Cage extension

[Tara95]

This is the current home my 4 sows live in. They love the different stories as they can have their own space If needed quite often at night there is a piggy on each story but equally they do like to all be together sometimes. It's always helpful for seperating food to make sure there's not one particular guinea pig eating all the food so I would like to keep this feature. I've done everything I can to maximize space on the bottom floor but it's not enough for them to have their favourite long tunnel and run around like they used to. I have a plan to move them to the spare bedroom before they get much bigger and I would like to give them the whole room. How easy would this be to achieve? (The glass just slots out from the bottom so I wouldn't need to do anything to the cage as such. Many thanks

 

[Siikibam]

You could link some grids or Perspex and place around the front side of the bottom floor.

With regards the ramp from the ground to first floor, are they squeezing through the gap or easily get through? You’d have to consider that when they’re bigger.

 

[Tara95]

In regards to the ramp, there is lots of room for movement I have just put the fleece over as I couldn't find a fleece to fit so they just push through the extra bit of fleece and the top floor the ladder was taken away and closed off when that picture was taken as I was temporarily quarantining a guinea pig. So you'd Just suggest extending forward and not around?

 

[Siikibam]

You can extend around as well. And the lofts as well if possible. The more space the merrier

 

[Tara95]

Thank you so you think it would be quite simple to do and an energic boar would not be able to jump over? and could I put vinyl at the bottom to stop it going though to the carpet and then ofc put towelling and fleece on top of the vinyl? Many thanks

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you so you think it would be quite simple to do and an energic boar would not be able to jump over?View attachment 155336 and could I put vinyl at the bottom to stop it going though to the carpet and then ofc put towelling and fleece on top of the vinyl? Many thanks

I would not build it as per this picture, that isn’t really suitable for piggies.
a very determined boar in the presence of sows could have the ability to get over a cage which is one grid high though - either by climbing or climbing on a hidey and then getting over the bars. Two high would be safest to keep a boar away from sow If you aren’t going to have a lid

I wouldn’t use towels, they don’t tend to dry quickly and can mean moisture leaks back through the fleece so they don’t have dry bedding. You need something Like puppy pads underneath fleece

 

[Tara95]

Okay thank you will make it 2 high or put a lid whichever takes up the least grids, so both groups can have a maximised living area. Would vinyl be a suitable bottom? As I have quite a bit of that
Many thanks

 

[Piggies&buns]

Okay thank you will make it 2 high or put a lid whichever takes up the least grids, so both groups can have a maximised living area. Would vinyl be a suitable bottom? As I have quite a bit of that
Many thanks

Making it two high would use less grids. yes vinyl will be fine at the very bottom

 

[Tara95]

Okay thank you what size would you recommend for the single boar? I want to extend the sows cage also so will need to share the grids. Obviously I'd give any extra to the sows as there is 4 of them. There's 36 panels altogether, and the sows would only need one panel as they don't tend to jump.
Many thanks again,

 

[Piggies&buns]

Okay thank you what size would you recommend for the single boar? I want to extend the sows cage also so will need to share the grids. Obviously I'd give any extra to the sows as there is 4 of them. There's 36 panels altogether, and the sows would only need one panel as they don't tend to jump.
Many thanks again,

A single piggy still needs a 2x4 c&c cage really (so that’s 12 grids needed for the cage to be one grid high, but 24 if you’re making it double height all the way round, Obviously it’ll use less grids if it is up against a wall and doesn’t need to be double all the way round ). A 2x3 is a little on the small side even for one piggy

 

[Tara95]

Okay thank you makes sense also the sows and the boar can share the 4 panels(actually 6) dividing them. Ideally how big should the ground floor be for the 4 sows? (In cm) The cages is 110cm wide so I will have to use 3 panels to extend so the male should have a 3x3 and the females can have the left over room as an extension.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Okay thank you makes sense also the sows and the boar can share the 4 panels(actually 6) dividing them. Ideally how big should the ground floor be for the 4 sows? (In cm) The cages is 110cm wide so I will have to use 3 panels to extend so the male should have a 3x3 and the females can have the left over room as an extension.

yes they can share panels.

four sows need a 6x2 c&c cage which measures just over 210 x 77cm
if you’ve got 110cm then you would be looking at it needing to be 110cm x 180cm roughly as that should give a similar amount of floor space to a 6x2 c&c (using very rough estimating and with an exhausted brain!)

 

[Tara95]

Okay that is doable as the room is over 400cm, so if I was to extend, I'd give the girls 200cm Length (with the extra panels added, and the boy would have a 3x3(if that's appropriate) 105x105cm, not quite as long though, but If there's extra panels left & enough room to open the wardrobe he can have extra space and then when they all live together I'll just merge it to one big cage which will be sooner rather than later as due to his big size and being developed the exotic vet has said she will neuter him at 2 months if he's the right weight/well developed and healthy.
Many thanks,

 

[Piggies&buns]

Okay that is doable as the room is over 400cm, so if I was to extend, I'd give the girls 200cm Length (with the extra panels added, and the boy would have a 3x3(if that's appropriate) 105x105cm, not quite as long though, but If there's extra panels left & enough room to open the wardrobe he can have extra space and then when they all live together I'll just merge it to one big cage which will be sooner rather than later as due to his big size and being developed the exotic vet has said she will neuter him at 2 months if he's the right weight/well developed and healthy.
Many thanks,

that all sounds like a good plan. As long as the girls have plenty of space and the boar has got enough space and is secure while he is awaiting neuter, and for his six weeks post neuter wait, then that is great.

 

[Tara95]

that all sounds like a good plan. As long as the girls have plenty of space and the boar has got enough space and is secure while he is awaiting neuter, and for his six weeks post neuter wait, then that is great.

Thank you