Home made cages

Candycane · 01-29-2004, 06:15 PM

Also, about size...I used to think "the bigger, the better". However, given my experience of having both the girls and the boys (at seperate times) in the massive pine cage (4X2.5X3) I don't think that they need a huge cage. The girls are in the huge cage right now and barely use half of the cage. They don't have a wheel in there but I am assuming that once they do, they will use even less of the cage. The boys are the same. The cage that I built them is 3X3X2 and it is plenty big enough. They hardly use the lower half unless I put their dustbath down there. Most of their time is spent sleeping and once they are awake, they are taking turns on the wheel. I have not regretted making them a smaller cage at all. I will probably make the girls the same cage but a foot higher. Just MHO, but I would build a smaller cage and use the left over cash to buy a saucer wheel.

pandaxian · 01-29-2004, 08:29 PM

Ok good deal, because I was planning to make my cage 5.5 ft tall, BUUUUUT, only the top 3 feet would actually be cage. Since my bf insists on tidiness I had planned to make the space below the cage section a cabinet to keep all of Pocky's supplies in

My measurements for the actual cage itself is 3' high/2' wide'/2' deep. Give or take, it's yet to be set in stone. The frame, I was thinking of putting a finish on, since the wire is going to be on the inside of the frame rather than the outside to keep him from chewing on the actual frame. I've also thought of covering the inside of the frame with strips of metal sheeting to keep him from getting his teeth on it, and at the same time keeping it out of sight so the outside still looks pretty :P It's a bit of a hard design to explain in writing, but I really wasn't sure if the measurements would be ok for two chinnies, or what wood to use, etc etc etc.

Jade · 01-30-2004, 12:42 PM

I also use melamine cages and LOVE them. The only thing to keep in mind when placing the shelves is that it's difficult to change the layout b/c you have holes where the screws are. If you leave those exposed, the chins will chew. I've had to move a shelf and had to place a random piece of wood over them. Looks rather funny, but makes a great secured chew item.

You can get plans here: http://www.spoiledchins.net

Jade · 01-30-2004, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pandaxian

The frame, I was thinking of putting a finish on, since the wire is going to be on the inside of the frame rather than the outside to keep him from chewing on the actual frame. I've also thought of covering the inside of the frame with strips of metal sheeting to keep him from getting his teeth on it, and at the same time keeping it out of sight so the outside still looks pretty :P It's a bit of a hard design to explain in writing, but I really wasn't sure if the measurements would be ok for two chinnies, or what wood to use, etc etc etc.

My first cage was very much like you described ... my chins wound up with an episode of giardia and I literally had to burn it after repeated treatments wouldn't take care of the giardia. I was SO upset, but after doing so the giardia hasn't come back. I go with the melamine now, simply because I can clean it with bleach or what have you and replace the shelves. Doing either with a wooden frame would've been pointless due to the porous nature of the frame itself.

pandaxian · 01-30-2004, 01:09 PM

Hmm, paint me newbie colors, but exactly what is giardia?

The chin caught it just from an unsanitary cage? His wouldn't be completely wood, mostly wire actually with just the wood frame. But, I don't want to risk him getting ill either.

Jade · 01-30-2004, 02:01 PM

Giardia is an intestinal parasite, shed in feces. The chins didn't catch it from the cage, the wood in the cage harbored it after the outbreak due to the porous nature.

pandaxian · 01-30-2004, 03:14 PM

yuck

Poor chinnies! I'll have to keep that in mind just in case! thanks for pointing it out, I didn't even know!

pandaxian · 02-04-2004, 04:55 PM

I finally got around to drawing out the design of the cage I had in mind for Pocky, everything is pretty much to scale on it except the mesh of course. I'm not very good at drawing 3D things so excuse the funky shape and all. I'm posting it for review

I'm pretty much 100% going to stick to that design, and i'm having a professional build it for me once I get some quotes, but I am still not sure on the size. 4' high seems good, but i'm not sure if 2 and a half is wide enough. Anyhow, enough talking, here's the cage.

Candycane · 02-04-2004, 05:45 PM

I wouldn't make it any wider than 2' because it will be hard to maneuver and/or go through doors if it's any wider. If you are building it to be 4' high, you will definitely need at least one full floor in the middle.

pandaxian · 02-04-2004, 06:20 PM

really? A full floor in the middle of the 4'? I had no idea

but I guess now that you mention it I can imagine the need for it. I was half going off the measurements of a cage they display their chins at in the pet store by my place, since it was a decent size, 4' high, 3 wide, and 2 deep.