Bedding question

[zachdave]

I need to get some advice about reducing my bedding costs. I have one 7 week old GP in a 2x3 C&C cage that I just got 10 days ago. I purchased Carefresh and Yesterday's News to try them out. I use a bottom layer of newspaper on the coroplast, then a layer of Yesterday's News and a Carefresh layer on top to make about 2 inches deep bedding (maybe it was a little deeper after the first change because there was so little left in the bag that I just put it all in). After a week I smelled nothing but I changed all the bedding anyway after reading all of the posts here. Well.. I used all of the bedding that I had left.. so I went through a complete bag of Yesterday's News (I think 25 pounds) and Carefresh (50 liters) with for two changes of bedding! That's expensive! Can anyone give me some advice on cheaper alternatives? I see that aspen shavings would be cheaper, so maybe that's one option I may try. How bad would it be if I waited a little longer to do the complete bedding change as long as the cage looks clean and has no odor? How about a 1 inch layer of bedding instead of two inches?

 

[Sammy and Peanut]

Well, kiln-dried pine is pretty good. But you have to make sure it is kiln-dried. I used to use Carefresh, but now I use towels. Not because Carefresh is expensive, because the towels are softer for them. You can also use fleece. Those two are good options if you don't want to keep going out and buying bedding.

 

[newpiggiemommy]

If you want to stay with the carefresh and yesterdays news, you can use a few layers of newpaper underneath and about an inch of the bedding on top. That will cut down on the cost of bedding a little.

You can go about a week and a half between changes, but make sure you get any wet spots out as soon as you see them. I only change mine every week and a half!

If you put your hay right at the bottom of the cage they will chew on it and add the little left over bits to the bedding. I put a huge amount of hay on the bottom of the cage every night. They love to play in it. Just watch the hay so it doesn't mold!

 

[PhoenixFeather]

We use carefresh with nothing underneath (I've heard that using newspaper underneath makes it smell bad faster since newspaper doesn't absorb odors as well as carefresh). We only do a full change every 2 weeks. We have a litter box where they do a good percentage of their peeing and that gets changed every few days, along with spot-cleaning any other wet spots or areas with lots of poos. We have a 2x4 and use about 1/2 of the largest carefresh bag per cage change.

We have been thinking about switching to fleece, but haven't taken that plunge yet.

Good luck!

 

[newpiggiemommy]

I don't use newspaper every time but it does keep the poops from being smashed into the coroplast. Less scrubbing! Easier to clean! I also use about 1/2 - 2/3 a bag of carefresh (largest bag) for each cage change.

 

[Porcellino]

this is very interesting!thanks to all for the info!!!
but..i'd have a question..
if you use fleece or towels...how many time do you have to change it daily/weekly?

 

[ortal]

Hello :waves:

I have 5 pigs and a 2x7 cage. I use fleece, and underneath I put disposable bed pads. I spot clean the cage every day, using a hand vac, to pic up loose hay and GP poop. I completely change out the cage once a week, where I throw out the disposable pads and wash the fleece and clean the coroplast. It works really well... I have a litterbox filled with carefresh just under the water bottles (I have 3 bottles for 5 pigs), and that also helps, they pee there the most and I just change that carefresh once a week. It saves money that way.

Also, I've put cloth diapers underneath the parts of the fleece in the part of the cage where they pee the most (corners, next to the hay, etc) and once in a while, if the cage starts to smell, I'll wash those and replace them...

haveing a hand-vacuum is key!

 

[zachdave]

Thanks to all. Now I need to ask about the litter box. My GP is 7 weeks old. Please tell me how you set up a litter box within the cage and how does the GP understand to pee in that? I assume it only works for pee and not poop?

 

[Love4Piggers]

I second using fleece. I use fleece in my 2x5 for my 2 boys, with mattress pads underneath. You just hoover once a day, and wash once a week. After the initial investment, it saves loads. I am saving so much not having to buy Aspen anymore, plus I don't have Aspen trailing around in the carpet everywhere! Switching to fleece was a great decision. If you go over to the Bedding board and read through the sticky about fleece, you can learn a lot about it. Good luck!

 

[Porcellino]

Hello :waves:

I have 5 pigs and a 2x7 cage. I use fleece, and underneath I put disposable bed pads. I spot clean the cage every day, using a hand vac, to pic up loose hay and GP poop. I completely change out the cage once a week, where I throw out the disposable pads and wash the fleece and clean the coroplast. It works really well... I have a litterbox filled with carefresh just under the water bottles (I have 3 bottles for 5 pigs), and that also helps, they pee there the most and I just change that carefresh once a week. It saves money that way.

Also, I've put cloth diapers underneath the parts of the fleece in the part of the cage where they pee the most (corners, next to the hay, etc) and once in a while, if the cage starts to smell, I'll wash those and replace them...

haveing a hand-vacuum is key!

hmy:
thanks so much!!!

 

[brian1996]

What should i use to clean the coroplast? I went on vacation for a week and had someone watch the pigs> the person only changes their food and not the bedding so now it stuck to the coroplast.What sould i use to get it off?

 

[zachdave]

I like the idea of using fleece but my wife won't let me wash GP pee and poop in our washing machine! She has a thing about animal waste in our washing machine. Go figure!!

 

[urockstar]

I don't know if anyone's tried this, I'm sure some have, but I just used a lint roller to pick up stray pieces of hay on the fleece and it worked wonders!

 

[piggly wiggly]

To wash the coroplast use a vinegar and water mixed half and half? I use aspen shavings about 2 inches thick. I use a kitty litter scooper, to scoop out the poops I can see, and any wet spots I can see. I clean my 2x4 cage completly about every 7-10 days.

 

[guineapigluver1]

I like the idea of using fleece but my wife won't let me wash GP pee and poop in our washing machine! She has a thing about animal waste in our washing machine. Go figure!!

Well, if you spot clean, their wouldn't be any poo in the washing machine, but about the pee I don't what you could do, except maybe wash it at a laundromat, or by a dirt cheap washing machine and use that.

 

[auburnmare5]

What you are using sound like alot!
I do not use this, but to substitute the Yesterday's News, use kiln dired pine shavings.
To substitute the Carefesh, use Kaytee's Soft Sorbent.
These two are good alternatives from what I hear.
Hope this helps!lol

 

[aaronmeister]

Fleece. As simple as that. I still have a small hay area where I use carefresh and the put hay on top of that, its the cheapest way to go.

 

[urockstar]

Is it necessary to use detergent with no scent to it? Will that affect them to wash with regular detergent? I have something like mountain scent or something like that... and only used very little when washing the first number of times.

 

[naturegal592]

I use fleece and 2 layers of mattress pads sewn together to make a large piggy pillow. I have a litter box made out of coroplast and I fill it with carefresh. Their food bowl and hay are in the litter box also. I have a hand vac that I spot clean with. I clean the litter box every 5 days or so and wash the fleece about every week and a half. When the outside temp is above 10* I take the pad outside and sweep it off to get poop, hay and hair off before the wash. It works well (no poop in wash) and the pee mostly in the litter box. In the washer I use 1/2 the detergent, borax and 1 cup of white vinegar (no fabric softener).

 

[My Baby Mu]

I use Carefresh and Yesterdays News. You used a lot for a 2x3 cage and one guinea pig. I have four guinea pigs (boys) in a 2x6 cage. I put about 6 scoops (one scoops is about 3-4 handfuls) of Yesterdays News on the bottom then I used 3/4 of the bag of Carefresh on top and it last for about a week.

For me, fleece didn't work. I don't know if it was because I didn't do it right or what but it smelled after a few days...