New Guinea Pig Owner - Best economic bedding?

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mmeadow
Supporter 2004-2022

Post   » Thu Jul 18, 2019 10:17 am


My two cages are 5x2 C&C (approximately 6 feet x 2 feet). I've used all the usual bedding systems except wood pellets.

Currently I use fleece in one, where I have a single elderly hospice pig; this lets me monitor her intake and output closely. I can go 3 days, since it's a big cage for only one pig. When changing the cage, I scoop and shake off the poops, hay, and food, but have stopped trying to remove the hair. Time will tell whether this will clog my washing machine.

In the other cage, there are two pigs. I use about 3/4 of a large bag of Carefresh on top of newspaper, and then I scoop out the wet spots and restore the bedding and newspaper every couple of days. CuteGuineas, was it a smaller bag of paper bedding? Otherwise I'm not sure how it lasted only two days. Granted my standards of cleanliness are not the highest, but I can go almost a week between full changes.

In the past I've had good luck with wood shavings. Economical and more absorbent than you would expect. I don't think this approach causes trouble with most pigs (except post-operative pigs or skinnies). The LA Guinea Pig Rescue has used wood shavings with most of their hundreds of pigs.

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CuteGuineas

Post   » Thu Jul 18, 2019 11:20 pm


Fleece bedding, while a bit more work was a very good decision. Far more sanitary and comfortable plus way more economical.
I am going to think about fleece bedding. Certainly it would be more economical than paper or wood shavings in the sense that it is a one time purchase, but it would also be an increase in our hot water and gas bill, as I would be washing and drying it every few days. In addition, I wonder how sanitary it is to have them in the same machines where our clothes are washed; and several Amazon reviews of fleece bedding say that their washers have gotten clogged with bits of hair or hay.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Thu Jul 18, 2019 11:28 pm


I used fleece for quite a while, and I never had a washer get clogged. But if you're worried about it, you can wash the fleece in a pillow case. Once it's dry, you can shake the hair out of the pillow case and off the fleece.

As far as drying is concerned, fleece dries very quickly. If you've got room to hang it on a drying rack, you won't have to use a dryer at all.

If you add bleach to the washing cycle, it'll be a lot more sanitary than your regular clothes that don't have bleach added.

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CuteGuineas

Post   » Thu Jul 18, 2019 11:36 pm


CuteGuineas, was it a smaller bag of paper bedding? Otherwise I'm not sure how it lasted only two days. Granted my standards of cleanliness are not the highest, but I can go almost a week between full changes.
I think it was a medium pack of Carefresh? I don't remember exactly what size it was. I have a Midwest Guinea Habitat (so 2'x4'), and I used probably 2/3 of the bag just putting down a layer of bedding in the habitat for the first time. Then I realized that was going to be expensive, hence the subsequent purchase of the huge aspen pack. I also may have gone overboard in spot cleaning over the next couple of days, and that is why we burned through a pack so quickly. 😄

I still have a lot of aspen bedding left and don't want to waste it, so I am experimenting with other solutions. Today when I cleaned their pen, I put in aspen as the bottom layer but then put a layer of paper bedding on top so that it would be softer on their feet. I am trying a new kind of paper bedding, Uber from Walmart. It is a nice all-natural paper bedding, not made with sludge or any other harmful materials. It is very soft and more dust-free than Carefresh. On the other hand, it is also not as absorbent; it is a thinner bedding.
Last edited by CuteGuineas on Thu Jul 18, 2019 11:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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CuteGuineas

Post   » Thu Jul 18, 2019 11:40 pm


I used fleece for quite a while, and I never had a washer get clogged. But if you're worried about it, you can wash the fleece in a pillow case. Once it's dry, you can shake the hair out of the pillow case and off the fleece.

As far as drying is concerned, fleece dries very quickly. If you've got room to hang it on a drying rack, you won't have to use a dryer at all.
Ok, that is good to know. More points in favor of fleece. 😊
If you add bleach to the washing cycle, it'll be a lot more sanitary than your regular clothes that don't have bleach added.
That doesn't hurt the pigs in any way?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Thu Jul 18, 2019 11:57 pm


Not at all, as long as you rinse it all out.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:08 pm


I must have at least 2 dozen pieces of fleece. I accumulated it over a couple of paydays by visiting the clearance section of fabric stores and by getting the "cheapie" fleece blankets ($2.50 each at Walmart) and cutting them in half. This allows me to have a very efficient cycle. I have one of those covered hampers to keep it in until there is a full load of them for wash day.

The other benefit is the I can shake them out lightly to remove the droppings and hay and avoid the urine shower before I put them in the hamper. Then on laundry day the urine has dried, I shake and brush them off thoroughly and aggressively to remove the rest of the hair and hay to avoid having it in my washer and dryer. I also wash them twice; once with laundry detergent and again without.

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lisam

Post   » Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:59 pm


I have a rescue, and the most economical bedding is shavings over wood pellets. We buy large "bales" of white shavings (fir and spruce). Using this combo we are able to clean cages just once a week (for some cages we do spot scoop areas).

Downsides--it's dusty, and doesn't compost very fast.

Paper bedding is too expensive for the amount of cages I have, and fleece was too labor intensive.

That said, the pigs and I prefer fleece. Unfortunately my bank account and limited time don't.

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CuteGuineas

Post   » Wed Jul 24, 2019 10:53 pm


After four (happy) weeks now of having guinea pigs, I think I am ready to get fleece bedding for them. I have been diligent about spot cleaning every day and changing out all the bedding and cleaning once a week or so, for both their sake and mine; but that means we go through tons of bedding. So I think it will be both cleaner and cheaper in the long run to switch to fleece. I don't really have either the time or know-how to sew them, so I am going to invest in a couple of the more highly reviewed fleece beddings on Amazon.

Anyone have any recommendations? I most likely have it narrowed down to either the GuineaDad fleece or the Small Pets and Company fleece. Anyone have experience with either? https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06WVN69 ... op?ie=UTF8

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Jul 24, 2019 11:06 pm


If you're just trying fleece out, you could just use flat pieces of fleece, possibly weighed down with bricks. That way, if you like it, you can then get some fancier fleece. If you don't, you're not out much money, and can try something else.

I never used anything but cheap fleece blankets or pieces of fleece from a fabric store.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Thu Jul 25, 2019 6:22 am


Ditto bpatters. When I was using fleece, I bought it anywhere I could get a good deal on it.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Jul 25, 2019 6:39 am


Also consider one of the companies/people who help support Guinea Lynx. They are all very well-regarded, make super products, and have been doing this for many years!

www.guinealynx.info/fun.html

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