Wannabe adopter

[Tina70]

Hello am currently getting my spare bedroom ready so can adopt two piggies. Ive ordered the house as takes a few weeks to make. I'm painting and getting vinyl floor down this week. They will have one side of room in a 6 ft x 2 ft wooden house. On ikea desks I think with storage under. Ideally I need to use rest of room for clothes storage and bedding towels. But am worried that as storage is open it will get smelly ? Should I look into wardrobes? Its a small room and currently where I iron and have sons clothes and all bedding etc so will have a good sort out and tidy just need to plan storage.

Also would a playpen be good ? Or can they just go on floor with fleece down or a mat so we can eventually spend time with them. Though I'm sure will takes ages to settle so maybe I dont need to think of that yet lol

 

[Piggies&buns]

There shouldn't be any smell if you keep up with good cage maintenance. The biggest smells will come from wet hay so make sure any is removed every day.
Boars do tend to make a room smell more than sows do - boars will scent mark (sows do it too though) and you can get a testosterone whiff in the room!

For a playpen, it depends if the room is suitable for them free roam or whether you would find it easier for them to be contained.

I guess the other consideration is how much of the room you are going to let them free roam and whether they are going to be able to find a way to get into your storage and then into your clothes and bedding; and then whether it may be better to have wardrobes so they can't get into mischief! I

 

[Truffolo]

Congratulations on becoming a piggy owner (slave) I live with piggies (two boars) in a studio and there is no smell, but I do spot clean morning and evening, removing damp woodshavings and picking out all the little cocoa beans Once a week I change the woodshavings for fresh and clean the corroplast cage liner. Working with fleece would involve poo picking and changing damp pee pads instead of woodshavings and then doing the bigger cage liner once or twice a week. The piggies themselves are pretty clean. When they get to middle age you might need to clean their boar pouches, but don't worry about that now. The best thing to do is not to clean everything out at once for bonded boars however. Clean half the cage and then do the other half the next day, for instance. That avoids removing their scent markings (which humans can't really smell). Having to renegotiate territory, which boars do by dragging their bottoms can cause the bond between boars to become unstable, so leave some old bedding in the cage to remind them of who is the top boar. Air purifiers are good too if you miss a day or two of cleaning.

 

[Tina70]

There shouldn't be any smell if you keep up with good cage maintenance. The biggest smells will come from wet hay so make sure any is removed every day.
Boars do tend to make a room smell more than sows do - boars will scent mark (sows do it too though) and you can get a testosterone whiff in the room!

For a playpen, it depends if the room is suitable for them free roam or whether you would find it easier for them to be contained.

I guess the other consideration is how much of the room you are going to let them free roam and whether they are going to be able to find a way to get into your storage and then into your clothes and bedding; and then whether it may be better to have wardrobes so they can't get into mischief! I

Yes a lot to think about. Think ill see how room turns out then work out wether I need playpen. Good to hear shouldn't smell i had seen people complaining on fb but I'm planning on using hemp or wood shavings and will spot clean daily. Thanks

 

[Tina70]

Congratulations on becoming a piggy owner (slave) I live with piggies (two boars) in a studio and there is no smell, but I do spot clean morning and evening, removing damp woodshavings and picking out all the little cocoa beans Once a week I change the woodshavings for fresh and clean the corroplast cage liner. Working with fleece would involve poo picking and changing damp pee pads instead of woodshavings and then doing the bigger cage liner once or twice a week. The piggies themselves are pretty clean. When they get to middle age you might need to clean their boar pouches, but don't worry about that now. The best thing to do is not to clean everything out at once for bonded boars however. Clean half the cage and then do the other half the next day, for instance. That avoids removing their scent markings (which humans can't really smell). Having to renegotiate territory, which boars do by dragging their bottoms can cause the bond between boars to become unstable, so leave some old bedding in the cage to remind them of who is the top boar. Air purifiers are good too if you miss a day or two of cleaning.

Great yes I'm planning on using hemp or wood savings not fleece as dont think I could keep up with washing. So hopefully be ok. Great will remember about doing half as not sure wether getting boars or sows yet.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I use wood shavings and hay for bedding for my boys. They live out in my shed but as long as wet bedding and hay is removed daily there is no smell

 

[Wheekallweek]

They'll be very lucky piggies! It's always better to adopt than buy from pet shops or breeders

 

[Truffolo]

Great yes I'm planning on using hemp or wood savings not fleece as dont think I could keep up with washing. So hopefully be ok. Great will remember about doing half as not sure wether getting boars or sows yet.

My boars live side by side in separate cages and seem happy. It is much more peaceful as Truffle no longer chases Polo round the cage rumbling and grumbling at him. I don't think their bond was ever that good. If you have boars you are usually limited to two piggies, but boars are wonderful, and often a pair will be happy together and get on peacefully. It is possible to get a male and female and neuter the male as an alternative to unisex groups.

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
It’s great that you are doing research and planning before the piggies arrive.
I’ve always had indoor piggies and never had a problem with smell.
At the moment I have to share the guinea pig room - one end is my study, most of it is the cage, an open cupboard for hay, a storage basket for bedding and the stuff that doesn’t fit just gets piled on top of any available surface.
As has been said - keep up with good hygiene and there’s no problem.

We look forward to getting to know you and seeing pictures of your piggies in due course

 

[Tina70]

Welcome to the forum.
It’s great that you are doing research and planning before the piggies arrive.
I’ve always had indoor piggies and never had a problem with smell.
At the moment I have to share the guinea pig room - one end is my study, most of it is the cage, an open cupboard for hay, a storage basket for bedding and the stuff that doesn’t fit just gets piled on top of any available surface.
As has been said - keep up with good hygiene and there’s no problem.

We look forward to getting to know you and seeing pictures of your piggies in due course

Thank you forum is great so much info. I should have lots of storage under desks and decided to put our bedding into storage bags on shelves to make it easier. Just got to get painting now lol

 

[Truffolo]

The only time I have known piggy poop to smell is when it was in a flower pot, being watered alot. Dry poop doesn't smell. I think the piggies wonder why we keep swooping on their cocoa beans so much

 

[Mon59]

Congratulations.

I have a 3 year old big boy boar and he doesn’t smell at all. Also a sow about the same age. If you spot clean once a day all is well. Deep clean weekly. Kept indoors.

If you look at bedding , Megazorb or Auboise is often mentioned but they are very heavy to move around and messy . I have recently gone onto Tesco small animal wood shavings that smell lovely and are in easy packs that last about a week or more.

Get some doggy bags about 10l or any cheapies compostable for daily spot cleaning. Especially wet hay which can pong and not good for little feet.

Good luck as piggies the loveliest pets.

 

[Merab]

The only time I have known piggy poop to smell is when it was in a flower pot, being watered alot. Dry poop doesn't smell. I think the piggies wonder why we keep swooping on their cocoa beans so much

You do know that putting guinea poop in a flowerpot and watering it doesn’t result in guinea pigs growing

 

[Mon59]

Actually. Got a smaller bag of Megazorb last week and it stinks ! Really bad like rotten cheese. Bag wasn't split. Anyone else ? Haven't used it for years but never again.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Actually. Got a smaller bag of Megazorb last week and it stinks ! Really bad like rotten cheese. Bag wasn't split. Anyone else ? Haven't used it for years but never again.

Yes it does have a smell to it but it has such great absorbency and is so easy to spot clean that the smell doesn’t bother me

 

[Truffolo]

You do know that putting guinea poop in a flowerpot and watering it doesn’t result in guinea pigs growing