Sam and Dean

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Wed May 29, 2019 3:03 am


So I went on a vacation to see my granddaughter graduate and left my boys in the capable hands of family members. Everyone knows how precious my boys are to me. I always miss them terribly and suffer a bit of separation anxiety. They were well fed and well cared for while I was gone, except that Ella had a hard time with getting their cage back together when she changed the fleece. Upon my return, I discovered why. The horse bedding works very well for soaking up the urine and helping the fleece stay dry, but it gets under the wire cage and make it hard to work with.

My solution was to cut some 2 by 3 boards to use as barriers along the inside edge to keep the bedding pellets in place. I wrapped them in fleece with barrier plastic underneath to keep them from getting soaked with urine and to prevent Sammy from chewing on them. With the plastic sheeting underneath, I can wash them off without getting the wood wet. So far it's working very well. Unfortunately, it prevents the use of the separator with the ramps, but I have a tunnel, a hammock and a fleece forrest that make up for it.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed May 29, 2019 9:15 am


I'm confused. Why is changing the fleece hard with pellets? I just picked my fleece up and replaced it with a clean one. I never bothered the pellets unless it was time to stir them.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Wed May 29, 2019 11:11 pm


Its hard to explain, but I'll try. The cage has a canvas bottom, not a hard plastic base. The cage is rectangular and fits inside the edges of the base. If the pellets get under the wire cage part, they partially raise it and the rectangular shape gets distorted so that the top doesn't fit right.

The other problem I solved was the piggies being able to get underneath the fleece and chew the pellets. The wood creates a stiff edge that the canvas bottom lacks. It provides a way to tuck the edges of the fleece to keep it in place better and it also keeps the bedding pellets from getting underneath the wire cage and outside of the fleece bedding. I hope that explains it.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Thu May 30, 2019 1:10 am


Image

My little buddy missed me! Sammy likes to sit with me.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu May 30, 2019 7:53 am


He is a cutie.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Thu May 30, 2019 6:08 pm


Image

This is how I did the cage bottom. The fleece stays tucked in nicely and keeps the bedding pellets nicely in place.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat Jun 01, 2019 10:29 am


Good idea! Your guys are so cute. :)

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Sun Jun 02, 2019 3:18 am


Thank you! Only problem is that the situation dictated a different cage for Sam and Dean. It's the same size as the other one, but it has a hard plastic base. I will have to remake the borders to fit the plastic base, which is a fraction smaller inside measurement. I get to do it X3 so I can switch the other two cages to fleece bedding. If I stick with the paper bedding, I'll be going through about 10 of the big bags a month. I get one cleaning per two cages out of each bag in these larger cages. I change them every 4th day. So fleece it is! Sammy and Dean love it and I think Scruffy and Mr Bubbles will too.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Tue Jun 04, 2019 10:29 pm


Last time I took Sammy and Dean out to graze, they got into a spat. No serious battling and not blood drawn, but they did lunge at and try humping each other. It was more serious than any square offs since I've had them. They're ok in the cage together, so I can only assume it was because they were outside and the other two boars were in the other outdoor pen next to them.

I'll take them outside in a couple of days and without the other two boars and see how they do. If it's still a problem, their outside grazing days are over and I'll bring grass to them inside. I'm in a tough spot if I have to separate them permanently. I'll manage, but it won't be easy.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Tue Jun 04, 2019 10:59 pm


Maybe the excitement of fresh grass and thinking the other pigs were going to eat It all set them off.

Mine had a tiff with her stuffed bunny friend one day. She was rolling her treat ball filled with pellets and it bumped up against her stuffed bunny. When the bunny moved, Lacey stepped back surprised, then went over and bit the bunny on the nose. She must have thought the stuffed bunny was going to eat her pellets.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:01 am


That is so funny, ItsaZoo!

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:23 am


Could be. Sammy is one high strung little guy. Probably more than Scruffy. He's my biggest wheaker. It takes next to nothing to get him going.

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