the days are drawing in

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Pepperdog

Pepperdog

Adult Guinea Pig
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And I have started to get the herds pen ready, and getting really excited about building a set up that works for them and for me. The annoying thing is I started this morning and then had to stop to go to work 8... and I just want to stay at home and tinker with the panels and correx. Plus there is the added temptation as it was raining today to bring them in, but its still warm enough and they like the fresh air so much as I want them in, they are still out for at least a couple of weeks.

Cant have much in my life if I get excited about building a pen :red:)) Actually I have, making up squbes, knitting wooly hats ready for october to donate to a fundraising weekend, making crochet creatures - the usual busy life :))
 
Yes pretty much, it wasnt nice enough till mid june, poor loves, they were thrilled to be in the fresh air but it still rained as we all know but at least the frost had gone by then. Its not too cold at night, last year I brought them in after we had a week of storms and I felt sorry for them spending all day with the front plastic protection down (its angled to give rain protection, but allow fresh air in), yet all this summer thats how they have spent everyday.

But as the windy season is coming closer, I have spurred into action earlier just to be ready for them so they wont be out in storms. One thing you learn about living in Weston super mud, when its windy, its really windy here and cold, even in the summer
 
I opened the curtains here this morning, there was a lot of dew on the grass and cars, autumn is definately on its way. Stayed in all day yesterday as it was windy and raining not pleasant at all, pity all those who went away for bank holiday weekend.
 
It is a shame, feels like we've hardly had a summer :(
 
I had another go at the pen, I need some longer bits of wood to make the top section mallethead but I have put the outline of the base up so I can check it works with getting to the boys and not getting wedged against the walls :))

I did find the bed mattress has had to come off as its too spongy so they are on the bed base again. I have puppy panels around the back and sides, grids along the front so I can get inside easier, its the second floor thats the difficult bit, and will be putting fleece and vet bed upstairs, fleece with littertrays downstairs for them.
 
today has been rubbish here yet the good news was i managed to get to work before it poured with rain (otherwise i would have been soaked i was on me bicycle :)) ) and i dodged it on the way home too and since i got home it hasnt rained and the sun has just briefly made an appearance,

I'm now just waiting to get my kids in bed and then i can play with my C & C grids that arrived today :laluot_03: i cant wait!
 
progress so far

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have realised I need to seriously think out the second floor - just how to support it thats all, need wood which will have to wait till payday.
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note the correx waiting to be used, the blue is the boys sheets, the yellow are the herds, everything is colour co-ordinated so the boys dont get anything used by the girls by accident. And yes that is the boys strawberry beds sitting at the end waiting to go back in again next pen change, the herd have an orange and a purple one to use (again different to the boys)


It looks a mess as I have to arrange things around the pen and be able to get in to the boys still and still trying to figure a way to make things work all year round. But basically the herd will have the bed base (a double), a gap between the boys and the herd with storage of newspaper and their dry food to cause a barrier and the girls will be lower down than the boys and the plan is to have the second level near the door end so they are away from the boys (and its still lower than the boys pen).
 
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done the first floor, all the panels are up and still need the second level attached but think I might have it sussed once I get some wood next week.

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and its 4.5 panels x 3 (not quite 5 but I need to put the gap in else they are too close to the boys and I need a bit of space down the side for the food tubs and storage, but they will have a top layer of 2 x 3 so not losing out on that much space really.

as demonstrated in this photo
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thought I would update this to any that have been watching the progress.

The pen is all finished and set up for the herd to come in, have decided to bring them in thurs as its a little nippy out there - not too cold, and another storm over seas could bring in high winds, which we suffer with at the seaside here so time to bring them in.

Will post the photos of the completed pen in the morning.
 
the second floor, finally after much thinking and trial and error, no annoying partition in the way, wood cut and panels acting as a shelf for the correx and attached the ramp to the panel. The panels can be lifted up as I hinged them with the ramp attached, but I can get underneath the second level easy enough.
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and fleece is down ready - the part shoe rack was moved
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and........

all finished, litter trays underneath to make it easier to keep clean - my herd love to sleep in them. The old correx up the top
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changed the grey vet bed to fleece, also moved the litter tray to the bottom of the ramp as last year they managed to make a right mess in that corner
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the litter trays and beds in place
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I think they will like the new pen, same ramp as last time which is lovely and wide - room for two to pass, and yep they have strawberry beds too
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They are coming in shortly
 
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