Do they need something to "nest" in?

[susie_q]

I recently changed by boys from sawdust onto a fleece lining, and I've noticed that they like to drag at least a quarter of their hay from the rack, scrape it into a pile in their pigloos and wee on it! They also like to poo all over it and smoosh it all together (mmm what a lovely smelly mess!). They're making such a mess that I'm having to spot clean 3 times a day! (Where as before it was only once a day.)

Has anyone else noticed this? And should I be giving them extra, shorter hay (or shredded paper, or tissues, or something) for them to mess on instead? I don't think they make nests as such, but I'm wondering if they're missing hiding their urine and poos.

 

[spudnik]

I used to use towels and a polyester sheet, you can do this with fleece, basically you put your fleece down then put a sheet of polyester (voile) over the top great if you have a nero cage as you can pull it tight and peg it on, this way they have the comfort from the fleece under it but also no hay or poop sticks to it it brushes off really easily and the wee soaks through leaving it dry on top.. so you could put a pile of hay in and any you want to remove is easily done.

if you dont want to try that option you could use kitchen towel shredded up, or put hay on the fleece but it will stick really bad to the fleece.

 

[susie_q]

I'll definatly have a shot at the polyester (where would you recommend I get it?) soon, but I'm away on a trip so I'll try the shredded kitchen towel! Thanks.

 

[daftscotslass]

Have you tried having a litter area underneath the hay rack? They tend to poop where they eat so I just have a big area of megazorb underneath where the hay rack is (and hay on top of that for good measure). Works a treat and there is barely a poo on the fleece.

 

[spudnik]

I'll definatly have a shot at the polyester (where would you recommend I get it?) soon, but I'm away on a trip so I'll try the shredded kitchen towel! Thanks.

I bought a voile curtain from a curtain shop, the kind you would put up at your window, they come in all sorts of colours too which is nice! they sell them as seperates at some places so i just bought one voile curtain 100% polyester. They dont cost too much they wash really easy and because they are so thin they dry quickly, if you put your piggies out to play you can wash and dry on the same day but id recommend getting 2 so when one is in the wash you can use the other.

 

[maisynpoppy]

Have you tried having a litter area underneath the hay rack? They tend to poop where they eat so I just have a big area of megazorb underneath where the hay rack is (and hay on top of that for good measure). Works a treat and there is barely a poo on the fleece.

Thats what I do, it makes it so easy and it works