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Bricks

X_Cavy_Crazy_X

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I have seen some people using bricks or cement blocks to hold down their fleece and also help to file the piggies nails some, well, my question is pee. Won't these things soak up urine due to the amount of hole bricks have? In turn wouldnt it start to smell and be unhealthy for both the pigs and anyone near the cage?
 

wiggley_narco

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I never thought about that. I was going to get some bricks for my cage, but I might wait and see what everyone thinks about this.
 

pigsforlife

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I have 4 stones to hold down their towels and to stop the girls burrowing underneath. I then have 4 bricks (2 stacked on top of each other) under their lazy lounge (I must get a picture so that you can see what I mean), and 1 to the side so that they can climb up onto their lounge although they tend to jump up.

I have not had a problem with smell. The girls do not really wee on the stones/bricks.
 

fuzzworth

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Yes, any porous stone or brick will absorb urine but it is really easy to sanitize. (I used to maintain aquariums professionally so this is how we fixed absorbent things like coral skeletons and rock) Take bleach and water in a 5 gallon bucket or whatever is large enough to hold your brick and make a solution 10-20% bleach and 90-80% water soak them for about 15-20 minutes (you can also use a brush to scrub off the brick) and then empty the water. Then take the brick and soak it for 15 minutes in 100% water. Repeat until the BRICK no longer smells of chlorine and let dry. Personally I added dechlorinater to my 100% water solution to neutralize the chlorine in the rinsing soak. This was safe for marine and fresh water fish so should be just fine for piggys. You might want 2 bricks to change out while 1 is being cleaned.
 

Feylin

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I"ve been doing the same with my bricks. I usually have to soak the bricks 3 or 4 times and sometimes I leave them overnight Hot water helps the chlorine to break down, so you might want to try that if you don't want ot buy dechlorinator like fuzzworth suggeste
 

X_Cavy_Crazy_X

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Thanks all! That's a big help, I didnt want my poor piggies to have urine-soaked rocks surrounding them!
 

fourboys4now

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I have 3 bricks in 2 different cages. I have not noticed urine on them or the smell of urine. But I will definitely use the above mentioned method of soaking them when they do get yucky. Thanks! So many smart people on this site! I only notice poops on my bricks, I just flick them off.
 

twozie

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I have a question where can you get just a couple of bricks? I wouldn't really know where to go ...except i think home depot...is there another alternative, unfortunately I live in canada and outdoor contstruction isn't all year round.

thanks...for answering.:eek:
 

auburnmare5

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You can also use a ceramic tile.

Those are not very expensive either.

Good Luck!! lol
 

newpiggiemommy

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I got my bricks out of my garden! You could go to a garden center, home improvement store, etc.

For the smell you could always try to boil the bricks! That is what I did to make sure my garden bricks were safe to use with the piggies. I boiled it for 30 minutes, and then I baked it at 200 degrees for 2 hours. My kids thought I was crazy. I told them we were having brick for dinner!!! LOL
 

fuzzworth

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using ceramic tile would be counter productive. The reason for using a brick is that its porous and will absorb water and distribute it over the surface area and evaporate so that dripping bottles or messy pigs dont soak their fleece or bedding. Ceramic tile is glazed to be made non-porous so water would pool on top or flow off onto the fleece or bedding. Its also slick and not rough enough to provide filing for nails.

Terricotta pot trays (the flat saucer bottoms) or anything terricotta (not glazed) cement pavers..porous stone in general will be a good substitute. Just make sure you sanitize the item before you put it in with piggys.
 

JeevesIsMyPig

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I got my bricks out of my garden! You could go to a garden center, home improvement store, etc.

For the smell you could always try to boil the bricks! That is what I did to make sure my garden bricks were safe to use with the piggies. I boiled it for 30 minutes, and then I baked it at 200 degrees for 2 hours. My kids thought I was crazy. I told them we were having brick for dinner!!! LOL


HAHAHAHAHAHAH
Thats funny
i use my mums computer room as Jeeves cage
She doesnt like jeeves when i chose him she screamed and he nearly jumped out of my hands
 
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