Cage Opinions on building a wood cage?

Wow, I could have written your post pretty much word for word!

I do know if you are going to paint/stain it, you'll want to put a coro tray in (which you're doing).

I plan to make a very similar pen but 2 levels (enclosed back but vent holes drilled in the lower level) for my 2 pairs of boars. We'll be finishing it and staining it a honey color to match the rest of the furniture. I wanted something less "cage" and something more "furniture" since the pigs are going to be around a long time.

I am just trying to decide if I want tan coro or light blue

I am no expert and I'm not sure if it's wrong or right, but that's pretty much what I'm doing. It will be 2' wide by 6' long one pen on top of the other with an open storage area beneath an on casters. Oh, in total it will be 5' tall. Yay! I'm very excited

You'll have to post pics if you do build it!

shamrockmommy said:

I plan to make a very similar pen but 2 levels (enclosed back but vent holes drilled in the lower level) for my 2 pairs of boars. We'll be finishing it and staining it a honey color to match the rest of the furniture. I wanted something less "cage" and something more "furniture" since the pigs are going to be around a long time.


You'll have to post pics if you do build it!

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Our cage/furniture sounds like they will be very similar to each other. Mine willl also have two levels. I don't think I mentioned that in my first post. I haven't firmed up the dimensions yet, but it will be bigger than the C&C cage they are in now. (It is too small for four adults - it is okay for now because they are small, but won't work for much longer)

Are you planning to paint or stain your wood? I was thinking of using paint because I'm worried about the fumes of the stain. But, I'll need to put Poly over it and I'm worried about that too. I'm not sure what to use.

Any suggestions? I have so many questions and worries - I just don't want to do anything that will injure or make my girls sick or uncomfortabe!

Post some photos of your cage when you get it done too. I can't wait to see it!

There is a product that is all in one stain and polyurethane that is "safe for children's furniture." My local hardware store carries it. I am planning on using that.

I plan on really letting it air out and age for a while so that any chemical odor has a chance to get out (keepign it in my garage for a while). And that, deeply lined with coro, I'm not terribly worried about it, honestly. But then, I'm no expert...

I believe in the photo gallery under alternative cages, maybe page 17? there is a really nice wooden cage not like our ideas but atop a cabinet and the wood is varnished and lined with coro and has a glass front. Quite beautiful!

Can't wait to see your pics I think my dad will be able to start working on it in a couple weeks, he's got a project going at the moment.

It's nice to have moved back close to family!

How high are the plexi glasss sides. The only thing I would worry about having solid sides is that it would be too much like an aquarium and wouldn't allow proper ventilation and air flow. Or am I not reading your post right?

On mine, the sides will be 12" high. The top level will be open (18" sides and back) and the bottom level will be enclosed but will have large ventilation holes on the sides and back. I am thinking about eliminating a portion of the back an dmaking it partially open. I will not make it so they are stuck with no airflow, no worries.

starshine123102 said:

How high are the plexi glasss sides. The only thing I would worry about having solid sides is that it would be too much like an aquarium and wouldn't allow proper ventilation and air flow. Or am I not reading your post right?

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my cage has approx 7 1/2 inch plexi glass on the front and back - the total height of each floor is a little over 15 inches so there is plenty of air flow above. The right and left sides are solid (no plexi). We finally have the cage built and painted. We still need to put some poly on it and fit the coro liners in it.

I'll post photos in the next week or so.

Oh, since my last post we've had some new additions...five new piggies. That brings our family to six girls and three boys. We finished our cage just in time. Now we need to make another for the boys of the family!!

Do not treat the wood exposed to the guinea pigs with any product, since they will nibble on anything they can reach. Do not use pine or cedar or other soft wood due to the fumes from the wood.

New guinea pigs owners would be best advised to wait until their pigs are full grown before designing a habitat. For example, if you go through the galleries here you'll see this cage:

Someone went to a lot of work...but it looks like a grown up pig might have a hard time in some of those small spaces. It's hard to tell though from the picture

I have 3 adult pigs, and during the first year they tripled in size. Things that they fit into had to be upgraded drastically. In addition, I relocated them several times until they ended up in my living room. The user who built that cage, also appears to have made changes over the course of a year or two. Here is her gallery. She's got some great ideas too.

https://www.guineapigcages.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=372

Here's that same cage a couple months later..and in her gallery you'll see it changes several times..





Personally, I like the cage design I have ended up with. The pigs are right where I can pat the heads every time I walk by, the cages looks great in my living room and it's easy to clean and super easy to move around the house. I like it so much I made 3 of them. (broken link removed)

Cavy Condo #4 - Guinea Pig Cage Photos

Something like this?

You would need to make it easy to clean and make sure that the coroplast covered any nibble-able areas! May be make the coroplast longer at the wooden bits than the plexi bits?

Sonds like your gonna have a great cage- just make sure it meets the minimum size requirements:

A 2x4 grid cage is 142 centimeters by 75 centimeters or 28inches by 57 inches.

Slave to the Wheek said:

The user who built that cage, also appears to have made changes over the course of a year or two. Here is her gallery. She's got some great ideas too.

https://www.guineapigcages.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=372

Here's that same cage a couple months later..and in her gallery you'll see it changes several times..

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I looked at her gallery, seems like wood doesn't last that long. This is the latest picture she posted.
This is in the description: "The girls and their cage 12-06. Some of you long time members may recall their tri-level all wood hotel a couple years ago. This is all that is left!"

Exposed wood would not last very long, especially once pee soaked in and you had the lovely aroma of fermenting pig urine!