[ SHOWGSD-L ] was Whelping Box Size/"floor"/"pig rails
- From: Pinehillgsds@xxxxxxx
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2007 08:31:45 EST
In a message dated 2/9/2007 5:58:19 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
ELG440@xxxxxxx writes:
Tedi, who has always had great ideas, came up with a fantastic whelping
box.
She went to Ikea and purchased a book shelf. When assembled, and laid
flat,
it made a four by seven foot whelping box. It has a hard white surface, and
can be assembled or taken apart to store.
I have something similar, and the best is that there is "no floor." (So if
you go the bookcase route, don't put on the back if it comes with one!)
On the floor where the puppies will be, I start with thick rubber horse mats
(steam-clean-able) and on top of that a new piece of linoleum from a roll at
Lowes for each litter. Then, when you want to make the bed, so to speak,
all you do is lift up the frame and put the quilts then Sterilon pads on top.
Pull taunt and the wooden frame holds everything in place. Takes mere
minutes. For the first two weeks, the heating pads from Pet edge are placed
just
below the Sterilon w/ the chew proof wires placed under the frame. This all
makes a nice taunt bed that puppies are comfortable on and Mom doesn't get
babies tangled in the bedding.
For pig rails, back to Lowes to buy 2 inch PVC pipe. Cut to the size of the
box, put the PVC corners on the corners and attach to the inside of the box
using the brackets that look like a "c" in the PVC aisle. Lots of benefits
here...there's some "give" so they are a lot easier on Mom (and my back, lol)
and they move slightly, so pups stay in the box longer because they can't
get a good grip to climb out. Plus, you guessed it, very easy to remove and
steam clean-able!
I put this entire set up (6x4) inside and in the rear of a 6 x 12 pen in the
attached, heated, 2 car garage. I then attache inexpensive thermometers to
the pen. If needed, Holmes ceramic heaters can be attached to the pen at
appropriate heights, and when it's cold, since the garage ceiling is 1 1/2
stories high, I will cover the top of the pen with a tarp, shiny side "in".
Mom can go in and out of the box to eat, drink and relieve herself on
shavings in the remaining 8 feet of pen (Tractor Supply, kiln dried, no
resin),
then at 4-5 weeks, I remove the box dispose of the linoleum, remove the door
to
the pen and erect a small barrier so mom can choose where to be and the
puppies have the entire pen area.
The box without the "floor" is a real winner and I love the PVC pig rails:)
Kathy
member GSDCA, DVGSDC
three generations of Dual Titled TC'd Champions live here!
visit _Pine Hill German Shepherd Dogs_
(http://www.geocities.com/pinehillgsds/)
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