[Gpdd] Silly : Piggy Pee Pads, A.K.A. PPP

[Carly Austin]

Hello all.

An update on my five piggies.  The girls are getting
along much better, only little bits of rumble, and
every now and again they play "My chin is Way Higher
than yours!". But no chutting, and they seem to just
have a great time.  My oldest boy, Liam, LOVES his new
set up. He keeps a watchful eye on "His Ladies" living
next door to him. He gets all excited when they come
over to the "boys side" of the house. 

I also wanted to tell you about my Piggie Pee Pads
that I am making.  They are these nice pads for the
bottom of my piggies house.  I wanted an alternate
form of bedding for them, as to get any of the paper
litter is very costly for such a big enclosure, and
messy, and we suspect my guy was alergic to it.  I
tried a layer of towels on the house floor, topped
with a t-shirt material sheet, but the pigies dug it
up, and they are VERY fond of chewing on my towles.
(It makes their poos all strung together.)  So then I
decided I would sew them together and make a mini
quilt for them, sheet encircling the towels like a
giant pillow case and sewn in.  THis way, when I clean
them at night, I put all the pigs in the 2nd level,
shake out the bits of poo, food and hay into the first
floor, sweep it all up and then I vacume the side that
was up on the pee pad. Before I replace it at night I
flip it over so they have a drier side.

Well my 1st set is very rough.  I decided on a few
improvements, one being get towels that are big enough
to cover the floor entirely, so to avoid peicing
together towels.  I also switched to plain cotton
fabric insted of the t-shirt stuff.  I get this at Wal
Mart, and it comes cheap (1 to 2 bucks a yard for some
cute prints).  I lay the fabric down, face together
(Front and back, printed side together. ) THen I lay
one layer of towel that is cut two inches biger than
what I need.  THen a layer of nylon material, this is
also used in homemade "glad rags" (used by
environmentaly concerned women who hate the bleach
that is used in disposible products, or just the
amount of waste it causes). This layor helps act as a
barier to wetness on the other side.  Then a top layer
of towel.  Pin this huge sandwich together and sew all
around the edges,forming a huge pillow case.  MAKE
SURE that you leave 6 or more inches open to pull it
through so the fabric is right side out, and the towel
and nylon is encased. Then fold in the opening and sew
it closed.  Then, I sewed a huge X from corner to
corner to hold all the layers in the middle when I
vacume the bits up.

The start up cost is deffinately greater, and I plan
on sewing two more sets, as I like to change them
every other day. 

As I share laundry with my building I am very wary of
leaving poos and hay, so that is why I vacume the pads
after use. Then all that I sweep and vaccume out of
their cage and P.P.P's, I take to the local compost
site!  Great food for worms, who make great food for
plants who make great food for me, that I serve to my
piggies!

When I wash them, I toss them in the wash on cold (as
this kills just as many germs as on hot!) and then I
hang them to dry,  My washers are only 75 cents a
turn, and the driers take the same ammount, but I
found the P.P.P.'s take two spins in the drier.

THese work GREAT, my pigies are not geting any pink on
their feet anymore, my guy has no issues with the
litter, easier on the environment, fun to explain to
people exactly what "Poo Shoes" are, (my pigs do get
this more often now!)  My Liam is actuly not getting
impacted anymore, as he used to mark is scent on the
litter, which would get stuck in his "Stinker sack" as
I call it, which would clog him up.  

I love this set up, and Wheeeee are very excited for
the great piggy gift and card exchange!

Sorry this was so long winded!

Carly

Dharma Shanti, Emma, Aeva, Froders and the stud of
them all... Liam!!