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Post by 3piggles on Dec 30, 2014 23:27:30 GMT
Awww
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Post by Bean on Dec 31, 2014 9:25:25 GMT
Aww adorable! Sounds like they are settling in beautifully and are already a big part of the family - lovely news!
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Post by bongosfriend on Dec 31, 2014 14:44:19 GMT
A couple of very cute guinea pigs!
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Post by jolovespiggies on Dec 31, 2014 15:42:48 GMT
What little sweeties, thanks for sharing them with us hun.
Hugs JO xx
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ayemee
Bronze Member
Posts: 397
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Post by ayemee on Feb 9, 2015 11:24:22 GMT
The girls are settling in well. Amber has allergies to the wood shavings so they are currently on carefresh whilst I'm at Uni. They're still indoors.
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 9, 2015 19:04:13 GMT
I'm using Carefresh in the kitchen areas. I have a couple of layers of fiberglass window screen over it, so I just fold it up, hay, poos and all, and dump it in the waste basket. I mix up the Carefresh to spread out the wet spots, replace the screen and give them more hay. I don't have a deep cage, only about an 1.5 inches, so I replace the Carefresh in Morty and Mias cage twice a week. Momo only needs hers changed weekly. I have fleece over wood pellet horse bedding in the living areas. I changed the fleece every couple of weeks. The pellets rarely need to be changed. Glad the girls are doing so well. Pigs do have allergies, that's for sure. Good luck at Uni
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ayemee
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Post by ayemee on Feb 11, 2015 8:49:50 GMT
Yes I'm really liking the Carefresh. It stays extremely dry, I'm very impressed. Once I come back for the Easter holidays they will go back on to fleece. Once the weather is warm enough they will be going back outside though. Not sure what to do then. Amber is extremely sensitive to the shavings. I may continue to use Carefresh however it will be quite expensive.
Thank you for the good luck wishes! 6 more weeks then I get 4 weeks off. In that time I have to work in A+E, produce an essay and revise for a biology exam! Busy busy busy.
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Post by Bean on Feb 11, 2015 9:29:43 GMT
Not sure how the cost compares to carefresh but I often use fitch paper bedding - you get a big bale delivered for £20 (it's just gone up, it used to be £17) and it lasts ages. The price comes down to under £10 a bale if you order in bulk, but storage would be an issue! I always order all my hay, straw and bedding from a local(ish) farm who deliver for free if you spend a certain amount (thus saving me messing up the car!) so our shed is always a nightmare for the first few weeks following a delivery with bales of everything barricading the entrance! We get beautiful, sweet meadow hay for under £5 a bale though so it works out masses cheaper than buying any other way. With us having the foster buns (rabbits seem to eat and drink, and therefore wee and poo a lot more than any guinea pig I've known!), we do go through quite a lot. Might be worth trying megazorb too - it's a wood pulp product but because of the way it's processed, she might be okay with it? Maybe you have a horsey friend who could give you a small amount to try rather than having to buy a massive bag? I'd offer to post some but it's pretty heavy! Sounds like you are busy but enjoying it all - your time off sounds rather hectic too!
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ayemee
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Posts: 397
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Post by ayemee on Feb 11, 2015 10:24:49 GMT
Thank you this is really helpful! I'll have a look into the fitch bedding. Unfortunately I don't have any horsey friends. But I know often companies allow you to sample their products so it might be worth me sending a few emails and seeing what I can do. I did that with the girls hay from Hay for pets. Yes very busy! I feel like this year will be over before I know it. Then only a year away from qualifying! Scary and exciting times ahead.
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Post by Bean on Feb 12, 2015 9:15:56 GMT
Good idea about getting a company to send you samples. You'd probably want a decent amount to test out if Amber was allergic to it. I don't think I'd use the megazorb inside as it has quite a distinctive smell - not bad, but more of an outdoor smell?! But some people don't mind it.
I think you can only get the fitch bedding from one supplier and they don't send samples, but let me know if you'd like an envelope of it posting so you can see what it's like. It's sort of like little thick bits of loo roll, but all sealed so it's not dusty. Happy to send a small amount of the megazorb too so you can see what it's like.
Wow, is qualifying only a year off? Time certainly flies! Must be a massive leap thinking of actually being out there doing it professionally, but I have a very good feeling you will make an excellent nurse.
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 12, 2015 14:26:04 GMT
Wow, one year to qualifying! That's fabulous! I hope you get a great job, when you graduate I have found that Carefresh needs to be about 4 inches deep to stay dry, and I think it says that on the bag. That does make it really expensive. I only use about an inch, and I mix the wet spots with the dry spots daily, until it's all just damp. Then I replace it all. Even if I do that twice a week, I haven't used 4 inches worth. I have found that Carefresh doesn't protect the cage bottom, so you might want to put a piece of heavy duty plastic, or even self adhesive shelf liner, just to not have to scour the cage bottom. I really like the pine pellet horse bedding. It is very inexpensive, and even once all of the pellets have broken down into granules, it's as absorbent and odor fighting as ever. I do remove the wettest spots, and mix the rest around. But the bags are very heavy-40 pounds, and if I didn't have hubby to carry it for me, I wouldn't manage it. It does have a slightly woody smell, but it's barely noticeable. I haven't changed the pellet bedding in months, and it's still absorbing and fighting odor perfectly. I use the fleece over the pellet bedding, but I only use the fiberglass screen over the Carefresh. That way I can toss the poos and used hay daily, and just mix the Carefresh around a bit. You must really be looking forward to your 4 weeks off. I hope you have a great break from school
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ayemee
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Post by ayemee on Mar 17, 2015 16:07:53 GMT
The girls are growing so fast! Amber is a little chunk. I've nicknamed Mabel 'Dinky Pig' because she seems so petite.
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Post by jolovespiggies on Mar 17, 2015 18:50:36 GMT
They are absolutely gorgeous hun, I don't think I have ever seen my piggies cuddle up like that.
Hugs JO xx
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ayemee
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Posts: 397
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Post by ayemee on Mar 17, 2015 19:03:00 GMT
Thank you Jo! A lot of people have said that about them. I have so many photos of them cuddled together like this. I've never seen it with any of my previous piggies either. I'm guessing they just really like each other
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Post by 3piggles on Mar 17, 2015 19:18:50 GMT
Aw They are very close, aren't they? Love it! I've never had cuddly pigs before. That is so sweet They are getting big, and they are beautiful
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Post by Bean on Mar 17, 2015 20:03:10 GMT
Aww what a gorgeous photo of two very beautiful and content pigs! Sharing a cavy cosy is quite something - I've had pigs snuggle up in boxes and pigloos, but never ones who are happy to share something that snuggly!
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ayemee
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Post by ayemee on Mar 17, 2015 20:45:43 GMT
They are very close! You'll never find one without the other far behind!
I didn't realise it was quite so rare for them to share cosys. They often do every day. Except when one is in a strong season and she decides she wants the cosy to herself for that day!
They are growing very quickly. They're at the vets next week for a nail trim because Amber isn't a fan of being handled and I don't want to risk hurting her. I'll get them weighed properly whilst I'm there too.
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Post by Bean on Mar 18, 2015 8:45:54 GMT
Good plan - hope the clip and weigh goes well! Is it just the actual handling Amber doesn't like, or does she not settle down on your lap if you have her out for a while either? They certainly both look very content with life anyway.
I weighed my pigs on the kitchen scales the other day and was wondering if I should switch to kg rather than lbs and ozs. Mind you, I think the imperial method gives me a good general indicator (I round to the nearest oz), and I can always switch to metric if there's cause for concern and I need to monitor more closely. I just don't think in kg so it doesn't come naturally to record anything in it either!
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ayemee
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Posts: 397
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Post by ayemee on Mar 18, 2015 9:00:04 GMT
Thank you! I hope she behaves!
She just hates being handled in general. She isn't nervous around me. She will happily jump onto my lap, take food from my hand and sit next to me whilst I hand feed her. She sniffs and follows my hands around the cage when I top up the hay too. But as soon as I try to touch her she darts away.
She may bare it for around two seconds if I stroke her head. But I always have to lift her using a cosy. If I hold her to my chest she freaks out and starts biting and pulling at my clothes! I think she just hates being handled! I can cope with that, as long as she is happy and healthy, I don't need her to be a cuddly pig with me. I just need to ensure she tolerates me enough to be able to health check her.
Yes that's a good idea. I tried weighing them both but they're just too energetic! It's a nightmare haha!
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Post by Bean on Mar 18, 2015 9:08:43 GMT
I used to put my boys in a big tub (which I put on the scales, having reset it to zero with the box on) so they couldn't run off or jump out! But now they're older they sit quite nicely.
Sounds like Amber is a pig who knows what she wants and likes! Glad she has an owner who respects that and loves her for the pig she is.
We foster rabbits for a local rescue and many rabbits (but especially those who end up in rescue having been neglected or mistreated) aren't so fond of being handled. As you say, it's no problem, you just go with what they do like and get to know them on their own terms - but at the same time it's good if you can check them over without stressing them out. As we tend to have each pair of buns for no more than a couple of months, we don't have to do much in the way of nail clipping (especially as their run is on paving stones which wear them down) and there are a couple I've been very glad to get out of doing that for - I'll gladly leave it to the experts back at the rescue!
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