Fleece: Convert to Fleece?

[wheekers01]

I would like to convert to fleece because everyone says it is like amazing. I know that once I get it I will dread cleaning poos daily. It seems kinda high maintenance.

What would you recommend under the fleece for 1 pig (I'm sorry! My mom won't let me get a 2nd! I give her a ton of time outside the cage!) in a 2x3 C&C cage? Should I convert to fleece?

[akstrohm]

Read the Fleece Project sticky in the bedding section. It will answer all your questions about underbedding, etc.

[Seonta]

If you do a few searches you'll see tons of threads about fleece. I plan on three layers of towels under the fleece. if you are using coroplast then you do not have to worry much about a water resistant layer under the towels.

[wheekers01]

Originally Posted by akstrohm

Read the Fleece Project sticky in the bedding section. It will answer all your questions about underbedding, etc.

Thanks, but I have already read the types and debates and the fleece project:The Study! Thanks Though!

[Peggysu]

Fleece is totally high maintenance. It's worth it though. It's much cleaner and I don't have to pick up bedding around the cage. I love it and I would never use anything different. My piggies love it. It saves me money because I don't have to buy big bags of expensive bedding every week. It's expensive to start but in the long run it saves. All I buy on a regular basis is veggies, pellets, hay and Yesterday's News for the litter boxes. I sweep out the cage twice a day which isn't a big deal because I sweep it before I feed veggies which they get twice a day anyway. You can get crazy with colors if you want or not. It's so worth it to see them sprawl out and get all comfy. I guess it's all personal preference. I feel that it's easier to do a full cleaning of the cage with the fleece and towels then having to sweep out mass amounts of loose bedding. Good luck with what you choose and if you decide to change what you do now.

[Jasper_Hale]

I use fleece and I think its worth it. It's alot cheaper because you don't have buy the bedding every week or how ever often you buy. I think fleece is easier because you just scoop up the fleece, take it outside, shake it off, and then put it in the wash machinie. You don't have to bring the whole cage out and dump it. It's also alot cleaner. There is no bedding out side the cage. I love fleece and I think it's alot better.

[Bdmellohead]

I use fleece and love it as well. It saves you so much time and money. Wheekers01 before you spend money to do the switch, it would be a good idea to ask your mom and make sure it will be okay that you use her washing machine when you clean it unless you can get yourself to a laundry mat.

[piggiecrazy]

I am so glad we changed to fleece. I only tolerated the aspen and carefresh for a short time. I could not stand it sticking to everything it came in contact with. We have 8 piggies, so in total we have 5 cages. That does make the job a bit harder, but on a small scale it will be nothing compared to other choices. Just think of your piggy and how it wont have to lay in its pee all the time. Your piggy will bless you with many many popcorns also upon the arrival of fleece. You wont regret the switch.
As Bdmellohead suggested though check with your mom first about the washer and dryer.

[wheekers01]

Thanks everyone!

For those of you that only have one pig (I have a 2x3 cage if it matters) what has worked the best as an under bedding?

I have checked with my mom and she said that as long as I clean it and all then it won't matter! Since you shake it before you put it in the washer/dryer, poos and hay won't get stuck in it right?

[akstrohm]

Originally Posted by wheekers01

Thanks everyone!

For those of you that only have one pig (I have a 2x3 cage if it matters) what has worked the best as an under bedding?

I have checked with my mom and she said that as long as I clean it and all then it won't matter! Since you shake it before you put it in the washer/dryer, poos and hay won't get stuck in it right?

The size of your cage doesn't have much to do with what works for underbedding. Mattress pads and towels are popular.

The poo will be easy to sweep off. The hay will be much trickier as it tends to stick to fleece. I keep all the hay on my second level for this reason.

[wheekers01]

I think I will be doing newspaper, towels, then 1 layer of fleece. Right now the fleece is in the washer and dryer getting it ready. I can't wait to get it all set up!

[piggiecrazy]

You dont want to use the newspaper. I made that mistake and it stunk and it stuck to the coroplast. Hope I caught you in time before you set it up. I am sure all others will agree with this. The towels and fleece should work great. Wish you the best.

[wheekers01]

Ok thanks! I won't use the newspaper then! It is on the second washing right now.

[piggiecrazy]

I'm glad I caught you in time. The fleece really is wonderful, sometimes I have had to go a week and a half before changing. The towels really absorb great. The thing that I find that really helps is to have a seperate food area. I line that section with just newspaper and change it out 1-2 times a day. The girls do all there business in there. I get a few beans in the other section of the cage, but very easy to clean up. The towels are rarely wet when it is time to do a total change.
If you have the space to make a seperate kitchen area that would be great. If not I use cat litter boxes lined with newspaper under the hay racks and put their pellets in the bowl in there. That serves as a litter box well. Just make sure to change that out daily. I have four seperate cages that I do that with and even my boys use it as a litter box.
Hope this helps.
Enjoy watching your little one do popcorns all over the place. It is the cutest thing to watch. Have your camera ready!

[wheekers01]

Thanks! I was thinking of doing a "kitchen" area like most people have. What do you mean you just line your food area with fleece? Do you still put fleece in that area? Sorry!

[piggiecrazy]

My food area is the kitchen section. I only put down a few sheets of newspaper. It works the best for us. Like I said the newspaper gets changed out 1-2 times a day. With having a kitchen area it contains the hay in there and it doesnt end up all over the fleece.
If you don't want to use newspaper in the kitchen area you can use aspen, carefresh, or todays news. I'm not sure what else. I just like the newspaper because it is free and with having 8 piggies I try to find the cheapest way around that kind of thing.

[Peggysu]

Originally Posted by piggiecrazy

You dont want to use the newspaper. I made that mistake and it stunk and it stuck to the coroplast. Hope I caught you in time before you set it up. I am sure all others will agree with this. The towels and fleece should work great. Wish you the best.

I often wonder why people use newspaper at all unless it's under carefresh and you just roll most of it up and throw it away.

No newspaper just use towels and make sure they are cotton. Although I think all towels are cotton.

[wheekers01]

Thanks! Fleece is almost ready to be put down in her cage! Right now I just scatter her hay around the cage and she has been poked by it I think. Having a designated kitchen area might help that! Do you have ideas for a hay rack? I can't bend a grid because we used all of them on her cage.

[Peggysu]

What do you use for a floor time area. I use grids so I had extras. The only hay rack I would suggest is a bent grid because it's the easiest and I already had them around. But there are many other ideas. If you look through the photo gallery in the hay rack section there are tons of ideas.

[wheekers01]

During floor time we have it scattered around on newspaper. I might have to buy one...=\