Degu Cage 2.0!

[jbaggs92]

Well, I didn't do too much to it, but here's a little bit better of a picture of what I want. I'm going to put a lip on the very top level so I can put bedding there too. Also, the white thing is going to be a PVC pipe with holes cut into it so the little degus can climb up to the top level, or jump through the holes in the floor itself. I'm wondering what kind of wood I should make it out of. I was thinking MDF, but is that okay for them to chew on? Plywood has adhesives in the wood to keep it together, and solid wood panels would cost a fortune, plus be be as heavy as that atlas stone that Derek Poundstone almost beat Mariusz Pudzinowski with in the WSM competition. But, here are some pictures for you to see, and once again, give me any kind of advice necessary. I am all ears.

[cherrysparkey]

Lol, won't your degus just fall down the tube? you could put a cushion or mini trampoline at the bottom or could you put it at an angle so they could sort of slide down it instead? Like the design though, I'm hoping to build one soon so it's nice to see what other people have done/doing

[davx]

In my opinion a vertical tube is not convenient for the degus, especially because the surface of plastic tubes is smooth and slippery. In addition degus like horizontal tubes and use them as shelter as well as running way.

I was thinking MDF, but is that okay for them to chew on?

Yes it is, but it is sensitive for water and you have to use plastic coated or to protect the surface with something like varnish.

[jbaggs92]

But if I added a varnish, wouldn't that make it toxic if the little guys ever decided to eat their cage?

[davx]

It should be suitable for children toys. This products should be safe, because children sometimes put their toys in the mouth.

Many products are toxic, of course and should be avoided.

[NightwishRaven999]

Oct 25, 2011 20:01:45 GMT jbaggs92 said:

Well, I didn't do too much to it, but here's a little bit better of a picture of what I want. I'm going to put a lip on the very top level so I can put bedding there too. Also, the white thing is going to be a PVC pipe with holes cut into it so the little degus can climb up to the top level, or jump through the holes in the floor itself. I'm wondering what kind of wood I should make it out of. I was thinking MDF, but is that okay for them to chew on? Plywood has adhesives in the wood to keep it together, and solid wood panels would cost a fortune, plus be be as heavy as that atlas stone that Derek Poundstone almost beat Mariusz Pudzinowski with in the WSM competition. But, here are some pictures for you to see, and once again, give me any kind of advice necessary. I am all ears.

Hello James ! Very glad to see you have quickly updated your plan with improvements.

To answer your questions about what wood to use...this is mostly up to your personal preference and budget. Some woods will look nicer, but will be more costly.
Generally plywood and MDF/Partical woods are quite affordable.
These are safe woods to build a cage with.
The glue used in the plywood/mdf is of little consequence since this is not the wood the degus should be chewing on.

The main cage structure can be built with man-made woods.
They are not safe to chew on, but they are good for building the cage.
You can also use plywood or mdf for the levels as long as the vulnerable outer lip/edge is protected by a safe chewing wood (such as Kiln dried pine).

So as David mentioned, yes MDF is fine to build the cage, no it is not suitable for the degus to chew on. All vulnerable areas need to be protected with strips of safe wood or metal.

Concerns about the vertical tube have already been brought out...sizing is great, so is the large (complete level on the top).

Well done and looking forward to hearing more about your project. You might even want to consider starting a degu keeping journal in the 'blog' section of the forum where you can post your observations and progress in various fields of degu keeping.
Could be lots of fun... ;D

[jbaggs92]

Sounds like a plan! The only problem I'm seeing so far is the price. The cage is 4' by 3' and a 4'x8' sheet of 3/4" MDF costs about 45 USD. I guess thats close to 21 pounds? But anyway, I'm in college and can only work 1 to 2 days a week. I'm waiting tables at a Mexican restaurant and can make up to 100 bucks on a good night, but the MDF for just the cage could cost me about 135-180 bucks. And thats before tax... I want to build the cage as soon as possible, but it will be hard to get that much money in a timely manner. I guess I can borrow some cash from the parents and pay them back later? The problem there is that I bought these little guys without telling them, and they didn't really want any more caged animals... I guess I'll have to tame the little guys and show them just how cute they really are. And how much smarter they are than rats. Well, I do look forward to building this cage. It's been far too long since I've done some handy work. The last thing I built was a box for my friends RE Audio 12.

Well, thank you guys for your help so far! I'll keep you guys posted.

[deguconvert]

Have you looked at the cost of plywood at all? It is usually much more reasonable and not quite as heavy as MDF. That would reduce your costs I think.

[jbaggs92]

Yeah, I actually just within the past day decided that I'm going to use some 23/32" sanded plywood. Its 15 bucks cheaper, and not quite as heavy.

[moletteuk]

Wow, if plywood is cheaper than mdf, I'd definitely go with that, I think the advantage of it not reacting to water is a big plus. Plywood is quite a lot more expensive than mdf here in UK.

If the shelves aren't too far apart you can just cut a hole through and place something below that they can climb on and then they will jump through.