Ramps

[Merry]

Sometime in the near future I hope to remake the girls' 2x4 cage to add a small second level and make the whole thing look nicer. I used to have a two-story 2x3 in which I used a hanging cloth tunnel in place of a ramp, but a couple of times when one piggy was going up and the other was going down they got stuck in the middle, which obviously wasn't the greatest experience for any involved... so I'd like to stick with a proper ramp this time. I want something that is secure, safe, easy to clean... preferably without any cloth for shavings to get stuck to. I was browsing through the galleries and really like this ramp, but I am super paranoid about anything I use in their cage so before I go about building one I wanted to ask a few questions about the material.

First of all, if they somehow managed to pull off and nibble some of the tape, would it hurt them? And a similar question about the wood - how do I know which types are safe to use and which ones aren't? Are there glues that are safe for attaching wooden pieces together? And what would the best way be to attach something like this to the cage?

I was also looking at the ramps made of corrugated tubing, which look quick and easy. My only concern was whether they would be wide enough for big piggies to go through - two of my girls are quite the little chubsters. Is 4 inches the only size they come in?

All other advice and suggestions are appreciated - thanks a bunch!

[jdomans]

Merry, you can make that ramp and use a slice of a cheap doormat for the non skid thing. That is what is on mine. If the entire thing is wood then tiny tacks can be used to nail it down. Look in my gallery and see my ramp. You can make a combo of them both if that makes sense. All wood but outdoor doormat instad of rubber.

[jdomans]

Sorry I didn't see that the galleries weren't listed by our names yet.

[Amber23]

I use the black plastic tubing you use for drains outside. It works really well and its pretty easy to clean. You could also cut it in half so you can see them better or make it easier to clean. This isn't a great picture but Im at work so I can't take a new one yet.

[Merry]

I like the doormat idea. Seems like it would be easier on their little pads than the gritty tape. But do they wee much on the ramps? I'm just worried that it would get all smelly, especially if it soaked through to the wood. Could I put duct tape or something between the wood and the doormat to waterproof it?

Amber - I really like the width of that tube, the ones I've seen look too skinny. Where did you get it?

[Amber23]

I got it at a small hardware store where I live, Its call True Value Hardware I think. Ive seem them at lowes too but you can only get a 10ft section! They wont cut it for you. Its cheap though.

[Eolith]

Check out my gallery. I have a ramp that works wonderfully, and I've described how to make one. It's super easy to clean, you just pull out the bottom of the ramp and scrub it in the sink.

http://www.cavycages.com/photos/show...00&ppuser=3525

[Merry]

Not bad at all. Was the foam stuff expensive and how did you attach the coroplast railings?

[Eolith]

Did you read the caption of the picture? I explained how I made it and so on. The material is called Tuf Sponge. It costs approximately 14.50 for a 2'x3' piece. Just Google it and you'll find plenty of info. The ramp is all one solid piece of 10ml coroplast. To bend it, you cut out one of the ribs and bend the plastic, using hot glue to hold it in place. The sign store that I went to explained to me how to bend it. If my explanation still doesn't make sense, you could probably ask the people at your sign store.

[Merry]

No, I didn't see the caption, but now I've read it - thanks! Did you glue the railings on the inside or the outside? And did you just use a regular hot glue gun? Is there any way the pigs could get to the glue (I don't know if it would be toxic to them.)

[Mummy]

I use mini grids to make a ramp 5 grids long with railings on both sides. I jam a piece of coroplast on between the connectors (which I reinforce with zip ties), and glue berber type stuff to the coroplast. Even my oldest, most infirm pigs run up and down this ramp with ease!

[rachelll]

I am a bit frustrated. I've been experimenting with ramps for my 2x4 to the 1x2 loft. First I tried to make one with coroplast, and some non-skid tape. Quite like the one you have, eolith. The sides weren't high enough and I think the pigglies didn't feel it was secure enough (it was a bit flimsy). Next I tried the corrugated tubing. Well, Ava was halfway in before i realized it was too small for her! So I cut it in half, but this made it waaayy too flimsy. I guess I am down on my luck.

I'm thinking of making one with wood. Any tips on how to do this cheaply?

[jdomans]

Here is a close up of our ramp. We have no problems at all.
You will see that it is zip tied to a grid and then a bungee to keep the sides up!

[Mummy]

double post