What a great idea -- I always use plastic baby pools...I get 3. The round corners and flexibility make it hard for the puppies to get squished (although I've never had that problem...)
They are cheap, easy to clean, and and last forever.My only problem now is that I cannot find one in the Pacific Northwest - too cold still. LOL
Cyndy Davis www.texasdogs.com Callian German Shepherds
From: Pinehillgsds@xxxxxxx Reply-To: Pinehillgsds@xxxxxxx To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] was Whelping Box Size/"floor"/"pig rails 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, andcan be assembled or taken apart to store.I have something similar, and the best is that there is "no floor." (So ifyou 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 atLowes 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 mereminutes. 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 allmakes 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'tget a good grip to climb out. Plus, you guessed it, very easy to remove andsteam 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 tothe 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 1/2stories 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 onshavings 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 tothe 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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