Kitchens!

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Keezy

Post   » Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:58 pm


Over the past six months of having piggies I've experimented with kitchen areas. For a long time we used a large, under-the-bed, plastic bin with an entrance cut out. This was placed on top of a cheap, woven rug to prevent aspen from being trailed everywhere.

Didn't work.

We also found that the piggies kicked out a lot of the bedding (when running from "THE HAND"!). We had to put these pieces of black posterboard up to prevent any from getting on the carpet.

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Since then we've built coroplast kitchens: 10 inch walls, with tubes as the entrance. They seem a little crowded, and to be honest, I don't like the high walls.

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I've been admiring WEAVER'd kitchen area, with the tropical fiddlestick bridge..

So. Everyone post your kitchens! I need ideas to steal. >:) What sort of bedding do you use in them? Do you line them? With what? Does your bedding end up kicked everywhere or am I doing something wrong? Go, go!

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babytulip07

Post   » Sat Jan 03, 2009 6:13 pm


My girls' kitchen
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Fosters' kitchen
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Maddie and Wesley's kitchen
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WEAVER
one pig at a time.

Post   » Sat Jan 03, 2009 6:33 pm


Let me just say that I have had/tried a million and one kitchen areas, and I have yet to find one that was "perfect" or spotless. Pigs are messy, and hay is a pain.

We are fixin' to put our house back on the market and I am fretting BIG time about the cage setup and what potential buyers are going to think/say. I really think when we tried this a year and a half ago , one of the main reasons our house did not sell was because the pigs' cage in the master bedroom. It is a HUGE distraction and for whatever reason people in the south don't think that animals should live inside of the house, never mind in the main bedroom.

I am curious to see if anyone has found the "magic" kitchen. I am soooo open to ideas right now.

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Aertyn

Post   » Sun Jan 04, 2009 4:51 am


I have a 1x2 shavings/hay area and in front of that i put a separate piece of fleece (1x2 again as it was the size it already was). Every day I take it outside and shake it off as I find that most of the hay and shavings get tracked off in that area, and I pick up any long loose strands of hay...my vacuum gets most of the little pieces of shavings that might be left.

I did experiment with using shower mats but found the smell after even a few hours to be horrible.

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JennG
In Memory of Mama

Post   » Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:57 pm


I'm like Weaver and I've tried MANY different "kitchens" as well. I'll try and post a few in alittle while.

I really don't have a current "kitchen" set up. For the larger herd that has 2 levels, I keep their pellet dish and veggie dishes on the upper level where I use fleece as bedding. On the lower level, I use shavings for bedding. With 10 piggies in this herd, I just take a huge thing of hay and throw it on the bedding. Trust me when I say I don't have to worry about any going to waste because they eat it so quickly.

In the two other smaller herds, I have a small kitty litter pan that I put a layer of newspaper/shavings/carefresh in. I put the hay in that box. I'll try to show you all in a bit. I used to use hay racks but w/ all the current issues w/ piggies getting stuck, I just throw the hay in the box and they pretty much eat it all before it gets wet and moldy.

BTW-Weaver, if I lived closer, I'd let you keep your crew here. What I wouldn't give to care for the Weaver kids. :)

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CavyHouse
Supporter in '11

Post   » Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:07 pm


Weaver - I just read an article on "staging" homes for Open Houses and they suggested sending all the critters to a kennel during the open house! That's not real practical for most people on this forum.

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rshevin

Post   » Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:31 pm


Next time I clean my cage, I can show a kitchen that doesn't work.

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calicavylover

Post   » Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:44 pm


I was just up looking at the boys cage and decided to work on a kitchen for them today, they don't have one and really need it
-I'll try to post pics of my girls kitchen area later today. They have a 2x7 and their kitchen area is basically a separate coroplast box that is a little less than 2x2. They seem to keep most of the mess in the kitchen area, except when Kitty decides to grab a mouth full of hay and make a run for it! I couldn't figure out why big batches of hay were ending up on the opposite end of the cage until once day I saw her grab and run for it! It was hysterical!

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Feylin

Post   » Sun Jan 04, 2009 3:15 pm


Aspen shavings seem to stick to fleece more than carefresh or pelleted bedding. I have the same trouble as everyone else, but using woodstove pellets helps a lot.

Weaver, have you tried putting a drop cloth over the pig cage?

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camende
Supporter 08-09 & 11-13

Post   » Sun Jan 04, 2009 4:21 pm


I think, in general, it is harder to sell a house with animals.

Weaver, your setup looks awesome and so neat! I wouldn't think it would turn off potential buyers.

I am going to have the same problem when we go to sell this place in another 6 years or so. I think its one of the reasons that Ted doesn't want to take on any more piggies. I mean, the entire sunroom is the piggie room and I know, that will turn off potential buyers.

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JennG
In Memory of Mama

Post   » Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:00 pm


camende, I'd LOVE to buy your house. It's beautiful!!! That sunroom would be perfect for my piggie room. Of course, you live on the "wrong" side of town. ;) We're SouthEast people.

See Weaver, you just need to find a family that love animals and piggies. I bet they'd buy your house IF you threw in your great cages. ;)

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TWP_2

Post   » Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:10 pm


We're also struggling with what to do when our house is being shown.

But, once our house is sold and we have a new one elsewhere, we can get to work building a "kitchen" in each cage.

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