Kitchens!

[WEAVER]

Now with the exception of the two boys' cages, all of my setups are like this. I no longer use the fiddlesticks because Allie started peeing on them everytime she entered the kitchen. Yuck!


Pans are a seperate piece of coroplast and just come out of the cage for me to dump them. The herd has a 2 x 3, the two girls cages have a 1 1/2 x 2 pan.



The wood pellets has made the cage much cleaner. It does not track like Carefresh or shavings. I do have to dump them every two days or the dust from the breakdown of the pellets begin to track out of the kitchen. I just wish I could find a way to keep the hay now in the kitchen area. *sigh* I really think it is a nonwinning battle. I am out numbered BIG time.

[Keezy]

What sort of wood pellets do you use, WEAVER?

[WEAVER]

I use Equine Fresh. You can purchase it from Tracor Supply.

[JennG]

Weaver, it would be a pleasure to host your crew. :) I'm sure I could never live up to the Weaver standards but I'd try. ;)

So, camende...your window's not working properly. Hmmm? So when do you work? Bawhahaha! I do live close to Laketown area. I've lived in this area ever since I moved to Springfield over 16 yrs ago. I know the area the best. Girls' school is over here, too as well as DH's family.

Anyways, here are a few past kitchen areas.


We had this kitchen area w/ 3-5 piggies.


This is when there were 8 piggies in the cage.


This is a newer version when there were only 10 piggies.

[JennG]

And here is what I'm doing now for the kitchen area:

This is Mylie, Puddin, Sasha and Holly (sitting in the hay box) eating.


Here's the big pile of hay where 10 piggies reside.


And believe it or not there are 6 out of the 10 eating it.

[Tracis]

So many great ideas on this thread!

For anyone considering using a hayrack made from an undershelf hanger, like the one JennG previously posted, please read Sadie's story first:
Hayrack Warning - Stuck Pig

[rshevin]

You guys have successfully scared me away from any and all hayracks. Geepers some pig has gotten stuck in all of them! I finally found those cute BB&B trashcans that people use for hay and couldn't convince myself it wouldn't bring my babies to an untimely (my fault) death. Piles are a giant mess, but I am such a scardy cat.

[JennG]

tracis, that's why I got rid of mine awhile ago. I wasn't going to take any chances w/ them.

[Tracis]

I figured that was why, JennG. :)

I wanted to post the warning so that anyone who is not familiar with the story will understand the potential risk.

In my old hayloft, I used the same style of Hay Manger that trapped poor Tweak. :(

[camende]

The BB&B trashcans are what I use and I have never had a problem with them. Ocassionally, the pigs crawl into them but the space between the bars is so wide that they slide right through. I suppose if Willow keeps getting fatter I might have to reconsider. I might reconsider anyway because I have decided to modify the cage.

I have decided to re-configure my cage to make an L. I measured the room and I can fit a 2x8 section on one side and 2x5 on the short side of the L. I will have more room in the middle of the room.

I might actually make the kitchen area smaller so I can used less bedding and more fleece. In general, the piggies pee and poop all over but I like the kitchen area so that the hay doesn't get on the fleece.

[WEAVER]

L- shapes are great Camende. I love mine. DO be careful though if you have it all attached. That back corner will be VERY hard to reach to catch pigs and to clean. Mine is actually two seperate pieces and I can slide the entire 2 x 5 section forward and than slide it back into the corner when I am not usine it.

[camende]

I have completed my plans for the new cage. It's going to be an L.

It will be 2x8 on the long side and 2x5 on the short side. I was planning on making the 2x5 all bedding but then I was thinking how hard that back corner will be to clean.

So, I am going to make the entire 2x5 section (short side) fleece. This includes the back corner. The "kitchen" will be on the Long end and I think I am going to reduce the kitchen to a 2x4 section.

so, looking at the cage, the long side is straight in front of you and the short side is to your right.

The kitchen 2x4 will be on the left side (I need an end for the 5 water bottles) Then a 2x4 section of fleece that includes the corner and the remaining "short side" is a 2x3 section of fleece.

I have to decide if I want hayracks or if I will just plop the hay down.