In this short series I am going to be consolidating the list of Degu Enclosures from another page on the site into the main blog, then removing the old page.
First up is Stormsong's enclosure from Norway. A nicely painted mesh fronted large enclosure with removable trays.
I would also like to thank Storm of the many pictures she has given and continues to provide to this website!
Pictures and info about this enclosure after the break.
Facts about the enclosure
165 cm tall
50 cm deep
100 cm wide
20,000 cm Total floor space
Kept in the living room (roughly 22°C)
6 windows
8 doors
4 full size levels
Dust free hemp bedding
Cost 3000 NOK to build (£280.00 / $450.00)
What kind of accessories do you use Storm?
Birch branches, two wooden houses, a fleece blanket, a fleece hammock, 28 cm metal wheel, a home-made wooden saucer, alpine meadow hay, a tree stump, lots of big rocks, lots of twigs and leaves, wooden bridges and ladders, paper tissue.
Storms Testimonial on DIY housing
"My boyfriend and I built this cage together in January 2012. It took us about three weekends to get it done, not including the paint job. It is made from OSB sheets, wire mesh meant for foxes, and painted with Jotun Sens, colour “Skagen”.
Since I have had my degus in a smaller metal cage, I have learned quite a few things and I knew that their new home needed some special details. The metal cage was very difficult to clean, the bedding fell out all the time and it got dirty very quickly.
Therefore, this new degu house is designed with four platforms that can slide out just like drawers. I have also added lots of doors to make access easy for every level while still being able to make sure that no degu escapes out from a lower platform while the door is open. The number of doors and windows make the enclosure feel more spacious, as well as provides ventilation. Each door opens up at 5 cm above the platform itself, ensuring that the bedding stays inside at all times. The platforms themselves are covered with linoleum, which ensures that no urine gets into the wood. It also makes cleaning even easier. The bottom platform has a raised edge of 25 cm, and I’ve filled it with 15 cm of bedding and a bunch of hay, so that they can dig and burrow all they want.
I have used wooden ladders between all platforms. This is because one of my degus, Jadzia, has a little difficulty climbing branches and such. I have, however, added a few large branches for them to climb. Since I intended all my degus to stay in this house, it used to have more accessories. However, since the two groups don’t get along I have had to put the two others into the metal cage and let them have half of the accessories. That is why this house is a little sparse at the moment, but I am working on getting more stuff for them :)
Since Elune and Jadzia moved in at the end of January they have seemed very pleased. They love all the space they have, and Jadzia spend much less time chewing the bars. They calmed down very quickly. Now they are always happy to return home after playtime, whereas before I often had to wait for a long time before they would go back! I usually feed them below the hammock on the top platform. I also have loads of alpine meadow hay all over for them to eat and rest on. There are also always a large amount of chewing sticks and branches available.
As for cleaning, it is so much easier! I now have access to every area of the enclosure, and the deeper layers of bedding and the linoleum ensures that the urine is soaked up well and never stains or smells. With a bit of spot cleaning here and there, I have only felt the need to clean it once in the month since it was done. There is also a lot less bedding getting out, so all in all it’s been a major success! The degus love it, I love it, and it looks quite nice as well :)"
Providing detailed guides on how to construct and build degu enclosure, vivariums and cages. This blog has a focus on stimulating and creating more natural habitats for degus...