good breeding cage

[akane]

I was supposed to get a pedigreed breeding group but the male died in the heatwave the week before. I'm deciding between a tov white or mosiac from another breeder. I have a critter nation but the bar spacing is too wide and the pan is too shallow for anything but fleece. It also seems like it would get crowded so I would like to open up both levels for the twin boys that came with my female plus future growing cage and buy a new one for my pair. I have no idea what to get though. What is suggested?

 

[bchins]

Hello, I am the breeder you've been chatting with. If you're wanting to not use fleece, you could look into ordering Bass Pans for the CN cage, as they are about 2 1/2 inches deep, and metal (like a "normal" pan). Personally, I think half of the double CN would suffice for a breeding pair. Would also be safer for mom and babies. If you're not intending to allow breedbacks, you will likely want to have a cage to separate the male into, then a cage for weaning babies into (also consider that you may have opposite sex kits). Hopefully this answers at least a couple of your questions

 

[Dreamlite]

The smaller the cage the better. You dont want a pregnant female jumping around and falling off ledges. That can lead to injuring or killing unborn kits. I usually suggest sticking with a single level cage. You will need another cage to seporate the male when the female gives birth and is nursing so she doesnt breed back, and a 3rd cage is advise to wean the kits/keep them in till they find homes. Kits are quite clumbsy, so I always make sure they cant get on high places to fall off of (low ledges, shelves, and hammocks). I hate fleece myself. I would go with bass pans if you are going to use a critter nation or a cage that you can use shavings. Those plastic trays are basicly useless.

 

[akane]

We were going to replace the trays. The plastic ones it came with have large holes chewed out of the corners. We are a bit cramped for space since they can't go in the spare room with hedgehogs and rabbits so we'll have to get cages that can stack.

 

[akane]

After pricing cages we're going back to modifying a large bird cage. I believe it's 30x20 and slightly taller than a double critter nation. It has 2 large doors, several small doors, and a band around the middle we can use to support a floor to make it 2 cages. The problem is what to use to make it 2 cages. I wonder what a custom pan would cost.... Very large things would also have to be passed up through the floor(s) but that wouldn't be often. The doors are large enough to reach the entire cage and clean everything in it without having to remove big items. We can put a shelf in each section easily enough.

 

[Spoof]

You don't have to use a custom pan, you could build a wood one and tile it - Dawn on here has some pretty neat cage pictures where she tiled the floors. You could potty train them to go in a pan then just vacuum out the poops.

 

[akane]

Actually Bass equipment has a galvanized pan with 2" lip that is only off by 1" in length and 2" in width. We'd just have to stick a 2x2 board down the length to fill in the gap and replace as needed. It's only $12. They will do custom pans too but I'd have to call them to find out the cost.

 

[greychins]

Their custom pans are reasonable. I've had a few made, one in the 24 x 24 range and another about 30 x 20 and both were under $20 each. For me, it'd be worth getting the exact size pan, but then, I'm a tad bit anal about things fitting perfectly.

 

[Zoaea]

My home made cage has one of the floors where the bottom didnt fit all the way and there is a strip of wood, don't do it its horrible! for some reason they pee on the wood part, plus the water bottle drips on it too so that its always water logged. I cant wait until I can retile it!

As for the other options, baby chins will also climb to the top of the cage and then let go (fall) so make sure the section where the mom will have birth is not to tall or they can harm themselves.