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Would this work out?

SerpentineSylph

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I currently have one pig, I'm looking for a buddy. Well, I was curious if I should get two instead of one more. In the room the cage is currently in, I cannot expand it anymore on the bottom level, but I could on the top. I am completely square-footage inept, but I can doodle my design on Paint - and doodle I did.

PossibleCage.png

Black = bottom level
Red = top
Blue = opening to the bottom so the ramp could come up. The opening could be cut in half so that it's only one cube opening for the ramp.

Would this idea work for three pigs?
 

newpiggiemommy

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If all of the pigs use the ramp, I would think it would work.

I would only have a one grid opening for the ramp.

I would put the hay, food, and veggies on the top level and even most of the hideys if possible. This would allow the bottom level to be used for running and playing.

How are you going to fix it so you can get in the bottom to clean and retrieve piggies? I am just asking because I was thinking of doing something like this!
 

SerpentineSylph

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I definitely want to try only having one opening, I'll just need to adjust the ramp. I already have the upstairs (a 2x1/2x2 you can see in my gallery) and that's where the food, hay and veggies go. The ramp I have in the pictures has been altered, as Doc couldn't get up it easily. Now he zooms up and down the new one just for fun!

Well, since this seems to be the easiest way to describe things, I doodled my doors on in Paint. lol

PossibleCage2.png


Thick black = overlapping grids for support
Purple = double door grids
 

SerpentineSylph

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Since I can't alter my post now to update, I was forced to double post for clarification. My apologies. :eek:

I altered the 2nd picture (the one right above this post) twice, overwrote the older saved ones, and uploaded the "finished" version which you now see above. I've made it so the opening on the top level would only be just enough for to give room for the pigs to get up the ramp safely and easily, probably about half of one grid (seeing as my ramp is a grid bent in half, anyway). Therefore it's nearly another 2x4 on the top! :)

Feedback is still much appreciated and desired. :cheerful:
 
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wickedrodent

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There are a lot of 'ifs' about this cage..

If your current pig is female and you are planning on adopting 2 more females, this might work. If your current pig is male, this cage is most likely going to be too small for three males.

One suggestion I have.. Move the cut out grid/ramp hole to the back left corner. That will give you more room.

Oh, and just as a heads up-- If you want to find the sqft (Length X Width and divide by 144). The cage you want would be 28x56 = 1568 and then 1568/144 = 10.8sqft for the bottom level.

To find the top level.. It would be the exact same, minus 1 grid. 1 grid= 1.3sqft. So.. 9.5sqft.
 

SerpentineSylph

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Thank you for the input, Wicked. First pig is male, and I was interested in adopting two youngin's to go with him.

Thanks SO much for telling me how to figure out the square footage of something! I love being able to do that myself. I feel so accomplished! Just like when my fiance taught me how draw cubes about three weeks ago so I could sketch a picture of the cage I wanted that actually looked right. lol

It would actually be half a grid missing on the top, just enough for the ramp to fit through comfortably, so it would be more like 10.15 on the top. You don't think that could work for three boys?
 

wickedrodent

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The thing is, upper levels do not really count toward the overall size of the cage. If they do not use the ramp, the upper level is pointless. Even if they do, it is not continued space. While a larger upper level is better than a smaller one, it still doesn't make up for the limited space on the bottom.

If you could do a 3x4 with a 2x4 loft, that would be amazing!
 

SerpentineSylph

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I wish I could do a 3x4 with a 2x4 loft. I wish I had the space to make that look like a litter pan! lol But, unfortunately, I'm under my father's roof while in college and I don't have the room to expand outwards any further, or we can't move. :(

I read the part about upper levels not contributing to overall square footage, but I thought that perhaps because of the fact that it was basically two 2x4's on top of one another with a ramp that doesn't take up much room, that it would meet or even exceed standards. Just looking for loop holes, especially seeing as the minimum on the main page is 10.5 for three pigs and I'd also seen people housing their pigs (like two boars in a 2x3 with a 2x2 loft) that had gotten kudos for their setup. :sorry:
 
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newpiggiemommy

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You need to do the best you can with the space you have at the moment. That is the one good thing with a C&C cage is nothing is EVER permanant! I have redone my cage 3 times since New Years! I think you have a great cage idea, but with boars being so territorial you may run into problems. The only thing you can do is try it and see if it works for yours.

Is there any way you can expand in the future if you really needed to, due to fighting?
 

steve_and_pigs

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Your original plan looks like this cage:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/photos/data/506/1778DSC01499.jpg

This would be just great for two pigs. It also provides decent access for seeing/handling your pigs, and for cleaning.

You might want to consider making the top detachable to making cleaning easier:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...e-3x3-2x3-loft.html?highlight=detachable+loft

If you do only a small opening in the loft for the ramp, I think it would be ok for three sows. 2x4 is the "minimum" cage size for three on guineapigcages.com.

Access for cleaning will be a big issue, even with the side-doors. I would make the top level removable if you do the small opening.

Whatever you do, first just put the grids together, and then pretend to clean the cage. This may make you consider changing things around before you start cutting the coroplast. :)

Can you go to a rescue that will help you pair your existing pig with a new one, and/or exchange if it doesn't work out? Since you can't grow your cage, you will be in trouble if your new pig doesn't get along with your current one. Some rescues do piggie matchmaking. Going with three pigs will be even more difficult because they will need to get along "really" well to share that much space.
 

SerpentineSylph

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I know, newpiggiemommy! I keep wanting to change it around and do more with it, I just wish I had more darn space to work with. Well, if things didn't work out and there was too much fighting going on, I could try rearranging the room to accommodate (that would be a complete last resort, hopefully).



Thanks for all the information, Steve. I was hoping there might be a way around the "nope, won't work" even if it is a very delicate 'hit or miss' situation. And sadly, I can't see any of the pictures on that link about the removable upper level. I will have to try putting things into position first to get a real idea for the setup and if I can manage it.

The two places I'm looking at two young boars could take both back if it doesn't work out (meaning I can't find SOME way to accommodate). I'm really going to try hard to make this work properly, whether that means only two pigs or not.




Thanks for all the information, guys. I was starting to get a bit disheartened by it all. Now I know that I just need to put extra effort into this delicate situation to help it work out, if it can. I'm just thankful that eventually I'll be able to expand further once my own place is more than a room. lol I'm counting down the days!
 
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