Liners What do you use under your fleece?

[Wubymom]

Regarding cage and room odor......when my boys were teenagers, I could hardly stand the smell. I literally had to change the cage from top to bottom EVERY day. It seemed as though they were going to bankrupt me in bedding! The bedding story is an issue in itself.

What I wanted to add is that for those of us who live in the Northern states (and in my case, New England), we're all keeping the windows closed now until Spring and have to find a way to mitigate any odor.
/QUOTE]

I am new to piggies, but I think one of the problems might have been in changing the cage daily. They need to smell themselves. Non-fixed dogs are the same way.

 

[Japonica26]

My question is what do you wash your pig cloth with? I make my own detergent and learned on here that Borax is bad for piggies so I made a fresh batch (I was out anyway) with just the bar of soap and washing soda. We will see how that works out. I used to cloth diaper my children so I am not shy with washing anything. I only do piggie laundry once a week-I keep a laundry basket by the washer for their towels and fleece.

I just use a "sensitive" type (ie. "free and clear") commercial laundry detergent (I'm in Australia, so the brands are different...I'm using OMO Sensitive, fragrance-free). I was using the specialty enzyme-free, natural type liquid specialty stuff that I used to use on my kids' cloth dipes (and that costs a LOT more) and I found it just wasn't getting all the smell and stains out. No problems so far with the OMO...unlike babies, they aren't in contact with either wet fleece or wet cotton for an hour or two (imagine a pig staying in one spot for an hour--LOL), so I can't see them getting rashes or skin problems from the enzymes in the commercial detergent like can happen with some kiddos in cloth dipes (mine were fine with most detergents, we used Tide Free, Seventh Generation, all were okay).

I change the whole cage out about every 4 days, including all the fleece, and in favorite pee areas, I'll change the fleece topper every second day. I could probably leave it a day or so longer, but I don't want it to start to smell at all--right now, it doesn't on this wash schedule. My pig (I'm down to one right now as we lost our Pippin last week--CL, his third abscess) is pretty consistent with his litter trays so the fleece is usually in pretty good shape between changes.

 

[kayepaye]

1.) What kind of layer combination do you utilize? (Fleece» towel» puppy pad, etc)

I just use newspaper, 2 layers of towels (white ones, so I can monitor their pee for blood or other things) and then my fleece on top.

2.) How often do you change out your layers? Do you change them every day? Every other day? One more than the other?

I vacuum out the poos once a day (though twice a day would probably be better) I change all the layers every 4-5 days, but as long as I vacuum the poos it doesn't smell.

3.) How often do you change out your fleece?

I change my fleece every 4-5 days, when I do the full cleaning.

4.) How many pigs do you have?

I have 5 boars, all living together.

Good luck!

 

[sillylittle]

Has anyone heard of using old mattress pads underneath? I was talking to my mom about using fleece and she suggested those (and lamented about throwing away a bunch the week before, as moms will do.) I just want to know if this is a possibility.

 

[Japonica26]

I have fleece toppers with fleece sewed to 100% cotton mattress pads. Works great. I think they'd have to be all or mostly cotton to work though...I don't know if the poly blends would be as absorbent.

 

[whittles]

I'm using fleece over shavings for bedding now, but I haven't had much luck in a combination for what to place under them to control odor and wetness. So I'd like to know from those who use fleece the following things if you please!

1.) What kind of layer combination do you utilize? (Fleece» towel» puppy pad, etc)
2.) How often do you change out your layers? Do you change them every day? Every other day? One more than the other?
3.) How often do you change out your fleece?
4.) How many pigs do you have?

Any insight on what your set up is would be greatly appreciated!!

1. From bottom to top, my layers go like this...disposable puppy pads (only on places where your piggies seem to use the bathroom frequently), U-haul pad (folded lengthwise in half and placed in cage with the end folded over on top because it is too long lengthwise for my 2x4 cage), and fleece clipped with binder clips to the sides to prevent slipping down.

2. Usually I change out the Uhaul pad and the fleece maybe twice weekly. I hate hate hate urine smell (probably from working in a terrible nursing home a few years ago :/) and if I even get the inkling it might smell like potty in here I change the uhaul pad and fleece with fresh clean ones. I wouldn't want to live in a place that smells like urine and I don't imagine the pigs would either.

3. I change out fleece twice weekly along with the uhaul pad. It always helps to buy in bulk when it comes to fleece and the uhaul pads, that way there is sure to be an extra clean pad for use at any time. Maybe its just me but I have to have it that way lol.

4. I have 2 pigs who are litter trained for the most part but still have little accidents. I spot clean any spots I see on the fleece first and wash a couple days later with the uhaul pad. I have a system going with it so I can have routine washings.

One thing that really helped me is building a small or medium sized (depending on number of pigs) litter box out of extra coroplast (and more than likely you will have plenty of extra!), putting a puppy pad on the bottom and covering with aspen or carefresh. I put hay in that area and it keeps my pigs' accidents to a minimum. It wasn't hard at all to get my newest pig to use the litterbox and its also a good way to get most of the poop so you don't have to scoop as much. Just an afterthought