New housing - FINISHED!! - now with level

[pigsforlife]

Still in the planning stages but this is the idea we have had. Will make everything much more compact (plus it will be on wheels, so I will just have to wheel it out come inspection - much easier than dismantling it all and having to rebuild it all afterwards)

The top two cages will be for the guinea pigs, the bottom one for the buns. The buns section will be 2x5 grids or 2.5ft x 6ft and 2.5ft high. It will have two extra levels as shown. From 7am until 10pm they will have an additional 6ftx8ft to play in. This is for a nethie and a dwarf lop x. Is this suitable?

 

[janice]

2 x 5 is too small for a pair of rabbits, the 2.5 x 6 foot would be a far better size for them and would work ok with the attatched run area. If they could have the attatched run as 24 hour access that would be even better.

 

[pigsforlife]

2 x 5 is too small for a pair of rabbits, the 2.5 x 6 foot would be a far better size for them and would work ok with the attatched run area. If they could have the attatched run as 24 hour access that would be even better.

The 2x5 is 2 grids x 5 grids..which works out to be 2.5ft x 6ft. Sorry I should have made that clearer.

The additional space they get is basically the rest of my room, the only reason I have been shutting them back up at night is because I am too scared that I will trip over them on my midnight half asleep walk to the loo. :lol: Plus they can get up to so much mischief in the dark. I will see what I can work out though.

 

[Elena]

The 2x5 is 2 grids x 5 grids..which works out to be 2.5ft x 6ft. Sorry I should have made that clearer.

The additional space they get is basically the rest of my room, the only reason I have been shutting them back up at night is because I am too scared that I will trip over them on my midnight half asleep walk to the loo. :lol: Plus they can get up to so much mischief in the dark. I will see what I can work out though.

You'd be surprised how alert you become when you have buns in your room!

 

[georgie_f]

Oooh! That's some extreme planning you're doing there! My planning normally consists of a biro sketch of something roughly square shaped. :lol:

I think it looks good. Only thing I'd say is to maybe think about boxing in under one of the shelf areas to make a hidey box. And to make sure the guinea pigs wee can't run down into the rabbit's cage (I think I'm right in saying that guineas and buns can pass things onto each other through their wee etc).

 

[pigsforlife]

You'd be surprised how alert you become when you have buns in your room!

They already live in my room - just are shut up at night, not running around! And the noise they make is amazing, especially in the morning when they pull on the bars because they want out, and NOW!

GeorgieF - The base (red) is corflute, so corrugated plastic. The sides will be a decent height, and with the plastic, no urine should be able to get down to them. Thanks for the box idea, we will definitely incorporate it!

I can't take the claim for the designs. Someone on another forum did them for me! They did a brilliant job too!

This whole cage setup will sit on MDF (wood) with wheels. So tomorrow we will be getting most of the things we need, and will varnish the wood. Wednesday or Thursday we will begin putting it together!

 

[Elena]

I did shut mine in at night - for all of two nights before (a) I decided it was way way too small (smaller than yours) and (b) that they made so much noise! Now most of the time I don't even have to turn the light on as I leave my curtains open (my room backs onto a railway bank with loads of trees - very secluded) and I can see their white bits in the dark.

 

[pigsforlife]

I think that is what I will eventually end up doing. I just need to get Noah properly litter trained. He is more mischievious than Charlee, he ripped a hole in the bottom of the kitty litter bag today!! It is all new to him though, so he hopefully will settle down (hopefully :lol.

This is where we are up to before we ran out of cable ties;
Got the wheels on;

And the base strapped together;

Then the sides went up. Doors closed;

Doors open;

This will be the buns level. We are picking up the corflute tomorrow (and more cable ties), the buns cage should be finished by tomorrow. Then we will just have the guinea pig cages to go.

 

[Elena]

Can I aks a question? Why are you putting panels on the bottom?

 

[Amy104]

Can I aks a question? Why are you putting panels on the bottom?

I'm guessing its to give a solid surface to attach the wheels to and make is more secure when moving.

 

[Elena]

I'm guessing its to give a solid surface to attach the wheels to and make is more secure when moving.

I mean the wire panels, not the wood bit. If it was me I'd put the vertical panels on the wood and do an edging on three sides.

 

[pigsforlife]

The wire panels on the base were to help strengthen the whole structure, and to provide something for the grids on the sides to attach to.

We have got all the grids up now, and corflute in two cages. The buns have moved in, but don't have all of their furnishings yet. More pictures probably tomorrow.

 

[Elena]

Ah I see. Are you going to have to cover it? I guess yours has to be a lot stronger as you have the guineas on top.

 

[pigsforlife]

What do you mean by cover it?

We have pretty much finished. Still have to install buns extra levels, and cut off the supports so they don't stick out so much but it is pretty much there. I will get better photos in the morning.

Got mismatched corflute - because they didnt have enough of the same colour. But it looks pretty good I think!

PS - I love the male/female symbols on your sig!!

Oh and the buns are only shut in because my room is a mess - have to finish cleaning up.

 

[Heather&Bart-MyLittleBuns]

WOW looks really professional!

Bet all the animals love their new pad

 

[Elena]

What do you mean by cover it?
PS - I love the male/female symbols on your sig!!

Oh and the buns are only shut in because my room is a mess - have to finish cleaning up.

Oh like fleece or something - mine would end up chewing the bars :roll::lol: - looks like you have. It looks great. :thumb:

Hehe, I got fed up of Mischa being referred to as a lady.

 

[Ambience]

I love it, absolutely fabulous )) xx

 

[VickiP]

Oh like fleece or something - mine would end up chewing the bars :roll::lol: - looks like you have. It looks great. :thumb:

Hehe, I got fed up of Mischa being referred to as a lady.

:lol: I just noticed those little symbols - good idea ! Bet that gets copied :lol: Pigsforlife - that looks really unusual, a compact way of housing though. On first looking at it I thought it seemed a bit small but, I can see the dimensions further back in the thread and the fact it's to 'contain' rather than house all the time I think it's a good idea, certainly saves space and with the floor covering up top as you say there won't be any leakage to the bottom level. Do they like it?:wave:

 

[Elena]

:lol: I just noticed those little symbols - good idea ! Bet that gets copied :lol: Pigsforlife - that looks really unusual, a compact way of housing though. On first looking at it I thought it seemed a bit small but, I can see the dimensions further back in the thread and the fact it's to 'contain' rather than house all the time I think it's a good idea, certainly saves space and with the floor covering up top as you say there won't be any leakage to the bottom level. Do they like it?:wave:

I kept meaning to do it but don't have Photoshop on the Mac yet but then they bough out CS5 so I figured I'd d/l the trial and have a play. :thumb:

That is bigger than what Nutmeg is in currently (if the panels are the same size - ours is four panels long by two wide and two high) which is 5' by 2.5' as I physically can't fit in anything bigger atm.

 

[Kirsty2oo9]

:shock: Lusssh cage Im jealous ahaha! Its really nice