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Housekeeping
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And relax......
I shall describe here how my piggy pen is furnished and the housekeeping we carry out. I won't be carrying out analysis of all the different types of bedding materials and products, just simply letting you know what works for us.
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THE
WHEEKIES BEDDING ARRANGEMENTS
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Medibed
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Meadow Hay
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Readigrass
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My piggies live in a home-made pen which has a covering of linoleum on the base to assist with keeping the pen damp-proof and is easy to clean.
On top of the lino I have several layers of newspaper, followed by a nice comfy bed of Medibed with hay and readigrass on top. This combination is the best we have tried over the years and we are very happy with it !
The medibed is made by a Company called Dengie, it is actually produced mainly for horses. It is a dust extracted, treated chopped straw product. It apparently won't be prone to moulding or anything. I have been using the medibed now for years and it seems to be performing very well, the piggies all like it and sleep happily on it, I havn't had any 'eye' or 'breathing' incidents and it seems quite absorbant and clean. I buy a large polythene wrapped bale which lasts for quite a few cleanings.
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Feedback: For those interested, I emailed Dengie asking about the treatment of the medibed here is what I received: "Thank you for your email concerning Medi-Bed for Guinea Pigs. Medi-Bed has in fact two additives as follows. The first is simply an orange citrus oil used as an anti-eating agent. The second additive, which is called Equine Health & Herbal, is used to suppress the growth of moulds and other microbials. Both of these products have been trialled extensively for their efficacy and also any potential harmful side effects before being made available for sale. It is unlikely that these products have been trialled specifically in Guinea Pigs but have been with a variety of other small mammals". |
* If for whatever reason I run out of Medibed before I have received my next delivery I use Russel Rabbit Bedding which is almost identical to the Medibed - but in smaller packs and more expensive - but a great backup ! *
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Note:
I never use normal straw now after several accidents in which my piggies
got straw in their eyes (they are ok and were not badly hurt). This is
very distressing (both for you and the piggy), don't give this a chance
to happen.
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HOUSEKEEPING
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My main priority, apart from the comfort of my piggies (of course), when deciding on what type of pen to have, was the ease of keeping the pen clean and hygenic (being in the lounge).
I clean out the piggy pen completely twice a week - whilst the piggies are out for a run I roll up the newspaper, medibed and hay, sweep out the pen with a dustpan and brush, then spray and wipe around with a home-made mix of essential oils in water - the current mix is tea-tree, lemon and lavender.
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CLEANOUT
TIME !
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Cleaning the pen in this way takes about 15 minutes. I also carry out the odd 'spot-clean' if I notice a particular corner getting 'used' a lot. I don't have any problems with 'piggy-odours' although I do normally have a smattering of hay on the floor. This doesn't bother me, if it did I would be more careful when I take them in and out - they invariably come with several strands of hay attached !
Whilst the piggies are out for a run in the lounge they have never had any 'accidents' of the damp kind, they always go back to their pens. Sometimes if I am cleaning the pen and have the door shut, they will run to the pen, see they can't get in and go away. As soon as I open the door invariably one of them will uncross their legs just enough to make the run from under the settee to the pen and then quickly relieve themselves all over the nice clean bedding !!
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NOTHING
LIKE A NICE FRESH BED, FOOD and WATER !
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'Poops' are a different matter. These seem to fly out at an alarming rate and seem to get everywhere, again I don't mind, they don't cause any damage, don't smell and don't make a mess. I simply hoover them up (or sit and pick them all up and try and aim them into the waste-paper basket if there's nothing on the TV......)
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Page Last Updated: 30/09/04