Thread: Natural housing
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Old 10-26-2020, 08:24 AM  
cypher
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: Wales UK
Posts: 24,789
Default Re: Natural housing

Congrats on your new ham!

A few things to consider before using furniture to make a cage, do you know what kind of wood it’s made from, is there any glue or varnish that may be toxic & are there any nails, screws etc that could be a danger.
Any wooden cage needs to be coated with a non toxic paint like plastikote water based enamel to pee proof it but you do also have to think about any bits that could possibly be chewed.

For a natural cage you can use things like moss & dried flowers, best to buy these rather than collect them from outside, some people advise against pine cones but I have used them without any problems but again bought ones rather than collecting them.
If you get anything from outside like leaves make sure they are a safe species, also be aware that other todents, dogs etc could have been on them if on the ground & even if on a tree they could carry toxins or disease.
Any natural material even if bought should be frozen for at least a week just in case of any bugs.
Cork tunnels & tubes are great for a natural looking cage, coconuts are good as a natural type of hideout too.
Have you decided which substrate you want to use? Hemp can be good & has a nice natural look, I found the Hugro hemp to be good but others to be too sharp or dusty, wood shavings may be ok but some hams can be allergic to them.
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