Finally done (picture heavy)

[Ratchilla]

Thanks, meanie. Yeah, I wanted to upgrade everyone's cage.

Unfortunately, I won't put the chins in a DCN anymore. It's become personal preference now, I guess. It seems that it works for a lot of people, but when I had mine in there previously, they broke a minimum of 10 bars. I won't ruin another cage (one whole panel is useless ), and another panel semi dangerous because a long wire poked out. Which is why I want the ferret nations for them (however, I'm not even sure how thick those bars are). I want to see one in person so I can gauge it. Amazingly, the bird cage works freaking awesome, strength wise. I wish they made chin cages of that kind of quality. If I can't find anything thick enough for them, they'll stay in the bird cage.

That hut was a huge issue we were considering when we making it. Probably the thing that took us the most time. We put it together with biscuits and toxic free glue. We thought about cloth wire or whatever it was, but I think it's ugly (I'm a semi-perfectionist) so we went with angle irons.

I put those around the bottom of the of the entire hut and through the open doorway. I don't have a bite mark on the irons or the hut. They've been in there three months and I haven't had an issue. It was a process that I thought would never get completed.

Edit: If you look at the third picture (of the chins) with Zephyr, you can see the angle iron, lol.

 

[Chin_Parent]

Yeah, I've heard several people complain about the wires on CNs. It doesn't matter so much for rats, but with wooden ledges for chinchillas, it's a big deal. However, I haven't heard of that being a problem for the FNs at all, and it seems that pretty much everyone who has them is happy with them.

But it seems like you've found a cage that works for you, and I'd stick with it, especially since you put so much work into it. You could cover the outside of the wooden box with some hardware cloth so it would contain any rogue, chewing chins that may otherwise succeed in escaping.

 

[Ratchilla]

Yeah, I've heard several people complain about the wires on CNs. It doesn't matter so much for rats, but with wooden ledges for chinchillas, it's a big deal. However, I haven't heard of that being a problem for the FNs at all, and it seems that pretty much everyone who has them is happy with them.

Yeah, same here. I think maybe because the CN bar spacing is smaller that the bolt actually pushes on the bar instead of a washer distributing some of the weight throughout the bars. I definitely want to eventually move them to a FN. I do love the bird cage, but the ease of getting to them would be great.

VC... here are the pictures I said I would get you. I apologize that it took longer than I initially said. If you need any other information, just ask.

Side shots of the hut.

Showing hinged lid open:

One of the things I love, the pull out tray:

To get it to stay took a little finagling as well. We weren't sure how to get the hut to attach because the area it is on was actually an attached playpen for the bird with food cups and a ladder. The hut also sits perfect on a bar that is about as thick as the wood. If we put it inside the tray, we would no longer have a pull out; it was an option but it was that last one. We removed the playpen and where the food bowl area attached with bolts we drilled holes to line up in the wood and installed our own bolts. I would have taken the hut off to show you better but it's on so tight (doesn't move side to side) that it takes two people lifting straight up with some wiggling. It worked out perfectly though and the angle irons give additional strength to the wood. I can move the cage alone by pushing or pulling on the hut.

 

[Ratchilla]

And a few shots of my brats!

Zephyr

Imp

Imp (left) and Zeph (right)

 

[Rebecca1122]

You're chins are adorable and their cages look great!
Where did you get their toys? And did you just get that slab of .. marble it looks like?
:]

 

[Rebecca1122]

I didn't finish my sentence - And did you just get that marble from a local store?

 

[Ratchilla]

You're chins are adorable and their cages look great!
Where did you get their toys? And did you just get that slab of .. marble it looks like?
:]

Thanks, Rebecca! Indeed I did. The toys came from Christine (Twilight Chinchillas) she does excellent work and for good prices. The granite slabs came from a liquidator outlet. You can go there and get full 12x12 for cheaper than you can get the little 'chinchillers' at a pet store. It's better, you get to choose what kind you want and it's cheaper. Those were about $6 bucks a piece.

 

[xcdnchinx]

wow what amazing cages! I have NEVER EVER seen a rat cage (well 2 in your case hehe) like that. AWESOME!

So sorry about your little girl