good bed, and you are not going to roll that much bedding up in news paper. I use a dust pan to get the most out, then the vac to get the bits out. I love it, it goes 2 weeks between major cleans.
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Thank you very much for this, and it will save me finding lots of newspaper too :) this so much sence I'm glad I found this thread.
 
Abs said:
Yes that makes so much sense, and I am glad I'm not the only one failing guinea pig science ;)

I usually have a plastic bag used as a sheet under the newspaper to stop the wee soaking into the wooden hutch, maybe just put the auboise straight down on the plastic?
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Could you line your hutch with stick on Lino, I swear by it.
 

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My3cuteBoys said:
Thank you very much for this, and it will save me finding lots of newspaper too :) this so much sence I'm glad I found this thread.
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I did read quite a lot about it before I decided to use it. It is a horse bedding, and to get it to form a solid base in a stable, you have to wet the first base layer, then build up with dry, but with stables you have drainage, which takes the wee away. So with small animals you do not need to wet the base, and the base layer picks up the moisture. That is my theory anyway!
 
You can get stick on tikes as well.This would mine you could sweep the hutch out then wipe down the tiles.I think most people take it so far up the walls as well
 
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Wow so many good suggestions, thank you everyone. I will definitely not be dreading next Saturdays clean out.
 
I too am trying Auboise for the first time in my hutch after finding the DIY story was completely out of the large bales of dust extracted shavings I usually use.

I must say I thought that in the sack the auboise didn't look that comfy, but if feels better when it's in the hutch. Seems to be draining ok atm, so will keep my fingers crossed that the bed stays ok and dry on top until clean out on Friday.

My boys aren't impressed with autumn and less time out in the run. Hutch trashing is proving to be a good game for them.
 
I have stick on vinyl tiles in the hutch and a nailed down tarp in the shed run (24/7 access to run) then pour the bedding straight on top, I've always found that newsletter just makes things damper and harder to clear out
 
I cleaned my boys out yesterday and poured the Auboise straight onto the Lino fingers crossed it work :) only problem.....two of my boys have been seen eating the Aubiose! Will it do them any harm.
 
My3cuteBoys said:
I cleaned my boys out yesterday and poured the Auboise straight onto the Lino fingers crossed it work :) only problem.....two of my boys have been seen eating the Aubiose! Will it do them any harm.
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The man in my local supply recommended against auboise for this reason, he said they would eat too much of it. After he said that I decided against it and went for large flake, dust free shavings again, but I'm sure someone else who uses it will be able to give you a more useful answer
 
afu said:
The man in my local supply recommended against auboise for this reason, he said they would eat too much of it. After he said that I decided against it and went for large flake, dust free shavings again, but I'm sure someone else who uses it will be able to give you a more useful answer
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Thank you, I will post a thread for feedback. I'm very grateful
 
afu said:
The man in my local supply recommended against auboise for this reason, he said they would eat too much of it. After he said that I decided against it and went for large flake, dust free shavings again, but I'm sure someone else who uses it will be able to give you a more useful answer
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I did worry about this too, but I have never had a problem, despite owning Pigson, the worlds most greedy piglet. It flatterns down which I think discourages them, besides, if they have enough hay, they would not want to eat it.
 
Treacle said:
I did worry about this too, but I have never had a problem, despite owning Pigson, the worlds most greedy piglet. It flatterns down which I think discourages them, besides, if they have enough hay, they would not want to eat it.
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My pip has been seen nibbling it, and as fudge has to nibble at anything new in his hutch I thought it best i kept any eye on them both myself and I have noticed them eating a small amount of it more than once :( they all have food available 24/7 so they don't need to eat it :(......little monkeys.
 
My3cuteBoys said:
My pip has been seen nibbling it, and as fudge has to nibble at anything new in his hutch I thought it best i kept any eye on them both myself and I have noticed them eating a small amount of it more than once :( they all have food available 24/7 so they don't need to eat it :(......little monkeys.
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Ahh, I think they might pick over it, of course it is made from hemp... Maybe they are experimenting......:beer:
 
When I used Auboise or it's British equivalent Hemcore (no longer available) I used to put a 2.5cm layer straight onto the cage or run base with no newspaper. On top of this I spread a layer of hay which built up over the week. I was getting 7 days out of this with the really bad areas where they were in their houses changed in the middle of the week.
 
Morning four of he Auboise experiment. Inspite of having spent the majority of their time 'hutch bound' since Friday evening the boy's bed is nice and dry.

I've cleaned up and topped up the hay under their hideys etc. and they're getting their regular fresh piles/layers of hay twice a day - but their base layer is still nice and dry so they're all cosey.

I haven't noticed any nibbling going on, so I don't think they'll be tempted by it now.

Hope your monsters stop eating it soon @My3cuteBoys!
 
Just in case anyone is stumbling across this thread for information, I thought I would post an update about the situation. For the first couple of weeks after switching from auboise with newspaper under, to auboise with plastic under, I did a full clean out every saturday.

But... this week, I have not done a full clean out this saturday, just a spritz where I take out the damp areas from their favourite patches, and replace with fresh auboise only on their go-to-areas. So far we are okay, even though they spend practically all day and night in their hutch now it is cold outside. Poop-scooping is a bit of a nightmare, because if I don't do it thoroughly enough, my laziness builds up and up over the week, and all is not forgiven on a weekly saturday basis!

The girls are being slimmed down a bit, because they have had lots of sugary peppers and grapes and juicy tomatoes over the summer to make sure they have enough liquid, so they are being given lots and lots of hay to make up for only having winter vegetables (only, as if, they are so spoiled!) and you know what it's like making sure there is no poo in the hay - you lift a bit up, and a million bits shake out absolutely everywhere, all over the area you just did.

Take home message: Yes, I have tried both newspaper under auboise, and plastic under auboise - it is the newspaper that draws the liquid down and ruins the way that auboise is supposed to keep everything nice and clean. Put something non-absorbent under the auboise and you can go for more than a week :)
 
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