IKEA Billy ventilation

[acapae]

I have a habitat (which I call the mousehouse) that is two IKEA Billy bookcases double stacked. And then split so the lower 2/3 is one enclosure and the top 1/3 is a separate one.

The top 1/3 I have previously used hamster-wise, so no questions there. But in case the info is useful for comparison, the whole front is an opening mesh door, and there's a small (2x1cm) ventilation hole at the top of the back too.

The front of the lower 2/3 is just over half glass, just under half mesh door. Currently this is the only ventilation. For a hamster I feel I should add some ventilation at the back, but I'd like some views on the size and placement of that.

Here's a photo of the lower section set up for the previous inhabitants:
http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/7/3dr4.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/7/3dr4.jpg/)
[NB I'm intending on using floor space only and retaining the shelf as an inaccessible store.]

My thought at the present point in time is to cut a window the full width of the mousehouse at the back underneath the shelf. That way I can get an angled through draught. But without it actually being a draughty place and also without limiting substrate depth in the future. However I'm not really sure, so input would be useful.

Because it's bookcase construction, ventilation at the sides is out.

[acapae]

58 views and no replies?

[Tutu]

My Syrian has ikea hack but it isn't billy. Anyways I have back wall fully and front partially wire mesh wall and I use big pieces of cardboard boxes as tray so it is ok about substrate. But if you were needed deeper substrate you can always build custom made digging box for your hammy or rat or mouse :?
http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t546/norjmaa/th_e02101ab0c93092bc267145e50a4418d_zps02dc9bb5.jp g (http://s1313.photobucket.com/albums/t546/norjmaa/?action=view&current=e02101ab0c93092bc267145e50a4418d_zps02dc9b b5.jpg) http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t546/norjmaa/th_dd671ed56419e84bb5fb0f0d720827a4_zps04a6922f.jp g (http://s1313.photobucket.com/albums/t546/norjmaa/?action=view&current=dd671ed56419e84bb5fb0f0d720827a4_zps04a692 2f.jpg)

[kyrilliondaemon]

For what its worth, I don't know if the previous inhabitants were mice but our hamsters don't seem to need as much ventillation as mice :)
I was going to suggest exactly what you've said though, a panel at the back lower down but high enough to still allow for substrate. As long as you keep it away from the wall a little so that ventillation can get in I think you'd be ok :)

[ElegantHam]

58 views and no replies?

Maybe it didn't show up on the Unread posts page or maybe nobody knew the answer.

[acapae]

My Syrian has ikea hack but it isn't billy. Anyways I have back wall fully and front partially wire mesh wall and I use big pieces of cardboard boxes as tray so it is ok about substrate. But if you were needed deeper substrate you can always build custom made digging box for your hammy or rat or mouse :?
There's a lot of depth already, so a digging box would be counter-productive. How did you decide how much to mesh when you were making yours? :)

Maybe it didn't show up on the Unread posts page or maybe nobody knew the answer.
It wasn't a straight question more a musing with no 'right' answer to find. I did a search of the forum for how much ventilation hamsters 'need' to compare, but didn't find anything useful. The first point is exactly why I was bumping it up :)

For what its worth, I don't know if the previous inhabitants were mice but our hamsters don't seem to need as much ventillation as mice :)
I was going to suggest exactly what you've said though, a panel at the back lower down but high enough to still allow for substrate. As long as you keep it away from the wall a little so that ventillation can get in I think you'd be ok :)
The previous inhabitants were African pygmy mice - that's who the whole thing was designed for, really. I'm just now trying to repurpose it because it makes more sense than buying something else. The something else would have to sit on top of the mousehouse anyway!

I wasn't really sure how much ventilation hamsters needed though, hence musing. I'm glad your musing's taken you in a similar direction. How far out from the wall would you say is enough? It's not super flush right now because of the texture of the wall itself, but I can certainly move it forwards a little bit.

[Kiki_3173]

I just finished an IKEA lack hack cage and though it's not a Billy (I have a Billy Extensipn hack too), I think I may have ventilated it, at the back, in the way you are describing. What do you think?

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s208/Kiki_3173/IKEA%20Lack%20Coffee%20Table%20Hack/CAM03173_zps9dd03b5d.jpg (http://s153.photobucket.com/user/Kiki_3173/media/IKEA%20Lack%20Coffee%20Table%20Hack/CAM03173_zps9dd03b5d.jpg.html).

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s208/Kiki_3173/IKEA%20Lack%20Coffee%20Table%20Hack/CAM03172_zps5e6c9364.jpg (http://s153.photobucket.com/user/Kiki_3173/media/IKEA%20Lack%20Coffee%20Table%20Hack/CAM03172_zps5e6c9364.jpg.html)

[acapae]

Oh fab, yes, that's what I had in my head! Thanks for posting the photo :) Did you do anything in particular on the inside to dissuade from nibbling, or are you leaving things alone given the good degree of mesh overlap to deal with as and when needed?

[Kiki_3173]

Oh fab, yes, that's what I had in my head! Thanks for posting the photo :) Did you do anything in particular on the inside to dissuade from nibbling, or are you leaving things alone given the good degree of mesh overlap to deal with as and when needed?

You're welcome:-)
I did not do anything to ward off chewing, but...it is higher than he can reach in this LACK cage. You could mesh both the inside and the outside (or mesh from just the inside) if you felt there would be some possible chewing.

[Tutu]

When I say mesh I meant actual hard metal sheet like they use for building or radiator cover or window eat which I've bought from B@Q and was the most expensive thing I bought for my cage making kit ! So it being hard metal I just cut in size of actually back wall and slotted into grooves so therefore nothing sticking out and hamster can't get hurt. Fron I had those 2 glass doors and whatever space I had left I used slightly "softer" mesh.
http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t546/norjmaa/th_7f03705962eac3bf0efb0b4fac4b7d6c_zps32807cde.jp g (http://s1313.photobucket.com/albums/t546/norjmaa/?action=view&current=7f03705962eac3bf0efb0b4fac4b7d6c_zps32807c de.jpg) http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t546/norjmaa/th_e02101ab0c93092bc267145e50a4418d_zps02dc9bb5.jp g (http://s1313.photobucket.com/albums/t546/norjmaa/?action=view&current=e02101ab0c93092bc267145e50a4418d_zps02dc9b b5.jpg)

[kyrilliondaemon]

The previous inhabitants were African pygmy mice - that's who the whole thing was designed for, really. I'm just now trying to repurpose it because it makes more sense than buying something else. The something else would have to sit on top of the mousehouse anyway!

I wasn't really sure how much ventilation hamsters needed though, hence musing. I'm glad your musing's taken you in a similar direction. How far out from the wall would you say is enough? It's not super flush right now because of the texture of the wall itself, but I can certainly move it forwards a little bit.

I've never needed to do it myself (we either use barred cages, tank style cages or converted hutches for our hams) but I'd think somewhere between 1-3 inches should be enough?
I've just had a hunt for some threads I was sure I remembered and found this thread (http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/diy-do-yourself-hamster-projects/14343-ive-been-keeping-secret.html) which may not be too much use and this one (http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/diy-do-yourself-hamster-projects/15097-diy-project-4-new-cages.html) which specifically mentions the ventillation at the back of their cages. In the second thread they say they leave 10cm (http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/diy-do-yourself-hamster-projects/15097-diy-project-4-new-cages-4.html#post193817) between the cage and the wall so thats an actual figure from someone who has done it :)
Not sure you need 10cm but I was hoping those threads'd be more use than my guesswork lol