A Different Type of Run

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Stewybus

Stewybus

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Hi There, this is my first post so apologies if the pictures don't appear.

When we first got our 4 girls we only knew about purple built cages so ended up getting a 1m long 2 tier cage. After mods this served it's purpose for about a year, now it's kept as a spare for illnesses etc.

We'd just had a conservatory built so I wanted a large run and after searching the web could only come up with the c&c home made set-ups. As we have a cat & dog I wanted something a bit strong.

I also wanted a covered portable run to put on our front lawn so go one on eBay (see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/46-RABBIT...et_Supplies_Small_Animals&hash=item3cbb030a5d )

As soon as this arrived I realised that by leaving one of the ends off I could get another one also leaving the end off & join them together so that's what I did. The result a strong 92 inch by 37 inch run. Adding corex & a couple of platforms & a multi house which I made myself, I've now got what my grandson called "The Guinea Pig Hilton". Later adding a base with wheels it's complete now.

Here it is in 3 stages:-

a) the corex lower frame with multi house & ramps

IMG_0204_zps8345816f.jpg


b) half assembled

IMG_0205_zpsfcadd0ef.jpg


c) complete with the girls.

IMG_0206_zpsb216bdb6.jpg


The base has a approx. 12mm layer of Megazorb topped with lots of hay for bedding & eating.
 
It worked so I'd like to thank clarey for pointing me in the right direction in starting a new thread & also to twiams for the picture tutorial.
 
That's a great set-up... love it...drool
 
They'd just come back from the vets. A check-up & nails clipped so I'd just given them a special treat of fresh grass. That's the only time they abandon the other food. Mousey & Mother are eating grass above the row of houses & Minky who I'm certain is short sighted is smelling her way there. The fruit & veg was all gone by tea time when they got there second helping of the day. I couldn't imagine them been in a cage again, when one of them is poorly she seems so cramped in a cage. There's nothing better on a morning than sat having your breakfast with the girls. That's my seat on the left.
 
That is so cool. Really like it.

Glad your up and posting, Your piggies are lovely x) do you have any closer photos of them?
 
Stewybus said:
It worked so I'd like to thank clarey for pointing me in the right direction in starting a new thread & also to twiams for the picture tutorial.
Click to expand...

There will b no stopping * now telling us all ** tails :-D
 
That looks a great piggie home with lots of things to do.

How are you getting in to clean them out, do you remove the metal run completely from the correx base?
 
Every Thursday morning I remove the 2 outer cage sections then the housing unit is removed just leaving the Megazorb, hay & the girls. They love to run round & explore while I'm cleaning, trying to eat the dust pan & brush.

Once it gets to the part when I need to remove the soiled Megazorb, the girls jump into there carrying case. I'll maybe try & get a picture next week. I put the unused/unsoiled Megazorb in a plastic bag & the rest gets taken out. The corex base is then washed & sterilised. Then after a cup of tea & weighing the girls, grooming them, checking their feet etc. it's back to the 3 pictures above. In between the main clean-outs I tip their housing unit forward & remove the wet Megazorb & hay & replace it with new.

As the saying goes "It's a dirty job but someone's got to do it"
 
Stewybus said:
Hi There, this is my first post so apologies if the pictures don't appear.

When we first got our 4 girls we only knew about purple built cages so ended up getting a 1m long 2 tier cage. After mods this served it's purpose for about a year, now it's kept as a spare for illnesses etc.

We'd just had a conservatory built so I wanted a large run and after searching the web could only come up with the c&c home made set-ups. As we have a cat & dog I wanted something a bit strong.

I also wanted a covered portable run to put on our front lawn so go one on eBay (see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/46-RABBIT...et_Supplies_Small_Animals&hash=item3cbb030a5d )

As soon as this arrived I realised that by leaving one of the ends off I could get another one also leaving the end off & join them together so that's what I did. The result a strong 92 inch by 37 inch run. Adding corex & a couple of platforms & a multi house which I made myself, I've now got what my grandson called "The Guinea Pig Hilton". Later adding a base with wheels it's complete now.

Here it is in 3 stages:-

a) the corex lower frame with multi house & ramps

IMG_0204_zps8345816f.jpg


b) half assembled

IMG_0205_zpsfcadd0ef.jpg


c) complete with the girls.

IMG_0206_zpsb216bdb6.jpg


The base has a approx. 12mm layer of Megazorb topped with lots of hay for bedding & eating.
Click to expand...
Hi,

I think your cage is fantastic. I love the little cave holes to the box from a guineas point of view this must be brill and how the ramp is a nice height, mine would love it.

I showed it to my hubbie mmmm you never know. How on earth did you come up with these ideas? Makes mine look boring lol,

S
 
If you need any info, please ask, though it's probably a case of work it out to fit in your run. The ramps have strips of door mat, 20p in a sale at Ikea & the bottom housing unit has carpet tiles that had been previously on our kitchen floor. The wood is from B&Q. I used an old cabin style house we had as a template for the door openings. I work from home so when I've got a bit of spare time I'm always looking at ways to improve the girls conditions. It's as good as I can get it at the moment but I'm always looking at other GPF users ideas to make improvements.
 
Love it - well done and bet your girls are very happy too.
I'm fascinated at how members house their piggies and share piccies, really gives others great ideas - this is a fabby example :))
 
Stewybus said:
If you need any info, please ask, though it's probably a case of work it out to fit in your run. The ramps have strips of door mat, 20p in a sale at Ikea & the bottom housing unit has carpet tiles that had been previously on our kitchen floor. The wood is from B&Q. I used an old cabin style house we had as a template for the door openings. I work from home so when I've got a bit of spare time I'm always looking at ways to improve the girls conditions. It's as good as I can get it at the moment but I'm always looking at other GPF users ideas to make improvements.
Click to expand...
Hi again,

Dumb question but how do your floors not sag? There doesn't seem to be a visible support, mind you is it because it is a firm piece of wood?

Do your guineas love you changing things? Trouble with the forum you think you are happy with your set up then you see something like yours? I would love it. How wide is it if you don't mind me asking?

S x x)
 
I started with an oversize piece of wood then used a jig saw to cut it so that there were 2 lugs left on each side. These stick out about 12mm through the sides of the cage and are supported by the horizontal metal strip going round the cage. The ramps are fastened on with metal angle brackets bought from B&Q building department, I had to bend then to about 45 degrees.

The girls seem to love it, especially after cleaning it out when they come back in & have a thorough safari round it to see if there's something new. The cage is just under a metre wide, full details at:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/46-RABBIT...et_Supplies_Small_Animals&hash=item3cbb030a5d

The picture on there shows a larger run in same style but I bought 2 of the smaller runs so I could split them in two for easy cleaning. You also get the green sun shade cover which I have to use in the summer because one end of the run always get covered in sun in the early afternoon, that's when the sun is out. Wasn't much of that last year.
 
Thanks. Ill leave it a couple of weeks and drop a couple of subtle hints to my hubbie. His favourite tea usually does the trick.

S
 
I love this set up it looks great and there's so much for your piggys to do. It's a great space saving cage too as its long and slim. If I was going to have indoor piggys I would have a go at doing this myself x
 
The piggies think so too. I couldn't imagine using cages now apart from short term periods when one of them is recuperating from an illness or op.
 
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