home made cages

[Brittany]

Chinchilla Lover- It seems that you have some big concerns including temperature and the cost. If you can't afford to make enough well ventilated cages then perhaps you should just start saving your money towards it and leave them in their current cages for now. I understand your reasons for wanting different cages, but all of your reasons are to make your life easier. You haven't given any reasons related to the chin's well being for why you need new cages. It might be less of a convenience for you, but its a responsibility you took on. So until you can afford cages that will be good for your chins, and meet your requirements, you should probably just hold off for a little bit.

I'm in a similar situation...Ever since I got a big Quality Cage for Lady I've been itching to get Lily one to match. However spending $300 on a setup that I want, but don't need isn't in the budget right now. I'm putting away a little extra money a month, and eventually I'll have enough. In the meantime while I hate Lily's current cage for several reasons it is a safe and spacious home that is meeting all her needs, so she's fine for now.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

I think she was using the ceiling fan to help curculate the air from the a/c, not really to cool the chins.
I could be wrong, but thats just the way I understood it.

 

[RDZCRanch]

I think she was using the ceiling fan to help curculate the air from the a/c, not really to cool the chins.
I could be wrong, but thats just the way I understood it.

Either way...the house is set at 78 which is too hot regardless of humidity.

Courtney, can you get a window a/c and offer to pay part of the electric bill to keep your animals cool? A window a/c turned on during the day for the chins is not expensive. I do that with 70+ chinchillas in my house...we only use the a/c in their room during the day and our bill for July was $70. It's $40 more than we pay the rest of the year, so it's not a huge leap in energy costs. Even though your chins have been at that temperature for a year it is NOT a good idea to continue like that. Please work on cooling the room before worrying about cages for them. With a window a/c, you wouldn't have to worry a ton about air circulation either. Good luck.

 

[chinchillalover0927]

yea I'm not using the fan to cool off the chinchillas...im using it to circulate the vent from the ac..also my chins are on the wall closest to the vent..also I'm never hot in my house I'm always cold.. and I know exactly what I was thinking thanks..u don't have to belittle me.. when I bought my chins I highly doubt it was this time of the year and the house was at this exact temp.. we bought most of our chins during different seasons so the temps were always different..yes my windows have been foiled for about 6-7 months now. our house is made up brick and my room is on the side of the house that the sun shines on it during the evening and not during mid day heat..i think the ONLY reason my room is ever warmer than the rest of the house is because I always kept my door shut but I'm going to leave it open from now on.. during the winter when the heater is on I close my vents so that the chins don't get warm in my room because the thought of a heater scares me with them. also yes I want my chinnies to be happy that's why I've now decided not to go with runs and holding cages..rite now I have a 3 story ferret nation a 1 story ferret nation and 2 of those purple cages tht come with the neon green pieces in it..which aren't in there by the way.. so all my chins have great cages I was just looking for something easier to clean around because I don't have a vacum to clean under and around things. Also does the little thermometer hang on the wall?? do u know what section they are in? I'm going to assume garden section inside?? ill go get one when I go to town again. my boyfriend has a fan in his room and I get freezing in there from all the moving air..his rooms the same temp as mine but the moving air makes it so much colder..should I get a fan? also I talked to my mom and she knocked down the ac to 73. she loves my chinnies..she just said if we are going to keep the house lower for me to help pay some of the electric bill. ill also continue to keep my door open to help circulate colder air in my room.

 

[AZChins]

You know, the thermostat for the rest of the house doesn't necessarily show the true temperature everywhere. It would be a good idea to get a thermometer for sure...they have them at walmart - usually in that sort of home improvement area near the hardware section. Get one of those and see what the temperature is.

There's a lot of factors in how warm it feels in a room. I'd definitely keep an eye on the chinchillas to see if they are too warm...you can tell because they will lay on their sides and have pink ears, of course. There's also an issue of acclimation. Some chins have been acclimated to be slightly warmer without any problems...but I wouldn't want to see any chin get over maybe that 78 or 79 degree temperature barrier. Anything over that can be dangerous.

Fans help through forced convection, so they will help to dissipate more heat. Not by a whole lot...but at 78 degrees you need all the air circulation you can get. And, the chins aren't going to benefit too much unless the fan is RIGHT on them at all times as far as getting THAT much heat transfer. (Heat sinks and refrigeration coils usually have a fan right on them at fairly high velocity so that they do get more heat transfer than just natural convection.)

 

[chinchillalover0927]

You know, the thermostat for the rest of the house doesn't necessarily show the true temperature everywhere. It would be a good idea to get a thermometer for sure...they have them at walmart - usually in that sort of home improvement area near the hardware section. Get one of those and see what the temperature is.

There's a lot of factors in how warm it feels in a room. I'd definitely keep an eye on the chinchillas to see if they are too warm...you can tell because they will lay on their sides and have pink ears, of course. There's also an issue of acclimation. Some chins have been acclimated to be slightly warmer without any problems...but I wouldn't want to see any chin get over maybe that 78 or 79 degree temperature barrier. Anything over that can be dangerous.

Fans help through forced convection, so they will help to dissipate more heat. Not by a whole lot...but at 78 degrees you need all the air circulation you can get. And, the chins aren't going to benefit too much unless the fan is RIGHT on them at all times as far as getting THAT much heat transfer. (Heat sinks and refrigeration coils usually have a fan right on them at fairly high velocity so that they do get more heat transfer than just natural convection.)

ok great,
ill look into that when i go to walmart and ill also buy a fan and face it towards there cage to..my babies never really show signs on being hot.. they are usually cuddled up in a corner somewhere.. Ive never seen any hot ears on my babies because i do watch them closely to make sure everyones ok. I walk past them a 1000 times a day because of them being in my room with me. Like i said momma did knock down the ac a to under 75 for them.I told her the temp was to high. An window unit would be great but i would freeze my behind off! lol i hate window units because they are way to cold for me.

 

[AZChins]

You could get a window unit and set it so that it would stop blowing cold air at a certain temperature. It doesn't have to go full blast all the time. Honestly, even if you didn't use it, it would be a great idea to have one just in case the central ac goes out. I have back up air conditioners because things can and do happen. I also have a generator in case the power goes off.

 

[chinchillalover0927]

You could get a window unit and set it so that it would stop blowing cold air at a certain temperature. It doesn't have to go full blast all the time. Honestly, even if you didn't use it, it would be a great idea to have one just in case the central ac goes out. I have back up air conditioners because things can and do happen. I also have a generator in case the power goes off.

we have generators also. we bought some more during katrina. we had full power and ac after that, we used the electricity sparingly but the ac was on due to all the animals and such.. it was way to freaking HOT for katrina.. Everyone was at our house because we had ac up with the generators.

 

[AZChins]

That's good! I wish I had a full back up generator.

 

[momenteller]

An window unit would be great but i would freeze my behind off! lol i hate window units because they are way to cold for me.

I agree, I hate the feel of a/c, but I run it anyway for the chins. I can always throw more layers on, but they can't take their "fur coats" off if they get hot!

 

[chinchillalover0927]

I agree, I hate the feel of a/c, but I run it anyway for the chins. I can always throw more layers on, but they can't take their "fur coats" off if they get hot!

yea anytime i go to a friends house that lives in a trailer i HATE it!!!!!!!! i cant stand being freezing and something about window units does it to me lol..

 

[Essentia]

An window unit would be great but i would freeze my behind off! lol i hate window units because they are way to cold for me.

Then you wear more clothes or don't have chinchillas. I don't mean to be so blunt, but you sound so selfish right now. Your chinchillas are wearing a fur coat. Not only a fur coat, but the thickest fur coat of any mammal. They can't take off clothes like you can put more on.

 

[chinchillalover0927]

Then you wear more clothes or don't have chinchillas. I don't mean to be so blunt, but you sound so selfish right now. Your chinchillas are wearing a fur coat. Not only a fur coat, but the thickest fur coat of any mammal. They can't take off clothes like you can put more on.

i dont know why your still going on about this??? problem is solved..ac got turned down, door is open, and im going get a fan and a thermometer for my room thanks

 

[mishellyshel]

I wear long fleece pants and a jacket almost all year round (even when the heat & humidity outside are over 100 degrees)

regarding keeping your door open to keep it cooler, perhaps when you are at walmart getting the thermometer you can pick up one of those cheap gates to block the door?
that way your doggies cant get in. i used to have an extra tall one so my dog couldnt jump over and i am sure it wasnt more than 20 - 25 bucks. just a thought.

 

[chinchillalover0927]

I wear long fleece pants and a jacket almost all year round (even when the heat & humidity outside are over 100 degrees)

regarding keeping your door open to keep it cooler, perhaps when you are at walmart getting the thermometer you can pick up one of those cheap gates to block the door?
that way your doggies cant get in. i used to have an extra tall one so my dog couldnt jump over and i am sure it wasnt more than 20 - 25 bucks. just a thought.

yea thats a great idea, gosh i have a walmart shopping list already lol fan,doggy gate, thermometer lol...

 

[VolunteerChin22]

I also think you need to get a window unit for your room. You can get a 5000 btu one at walmart for around $100. Run it during the day and you can cut it off at night. They really are efficient - they don't use that much energy. It's well over 100 degrees in the South right now and if your main unit goes out you are going to be in big trouble. I know you said you have a generator but if you ac unit needs service that's not going to help.

Im surprised you think its cold, I am hot at anything above 70. I realize you are taking steps to cool the room down, which is good, but just keep in mind if your room is hotter than the rest of the house 73 in the main house is going to really mean 73+ in your room and your ac is working at max capacity when its 100+ outside.

Also, do not aim your fan at the chins cages - you don't want a draft on them or you will cause respiratory problems including pneumonia.

 

[chinchillalover0927]

I never knew that having a fan directed to them would cause problems..thats weird.. and that's the only reason my room is hotter is because my doors always shut so air doesn't circulate In my room like the rest of the house.my moms room is rite next to mine and hers is never warm because her door is never shut.. so I'm just going buy a doggy gate . this well allow my room to be the same temp as the rest of the house.. does anyone know prices on the ones that have the little gate u walk through ? I'd rather get that kind.

 

[Spoof]

Also, do not aim your fan at the chins cages - you don't want a draft on them or you will cause respiratory problems including pneumonia.

This is not true in a fan situation and I wish folks would discontinue posting it. The truth is the opposite - chins need constant ventilation, especially when you have multiple chins. The more air movement the healthier your herd.

A draft is not a fan blowing. I've got five in a 12 x 12 room and that place is like a wind vortex.

It is common animal husbandry 101 that you do not enclose areas where animals urinate due to ammonia. This includes the little box we call a house! ) Fortunately most people come and go enough that the doors of the house vent it and the a/c and heater circulate the air constantly. All modern houses with central units are required to have a small fan running that circulates air - as well as modern cars - for circulation/suffocation reasons.

 

[caiti]

I made my cage and only the back wall of it is solid. It helped putting shelves in and making them sturdy but I do notice it traps heat and humidity a bit, even with just one wall of the cage being solid. And it's extremely heavy (wheels are a must). I also have a 8" high base made of melamine which really helps with the mess.

It cost me about $200 including ALL tools and hardware (It's about 42" wide, 30" deep and about 65" tall). I had nothing to begin with and no experience. So, if you actually want to build it yourself it's doable you just have to go slow, ask for lots of help an draw everything out beforehand. And measure everything!!

I would suggest no more than one wall of the cage be solid because of the climate where you live. If you just use wood and welded wire you'll be able to pick it up even, but wheels are always very convenient. Melamine for the base is a great idea. The most expensive thing will probably be the wire. The wood won't be much at all, maybe you'll notice that it cost a bit if you get 12" wide shelves like I did. Just research everything and feel free to ask questions.

 

[mishellyshel]

The plastic baby gates are usually more.....like 30- 45 bucks. They also are not as tall as the taller wooden ones. I don't know big your digs are or how high they can jump. You culd always try it out & see if it works.
You may also find one on CL or at a yard sale.