Cleaning Best Way To Pick Up Pig Poop - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**xBigPigx** · #1 10-21-09, 05:38 am

What is the best way to pick up pig poop on fleece bedding?

**Seonta** · #2 10-21-09, 05:57 am

If you do a search you can find some posts with this information. Some use a small vacuum, some use a ladle to scoop it all up, and some use a dustpan small broom (hand broom) method. I'm sure there are other ways to do it.

**princesspoppy** · #3 10-21-09, 06:45 am

I used the dust pan and brush but then found a cheap hand held vacuum.

**twiztedlilfae** · #4 10-21-09, 08:15 am

I use a spatula and hand vac. Only because the hand vac gets hay clogged in it. I make sure to get the nasty hay and most of the poop out with the spatula and then pick up the rogue poop and dirt/hair/dust with the hand vac. It really helps.

**Duffinvt** · #5 10-21-09, 08:19 am

I have a shiny spoon with long handle that works well. I also have used a Viactiv calcium box (similar to a baking cocoa box) with the plastic top to whisk the poops into the box. I compost the poop, left-over veggies and hay.

**Heady** · #6 10-21-09, 08:26 am

You know, I was using my regular dustbuster and it's the same one I used for my chinchilla's poop when I had him and it worked really well. Since piggy poop is bigger, it kept getting clogged, so I got a different kind that has a flip-down nozzle on it so I can suck up individual poops. The other day when I had the pigs out for play time, I asked my husband to watch them because I wanted to try something. I went to their cage, took everything out that wasn't ziptied down and picked up the fleece and the fabric under the fleece, shook it out onto the bare bottom of the cage and then used a regular broom to sweep everything, hay and all, up into the dustpan and threw it away. Then all I had to do was lay the fabric and fleece back down and put everything back in the cage. For me, it was much easier than vacuuming individual poop. Plus, since I recently injured my back quite badly, it's better for now so I'm not standing there halfway between being fully upright and bent over!

Just a thought. Although if towels are used under the fleece, it would probably be more of a hassle to do it that way.

**Peggysu** · #7 10-21-09, 08:37 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heady

I went to their cage, took everything out that wasn't ziptied down and picked up the fleece and the fabric under the fleece, shook it out onto the bare bottom of the cage and then used a regular broom to sweep everything, hay and all, up into the dustpan and threw it away. Then all I had to do was lay the fabric and fleece back down and put everything back in the cage. For me, it was much easier than vacuuming individual poop. Plus, since I recently injured my back quite badly, it's better for now so I'm not standing there halfway between being fully upright and bent over!

Using just a broom and dust pan on the fleece works just as well and you wouldn't have to pick everything up. It really helps to have a raised cage if you have back problems too. It takes me just under a minute to sweep up both my cages.

**Heady** · #8 10-21-09, 08:51 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peggysu

Using just a broom and dust pan on the fleece works just as well and you wouldn't have to pick everything up. It really helps to have a raised cage if you have back problems too. It takes me just under a minute to sweep up both my cages.

I would think that using a broom directly on the fleece would be more of a problem because I figured that the broom's bristles would stick to the fleece and would pull the fleece around. It's getting time to do today's cleaning, so I'll will give it a go and see how it goes! Thanks

I actually do have the cage off the floor, but recently I had been thinking that maybe on the floor would be better. I have scoliosis and that limits what I can do, which is why I decided to raise the cage, but since I hurt my back, it seems that if it was on the floor, I could at least bend over completely, giving my back a rest...if that makes sense. But, since you said raised is better, I might as well leave it! I don't want to put it on the floor and then have to put it back up all over again!

Thanks for the help!!

**Peggysu** · #9 10-21-09, 08:58 am

If it's only raised one grid and the cage isn't too deep maybe you could raise it two grids total. That might keep you straight. It sounds like it would be beneficial to either be up right or bent all the way down. Having it all the way on the ground might be nice so you can allow floor time from the cage, but I find it uncomfortable to clean out my cage on the floor. I have one cage on the ground and one cage raised one grid. Its definitely easier on me to sweep out the raised cage, but I don't have back problems.

**Heady** · #10 10-21-09, 09:33 am

I had thought about using grids to raise the cage, but I use these shelves that I have and they work pretty well. It's probably the equivalent of using 1 1/2 grids. If I do too much higher I think it would be more difficult to get to the back of the cage...its a 3 grid by 4 grid cage. Even at the height it's at, a good amount of stretching goes into cleaning and rounding up the pigs. Then again, I do have boxes kind of blocking the front of the cage...those don't help much either!

I always do play time in a different room. There is SO much more space in there for them to run and so I can lay with them while they play. Plus, the door helps for when I don't want the cats to be involved in that play time.

I figured since I'm pretty tall, I could probably go higher and I might try it just to see. And also find a place for the boxes to make the back corner of the cage more accessible!

**wigglesgiggles1** · #11 10-21-09, 10:08 am

I use a ladel. It works well for me. I spot clean before school, after school, whenever I go into my room, before dinner and before bed.

**Heady** · #12 10-21-09, 10:53 am

I keep reading about the use of a ladle and at first I giggled because I thought it was funny...and then I realized people are serious!

I suppose I found the humor in it because of my past experiences with ladles. One being that my grandmother is a hoarder (BAD bad hoarder) and she had surgery, so I went back home to stay with and take care of her and she only had a twin bed for both of us to sleep on. Our heads were on opposite ends and I woke up in the middle of the night because a ladle fell on my head. Seriously. It was still in its box, but still. How often can one say "I was woken by a ladle"?

So...ladle...we're talking the kind you use for soup, right? Or spaghetti sauce? I'm going to have to try it and see how well it works. I would have never thought to use something like that, but if it works, well then that's just awesome!

I love all of these ideas that everyone is giving me!! Thanks!!

**juliaaa** · #13 10-21-09, 01:16 pm

I just use a mini dustpan and broom set that I got from the dollar store. However, if I'm about to wash the fleece, I will let the poos accumulate for like a day and then just gather up the fleece and pour them into the trashcan. That way it saves time.

**xBigPigx** · #14 10-21-09, 06:42 pm

Mini vac/dust buster sounds good but it will scare my pigs. My pigs floor time is in the same room as their cage, and i feel that the dust buster would scare them. I'll have to invest in a ladle or a mini broom/brush.

**lissie** · #15 10-21-09, 07:17 pm

I find using soup ladle works better than a wrist broom. Ladle has longer handles so it's easier to scoop out poos under the ramp too.
I zip tie an "s" hook to the side of my cage and hangs it there when not in use.

**trump_cinnamon** · #16 10-21-09, 07:44 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heady

Although if towels are used under the fleece, it would probably be more of a hassle to do it that way.

Do you have anything under the fleece?

**Peggysu** · #17 10-21-09, 07:46 pm

After reading all this I think I'm going to pick up a soup ladel at the dollar store.

What works best, a metal ladel or a plastic one?

**trump_cinnamon** · #18 10-21-09, 07:47 pm

I think a metal one works better, just because it doesn't get stuck to the fleece so much, but that's just my opinion.

**lissie** · #19 10-21-09, 07:56 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peggysu

After reading all this I think I'm going to pick up a soup ladel at the dollar store.

What works best, a metal ladel or a plastic one?

I use a plastic one. I've never tried a metal one.

Amazon.com: SoftWorks 5-piece Nylon Utensil Set: Home & Garden

The one in the middle looks like the one I use, it's easy to reach in the corners.

I think the one with the round head that's on the right will not be able to go into the corners.

**trump_cinnamon** · #20 10-21-09, 08:00 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by lissie

I use a plastic one. I've never tried a metal one.

Amazon.com: SoftWorks 5-piece Nylon Utensil Set: Home & Garden

The one in the middle looks like the one I use, it's easy to reach in the corners.

I think the one with the round head that's on the right will not be able to go into the corners.

Mine has the round head, and it's pretty good with the corners. I like the round head better, because it holds more, and the poos don't fall out while I'm picking up other ones.

"Thank you, Peggysu, for this useful post," says:
Heady (10-29-09)

"Thank you, trump_cinnamon, for this useful post," says:
Peggysu (10-21-09)