The Big Degu Cage Build

The Big Degu Cage Build - Part Five

Wednesdays are usually a day where I never seem to get a lot done for some reason but not today. The degu cage build is moving along at a steady pace.

This morning my brother, and myself, nailed and glued the back and sides of the top section together and then began work on the kiln-dried pine frame which will eventually become a wire mesh top.

Top section half complete

The pine we used is 32mm x 32mm. The frame isn't all that great a fit because we thought a hand saw would do the job, but no. I think we spent about 2 hours just trying to get the ends straight. With a little bit of filling and sanding it should be okay.

The screws we used were overkill too. It was cheaper to buy a bag of 100 x 75mm screws for the doors than it was to buy 2 packets of 10 so we just used them. Ideally they should have been about 50mm but if it works don't fix it.

The finished frame was then attached flush with the upper edge of the top section using some shorter screws which we had to raid the 'man' drawer for. Just have the 13mm x 13mm wire mesh (which you can just see in the top photo) to attach with a staple gun and the internal shelves left.

When together enclosure stands at 190cm tall

After the pine frame had been attached we placed the top section on the base and suddenly realised just how big this thing actually is! The photo shows the cage without the first and third levels (still have those to cut) and the, now attached, shallow mess guard on level two.

I also managed to prime one of the outer sides ready to be painted a nice shade of 'ahoy' to match the decor of the room. I want some extra pee protection on the interior walls so I'm reading up on whether it's a 'yay' or 'nay' to seal the inside against unwanted moisture. MDF hates the wet so I, at the very least, want to seal it with a few layers of a water & PVA glue mix. I might paint it white first to reflect the light and give the illusion of it being brighter in there. Should be safe enough… don't think the 'goos' will be licking the walls!

Construction wise I only have the doors and internal shelves left to do. I've also solved my problem of preventing falls from the 2nd floor opening which is at the front of the cage.

Only 9 days left until my new furbabies move in!

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My Degu Cage Plans

Building a cage to house my degus is starting to take over my life. I've spent weeks jotting things down and thinking of ways to make it as degu proof as possible. The problem is that I could probably spend months just making sure I've thought of everything so I've decided to go for it. This morning I worked out how much material I would need for a basic cage structure to the one below (allowing extra for adjustments) and popped down to my local Wickes to order it all. I will also be adding 2 sets of mesh doors and a mesh roof but I haven't drawn these on the diagram. I've gone for mesh doors as the room it will be in is a few degrees warmer than the rest of the house and it will allow for better air circulation. The RSPCA recommends a minumim CARA (cumulative available running area) of 12,000 sq.cm for 2 degus. Owners recommend a CARA of 17,000 sq.cm so I've gone for a happy medium of around 15,000 sq.cm. Ideally I should have at least 2 levels measur...

The Degus Have Moved In

This morning 3 little degus became the newest members of my family and they're the 3 cutest girls ever! I was up until midnight filling and dressing their cage ready for them to move in and they are loving it. 2 of them still think that there are only 2 floors and not 4, and all 3 have spent most of the day running in their wheel. Just before I settled down to write this they were all in a 'goo pile' on top of their cabin. It's a little dark in the room for a decent photo and I don't want to use the flash so I'll have to wait until there's a little more light to get a photo of them huddled together. They are all still a little flighty and scared of the camera but I managed to get a few decent photos of them. Don't have any names yet as I'm waiting to see what kind of personalities they have. My brother wants to call them Penny, Amy, and Bernadette… The Big Degu Theory! UPDATE — Here's a little video my brother recorded. :)

How to Make a Fresh Herb Degu Eatery

My 3 degu girls absolutely love eating fresh herbs. Mint, basil, and chives are their favourites and chives seems to be the one they like the most. I've been thinking of ways to enrich their environment so while I was eating my birthday breakfast this morning I set about making what I like to call the Fresh Herb Degu Eatery. A portable herb garden that can be put in their play area for them to nibble on. To make the Fresh Herb Degu Eatery you will need: An empty 2 litre ice cream tub and lid. Wire mesh with holes approx. 13mm Wire cutters Thin wire Pliers Craft Knife Thick Needle Scissors Fresh herbs or herb seeds of your choice Soil or compost It takes approximately an hour to make and can be used straight away with fresh herbs. Of course, if you decided to plant seeds you will have to wait until they have grown. Let's get started… Step 1 — Prepare the Lid & Mesh The first thing you need to do is cut a hole in the ice cream tub lid. I used a c...

The Degu Diaries

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