Wood Pellets/Chips Removing poop from fleece over pellets

[80s_piggies]

Hi all,
I tried doing a search on this but didn't see what I was trying to ask. I am thinking about switching to fleece over wood pellets. I just recently redid the boys cage from one with a loft and ramp, to a larger one level cage with kitchen area. They are so much happier, wish I didn't wait. The dominant humping by Alfie has stopped! I currently use fleece liner that I sewed with u-haul pad in the middle. I have numerous potty pads that I change more often. Now that the cage is larger my liners don't fit the way they used to and I have to piece together a bit. I'd love to just get a larger piece of fleece with no uhaul and go with pellets but my dilemma is on the poop sweep. My boys burrow, so I clip the fleece to the coroplast. Sweeping is easy because it is a liner and nice and taut, but sometimes little bubble areas get the poop stuck. How does this work with fleece over pellets? If it is light I think would the brush would just move the fleece all over the place and not be easy to sweep. Do you have to unclip it every day and dump the fleece out? I can't find a vacuum for it. They either don't even suck up the poop, or it sucks the fleece into a different dimension. Curious for some feedback. Thanks in advance!!

 

[lunarminx]

Some people pull it up every day and shake it over a trash can or outside, others sweep or vacuum it. If you are clipping it, it should still be tight.

 

[CavyChrissy]

I use tension curtain rods at either end of my cage. I sewed a simple pocket along each end, slide the rod through, and tension it (like a shower curtain rod) in to place. I use a dust pan and hand broom to sweep up poops no problem! My only issue has been that sometimes poops get under the edges. So each time I change the fleece, I have to use a spoon to scoop those poops out.

 

[mamaduck71]

I just use my bare hand. It's GP poop, not dog poop. It's hay poop, so it's pretty dry. After I am done, I wash my hands. No biggy.
Any poop that falls into the wood pellets stays there. The poop dries out pretty quickly and does not have an odor. Urine is more smelly.

 

[SavvyCavies]

I just use my bare hand. It's GP poop, not dog poop. It's hay poop, so it's pretty dry. After I am done, I wash my hands. No biggy.
Any poop that falls into the wood pellets stays there. The poop dries out pretty quickly and does not have an odor. Urine is more smelly.

I do the same exact thing.

 

[CoppersMom]

I do the same as @mamaduck71 & @SavvyCavies except I use a small bag so I can pick up more at a time. I usually just sweep across the fleece and put the poop into one pile then pick it all up at once to deposit into the trash. I also use a vacuum once I get all the large pieces of poop out to get rid of the left over dust (but I run into some problems with the fleece pulling up and causing bubbles). I have also wondered about the best way to pick up poops on a fleece over pellets bedding?

 

[80s_piggies]

I just made the switch this past Sunday. The sweeping thing definitely isn't working well, so I too have just been pushing it all together and scooping it out. Maybe once more of the pellets break down it will be a flatter surface and easier to sweep on. I'm using pellets without fleece in the new kitchen area. I'm still using some of my fleece / uhaul small pads but I'm clipping them up the side of the grids so they partially touch the floor. It makes a little tunnel for them to run through and sleep behind and they have gone nuts for them!

 

[papuasqueakers]

I got a cat little scooper and i just try to scoop up as many poops as i can throughout the day (quick swoop in the morning and at night) and then change the fleece and everything ever 2-3 days

 

[lunarminx]

I just lift the sides to have the poop collect to the center and sweep that pile up.