fleece bedding

[RustBottum]

I have been useing fleece for a while now. I have tried a few different combinations of stuff underneath it but everything seems to smell. I have tried dispoable puppy pads, washable puppy pads, newspaper. Does anyone know domething i could use underneath the fleece that will not smell?

Also when are you suppose to replace the fleece? I have had the same one for about half a year or more.
Thank you

 

[Plummie]

Fleece always smelled to me, regardless of what I put under it. I tried all the stuff you mentioned along with a layer of cotton batting. Still didn't work. My only solution was to change it every day to keep it from stinking.

As far as completely replacing it, I would only replace if it there were holes or if it started getting thin or worn down in certain places. Fleece is quite durable and shouldn't need replacing that often. As long as it is clean after every wash and smells fine, I don't see a problem. I've used homemade fleece hammocks for 2-3 years and they are still holding up great!

 

[Ly&Pigs]

Are you spotcleaning your fleece daily?

 

[guineapiglvr14]

are your cavies potty trained?

 

[RustBottum]

I spot clean daily and he sin't potty trained. I have tried to potty train him but it didn't work.

 

[Eventrocker33]

I just put alot of newspaper under fleece and it only smells the day that I have to clean it, which is once week.

 

[Moxie]

I use fleece-cotton batting-towel. I sowed it all together and it works great. I spot clean 1-2 times a day. I wash the fleece once a week. My piggies are not litter trained.

 

[RustBottum]

what is cotton batting?? I might try putting that under my fleece i have heard a few people say it has worked for them. I cannot go more that 4 days without changeing my fleece or it will smell.

 

[Eventrocker33]

How many pigs do you have in what sized cage? I have a 2x3x2x4 and I only have to change it once a week. I use a lot of newspaper and then fleece and it only smells the day that I have to clean it. I also spot clean everyday.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

Cotton batting is typically used for quilts and other crafts. It can be found in the fabric section of stores like Walmart or can be found in fabric stores. You can also get polyester batting.

 

[dagwellismypigy]

Polyeseter batting isn't as good as cotton batting because it just falls apart in the washing machine. The cotton is much more sturdy.

 

[RustBottum]

I only have one piggie and i spot clean everyday. How much does cotton batting usually cost?

 

[dagwellismypigy]

About 10 dollars a bag. I double up the cotton batting and you get three changes for a 2x4 if you get the 90x108 size.

 

[John4216]

I have 6 piggies and use newspaper and fleece and have no problems. I add new paper daily and wash the fleece daily and then every 3 days take out all the paper and put down a fresh layer.

 

[Eventrocker33]

I have two pigs in a 2x3x2x4 cage and I use newpaper then fleece and have no problems at all. And I only change the cage once a week.

 

[mab0615]

How much newspaper do you put down, and do you change the paper daily? Also, are your pigs potty trained?

 

[munchkin]

My boys will pee in the litter box, but Poo where ever they want. I use Newspaper then fleece. Twice a day, during floor time, I take the dustbuster and suck up all the little poos. I wash the fleece once a week and have yet to notice an odor.

 

[Eventrocker33]

I use a good amount of newspaper, maybe a 1/4 of an inch thick. My pigs aren't potty trained(I wish they were), but sometimes they go in their litter box. I don't change the paper daily, only once a week. About every 1-2 days I spot clean.

 

[guineapiglvr14]

Ohh, I wonder why it smells for some and not others?

 

[Ly&Pigs]

The only reasons I can think of why it might smell more for some and not at all/or very little for others doesn't really have to do with the fleece but has to do with the pigs themselves. Pigs can pass gas if fed gassy foods and they can have more smelly urine depending on what they are fed. Boars mark their territory and have their own smelly problems, sows can spray their cagemates with urine. The only problem I can think of with fleece itself is using more than one layer. Pee will sometimes get "trapped" in the layers and cause smell. I know from experience.

Of course for the people who may not spot clean daily/every other day, it's probably going to smell. I have used fleece for 8+ months now and there was only 1 time that my cages even slightly smelled and that was when I was gone for 2 days and didn't spot clean. I have 5 sows and 2 boars. My 5 sows can produce a huge amount of poo in just one day so I have to spot clean at least once a day.

I use about a 1/4" thick layer of newspapers under the fleece, then I use a sheet or mattress pad on top, then one layer of fleece. I generally clean every 5 days but I can leave cage cleaning go for up to week.