How big for four pigs?

**Eventrocker33** · #1 10-23-05, 06:10 am

Well my mom doesn't like the way the connectors hold the grids together so she wants to make a wood frame for a cage. And then have the grids slide in a out and have coroplast on the bottom. She wants to have two 2x4s on top of each other for four guinea pigs. I want to have atleast a 2x5 or 3x4 first level and a smaller second. I'm not sure if the girls will all get along, I hope so, but we are not making this for like a month I think. What size cage should four girls be in?

**Myspoiltpiggies** · #2 10-23-05, 07:13 am

Four girls can be in a 2x6 at the minimum for the first level.

**Eventrocker33** · #3 10-23-05, 07:22 am

Yeah but I can't do a 2x6. On the homepage of cavycages it says 13 sq ft which is a 2x5 for four pigs. Would a 2x5 or 3x4 be ok? There is no way I could do a 2x6. Does anyone else have any ideas? My mom thinks its ok to have a 2x4 on top of a 2x4 and that will be big enough. I told her that they need a bigger first floor, I guess I'll just keep trying to tell her.

**laura220** · #4 10-23-05, 07:45 am

A 3x4 is equal to a 2x6 so that'd work and I'm sure a 2x5 would be alright if you had a spacious second level.

**Eventrocker33** · #5 10-23-05, 08:22 am

Well we came up with a cage idea. It is going to be a 2x4 first level and a 2x4 second level. But since we are making the frame with wood it is going to end up being 30"x64" and that is the measurement requirements on the homepage. We are going to start building it today but none of them will see it untill they are introduced.

**JennG** · #6 10-23-05, 11:30 am

I use zipties to help hold my grids together as well as the connectors.

**dagwellismypigy** · #7 10-23-05, 12:28 pm

A 2x4 isn't big enough for 4 pigs. Go with a 3x4 base if you can, it will be easier to clean and give them more room to avoid eachother. I had a 3 level 2x4 cage and my pigs got really snippy with eachother. Once I switched to a cage with the 'right' sized base they started getting along much better.

**TheMadWheeker** · #8 10-23-05, 12:52 pm

Jenn I was about to say the same thing. I just moved and put my C&C back together using the connectors plus a ton of zip ties. I went through roughly 250+ zip ties for 2 5x3 C&C's. I stacked my 2 5x3's with 1 grid seperation. I basically used pliers to pull the grids tight into the connectors and then put a zip tie around all 4 sides of EVERY connector and tightened them down as tight as possible.right now I can lift my cages from any point and it wont come a part

**Eventrocker33** · #9 10-23-05, 12:57 pm

Dagwell-it is going to be bigger than a 2x4. The measurements are going to be about 30"x64" and according to the homepage that is the minimum requirements(30"x62"). So they will have two level (30"x64" each floor)...isn't that big enough. My mom won't go any bigger and other wise it is to get rid of the pigs. They will get plenty of floortime each day and now they will be back in my room. We also already got all the materials. Right now they get floortime about everyother day because Peanut and Tutu are in a huge cage. I am also socializing my 2 new piggies. I am confused though because some people say that the minimum space that 4 pigs should be in is a 2x6 but on the homepage it says 2x5??

**Percy's Mom** · #10 10-23-05, 01:12 pm

The home page says the minimum for 4 pigs is a 2X6 which is 13 sq.ft. The 2X5 is minimum for 3 pigs and that the 13sq.ft. is preferred. A 2X5 is 10.5sq.ft.

**dagwellismypigy** · #11 10-23-05, 01:38 pm

Just from my experience, the minimum doesn't work. Then again I have boars, maybe it is different with girls. The minimum is a 2x5, but personally I would feel bad only giving them the minimum. Also when it's not as big as suggested, the bedding gets kinda gross a lot faster.
Obviously it's your choice, but bigger is always better.

**aqh88** · #12 10-23-05, 02:07 pm

But two 2x4 would hold 4 girls so if it doesn't work instead of not having them you could just not connect the 2 floors and have 2 girls on each instead of all 4 together. I don't like that your so quick to mention if it can't be done your way then you won't have them at all. I also don't think the minimum is enough. It seems more for people who refuse to go any bigger and would rather keep them in store bought cages. It's easier to convince them to try the minimum which their guinea pigs will at least get along in better than before. You should always try for the preferred space at least instead of just aiming for the minimum.

**Eventrocker33** · #13 10-23-05, 03:00 pm

I did try to have atleast a 2x5 but my mom won't allow any bigger than the 2x4. If the four girls don't get along then they will each have 30"x64". Two 30"x64" is alot bigger than a store bought cage and I have seen people have four gps in a 2x4 on this site before. And with Peanut and Tutu I have noticed that they get along better in a 2x4 than a 2x6 which I think is very weird. They will also get lots of floortime too. Their cage will be bigger than a 2x4 because it will be 30x64 inches and a 2x4 is 28x56 inches. Why can't someone just be nice to me and tell me that this will work, I have no other options. Also it will have two levels, its not like they will all be in a 2x4....

**Eventrocker33** · #14 10-23-05, 03:01 pm

Percy-By the way a 2x5 is 13 sq ft and a 2x4 is 10.5 sq ft.

**aqh88** · #15 10-23-05, 04:42 pm

We aren't just saying it will work because it's a bit too small. You can try it but really you should be making a bottom level that's around 15-16sq ft instead of 13sq ft. Noone is saying absolutely do not do this because at least your reaching the minimum on the bottom and if you have to you can seperate them into pairs. If that's all the wider and longer you can make it then go ahead. Since it's girls then it should work and they should get along and it is better than having them in petstore cages but it's not the ideal cage setup for 4 guinea pigs.

**Ly&Pigs** · #16 10-23-05, 04:46 pm

You really need a 3x4 for 4 sows.

**Eventrocker33** · #17 10-23-05, 05:07 pm

Everyone tells me that I NEED a bigger cage but I can't and they will have two 30"x64" levels. I know it should be bigger but it is the minimum requirements(actually 2 inches longer.) They can still get away from each other too by going on either the first or second level. And I have seen people with 4 sows in a 2x4 and 1 pig in a 2x2 on this site. I also have no clue if the two pairs will get along.

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