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Post by ferneden on Feb 22, 2015 22:43:57 GMT
Hi all! My lovely goos are having all sorts of fun in their new home, unfortunately for me this means sawdust, hay, food and poop is all over the floor and desk. I'm currently having to hoover every day and am struggling to get it all up off the desk as well. I've put some unfolded cereal boxes underneath the cage that stick out a bit to catch some of the stuff but it's not doing a great job, especially when they get a bit excited with their playing. My question is, does anyone know any way I can make a kick board kind of thing that goes round the whole of my cage to stop so much flying out? I have a wire cage so all 4 sides have holes in at the bottom which means whatever they kick up goes in every direction possible. Any comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. (Unfortunately a new cage with this already in is out of the question at the moment as I'm on a student budget so fairly cheap options are going to be best if possible!)
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Post by moletteuk on Feb 23, 2015 13:43:28 GMT
Yep, you're on the right track, you can make a kick board out of timber or perspex. Timber is probably easiest, you need kiln dried softwood planks, something like this www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Planed-All-Round-Softwood-Timber-18x119x2400mm/p/107145 Just cut to length and screw together. If it is awkward to clean around, you could fasten them together with wingnuts and bolts so they are easy to take apart and put together again. Or you could attach on the outside, but you would get more falling down the gap. You can use perspex, but you would probably need to order it ready cut from a specialist site and then you have to attach it in a way that the degus can't get to it to chew it.
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Post by scarabeara on Mar 6, 2015 8:38:24 GMT
I've had the same problem - I have a wire cage on top of their cupboard & was finding when the Goobers do their stuff in the corners it was flung outside the cage, with urine down the walls etc...
I used edging strips - I've got some pics but not sure how to post. I bought approx H 35mm x D 6mm x L 2400mm wood edge trim at B&Q or Wickes (can't find online, it shows right angles of similar edging - but in store they have loads of different sizes & shapes & different woods too - not just the "oak effect"). I attached them by also buying the 10mm quarter circle version & gluing this on (safe, water-based PVA wood glue - I did some research to find safe, Goo's unable to eat area where glued). I then placed the edge strips behind & glued where necessary (as these strips too thin to glue on own). Also the bottom section of cage is a pull out section, contiboard / laminated wood, so was able to only glue the 10mm quarter-circle & left room to freely place the taller edge trim behind, so I could remove trim and still pull the section out of the adapted thickets cage.
These edge strips are very cheap in kiln dried pine, but I also bought oak versions to glue around the access openings on each level of contiboard, so to protect from chewing - they have attempted to chew the oak corner trims, but as this is hardwood they don't bother any more & just chew all the kiln dried pine off-cuts or other safe woods I add into their cage.
Hope this helps - especially if you need to pull out the base etc... Will try add pictures, but can't at mo as on phone.
BTW this has stopped all droppings - sometimes have to clean up urine from wall, but this is really infrequently compared to before.
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Post by scarabeara on Mar 6, 2015 9:22:27 GMT
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Post by scarabeara on Mar 6, 2015 9:23:51 GMT
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Post by scarabeara on Mar 6, 2015 9:26:43 GMT
The edging strip/trim small version is shown in the top photo - this I'm going to make viewing holes in the Goobears run & add wire with this wood edging to protect against sharp edges.
Hope this has helped x
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