How many NIC panels does it take…?

[MimzMum]

Remember (those of you old enough) the old Tootsie Pop commercial, ‘how many licks does it take to get to the center…?’

Well I am thinking of sussing out and purchasing NIC grids to make a decent condo/rabbit run for my three either as singles or when they are bonded. However, I don’t really see, in the previous posts, exactly how many panels are needed to make a decent sized run? And while searching sellers of panels online, I can only find one advertised with a set of four cubes and connectors for $35.00???

I figure I’d like it to be at least 6 or 8 feet long by 2 or 3 feet wide and at least 3 feet high. Just a long rectangle to start, I’ll add on or convert with more later to build their condo. About how many panels would this take? No levels, Mimzy cannot get up and down off things well anymore. It’d be flat on the floor on either a tarp over carpet or linoleum for a floor.

Many thankies!

[jerseygirl]

Walmart has them for $16 I think thats 15 grids per pack. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Whitmor-White-Wire-Storage-Cubes-Four-Cubes-Interlocked/5005200
As too how many panels does it take? Sorry, I don’t know the answer. No wait! The answer is 42!

[Monkeybun]

well, its roughly 14 inches per grid. I can’t do math right now, my brain hurts

[Huckleberry]

I have 34 at the moment and the cage I could make with them is pathetic… so more than 34!!

[MimzMum]

lolz…Thanks ladies! ^_^ Checking out the link now.

[mia]

Minimum of 44 for what you are looking for but that’s closer to 5ft instead of 6 of maybe doing 52 would be better.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Usually the packages are 10-12 I think… (at least in my area) for about 16-30$ depending. I think it took us about 3 packages to make the four tiered condo I had when I was in the apartment. Right now, I have a window lift plus a guinea pig run (1 high, 6 x2) with another bunny ledge, and a gate. And there are a ton.

I did build a desk into my plans to minimize having to buy more cubes. So I have an L desk that went into the corner. I put the guinea pig run on one side, and then built out past where the desk ended, but building the extension down to the ground. So that means I use less grids as well-the bunnies have the entire room plus ledges as the pigs are up and not taking any floor space. So you can get creative with other things too.

Also metal shelving is more stable for any ramps and if you were to make a run rather then a condo you could use metal shelving and it might be cheaper (plus the grids are closer to less chance of a nose sticking through)

[MimzMum]

Well I took a gamble on the amount of grids you get in each package, I could’ve sworn it looked like 18 per pack by my count, but I think somewhere it said 15…soo….I got 4 packages. But the shipping….OI! I wanted to get 7 originally since the reviews mention you’re short on clips…it would’ve cost $200+ to get it here!!! For $100 worth of grids! Not with my pocketbook they don’t!

So I still wound up paying steep costs, just for the 4 packs…but it’ll be worth it if I can get a run together that is lighter and easier to move than my current Superyard (a child’s playpen, very hard to manipulate and heavier than I can handle anymore). Plus these things have GOT to be easier to keep clean by half.
Thanks again guys…not sure when I’ll have this up and running, but I’ll take pix!

[Beka27]

Why are you wanting to go that route rather than with a standard xpen? I tried to make a large NIC enclosure like that size and it was not stable at all. I spent an entire day putting it together and in the end it was so wobbly, I had to take it down. We went and bought our two xpens and never looked back. I can bunnyproof anything with NICs, but I’m hopeless at building condos/enclosures.

[Stickerbunny]

Bed bath and beyond has the cheapest NIC panels in my town – $19.99 per package, but they have more per pack than wal-mart. Staples has really cheap ones too, with lots per pack, but we don’t have one in town and the shipping made it not worth it for me. If you run out of connectors, just use zip ties.

[mia]

Posted By Stickerbunny on 06/08/2011 08:36 AM
Bed bath and beyond has the cheapest NIC panels in my town – $19.99 per package, but they have more per pack than wal-mart. Staples has really cheap ones too, with lots per pack, but we don’t have one in town and the shipping made it not worth it for me. If you run out of connectors, just use zip ties.

The new ones I bought were from BBB + the $5 coupon . They are much nicer to the used ones I got since they are not coated.

For anyone who may be in manufacturing or know of ppl in manufacturing, try to find a zip tie gun. They are AWESOME and cuts down the time and, well, damanging your hands trying to pull the ties tight.

My buns’ condo has a partial 4th floor (4 panels high; it’s 3×2 panels length and width) and there’s no stability issues. If I had have more plywood flooring made for higher levels, I would make it even higher. I have both a NIC condo and x-pen and am very glad to have the condo as they love jumping and being on the highest level.

[Monkeybun]

miaeih, my hubby has perfected the art of zip-tying. He uses pliers to pull them tight No hurting of the hands!

[MimzMum]

Well, so much for that. >.< After going through the checkout multiple times last night to change quantities and whatnot and giving them all my info, what happens? I get an email today that says they don't have any of the item and that it's out of stock for an indefinite period. WHAT?

*sigh* Just shoot me. Every time I try to get something together to make my bunnies more comfortable it falls through. *slumps*

Beka, the reason I wanted to try the grids is because the current pen I have is filthy and chewed on, doesn’t clean up well and is bulky, heavy and difficult to manipulate. It has to have it’s pieces stand at strict right angles, any other position just makes the inner areas smaller and takes up too much room. But I’m open to suggestions…keeping in mind that I’m unable to allow them to free range and they all still need to be bonded, so I’d love to have something I can set them almost side by side for exercise/introductions if I can sort out a room area large enough. Once they are all bonded, I need the pen to be something I can just put the separate pieces together to form one large ‘condo’ style area for them. Not sure I’m making sense, I know I didn’t explain it very well.

Argh…I’m just in an aggravated mode tonight. I get tired of hitting dead ends like this. Sorry that I sound crabby.

[jerseygirl]

Bummer! Was that thru walmart?
A new member mentioned looking at a shop supply store which have larger panels. https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/115876/Default.aspx

Also, look for 2nd hand. The may have been used as storage of for animal habitats but either way, you can stick them in a bath or trough to wash. With 2nd hand, the coated ones might have some damage but the plain metal or painted metal should be decent enough.

For stability, you can zip tie lengths of wood or rods across the grids to make it more rigid.

[RabbitPam]

Hi, MM,
I thought of Bed Bath & Beyond also for their grey boxes of NIC cubes. I can’t believe that Walmart hasn’t conquered your neck of the woods too. Neither store is nearby, right? Duh. not if you’re ordering.

I’ll leave the details to you to read to see if this is worth it, but I once found (and saved) this link to a website that specializes in nic cages and materials to order. Here ’tis:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/cubes.htm
Maybe they have some in stock.

[Jutchy]

I made my bunny’s habitat with those. I don’t know how many I used, but I bought a ton of them because they’re also super useful as fences to keep my bun-bun from getting behind the computer or the TV.

[MimzMum]

Well here’s a twist…the day after I posted that WalMart had canceled my order, they send me a new invoice saying they’d charged me for two packages worth that were on their way…huh? (they refunded the original charges)

So…I may have two packages of grids coming, but I don’t think that’ll be more than 30, so at least I’ll be able to divide up their current xpen a little better for bonding purposes or bunny proof when they get their own room. But wow…what a mess.

I did look at the link, Pam. I don’t think there were any panels for sale there, if there were this was while my PC was taking a dive so perhaps the pages just didn’t load right. When I get my new one home, I’ll give it another try, thank you.

[MimzMum]

Back again with update:
My panels arrived today.
Sooo…I’m currently at two packages for a total of 32 panels (rather heavier than I thought they’d be).
I may just be using these to bunny proof at some point. I see why you folks use coroplast for flooring, it would be the only thing suitable to this kind of construction imo. How much weight does this add to a condo though? Is the coroplast as heavy as the panels? This may make the whole idea unfeasible if I can’t lift the finished piece and move it if necessary.
If nothing else, these will make excellent barriers to our baseboard heating, which was something I was concerned about should I turn my current bunny room/bedroom into an ‘all bunny only’ room. The current xpen panels I have would’ve taken up too much room and not completely covered the heating elements, leaving nowhere for the bunnies to roam.

ETA: I’d thought there were no connectors, but each package says (in small print) that there are 20 included. I was surprised as there doesn’t appear to be anywhere they could put them in such a slim package.

Sooo…nevermind. I am an idiot today. Thinking too much about my daughter’s upcoming oral surgery I guess.

[jerseygirl]

You can get connectors on ebay. Just search “wire storage cube connectors”. You could make a pen without them though. Play around with some zipties. Have you seen Mocha200’s current thread in Habitats? Her condo shows lengths of light weight wood across 4 grids for the doors. That’s a good way to get the stability you’re looking for. I’ve also made panels of 6 grids with a couple extra overlapping at the junctions. So 6 panels laid flat to form a panel then a couple also laying flat on top over where the grids meet but turned 45 degrees so it’s diamond shape. Make sense? Not as sturdy as using wood but it works ok.

Coroplast is lightweight. Similar in weight to corrugated cardboard really.

[Deleted User]

FYI, if anyone is looking for these cube panels…. start checking yard sales! I was at several this weekend that had them for CHEAP. One was a large stack for $5 and another had a couple in the 50 cent section. I kept thinking of how I could use them for Bun-Bun…. but right now, nothing came to mind. I am sure I will kick myself later for not getting them. But I kept thinking of people on this board and their creativity for the bunnies!
So, start checking yard sales….. season is just really starting here in Portland.

[flopsydobinkies]

I’ve been doing some research, and a 3.5’x3.5’x7′ cage would require 90 14″x14″ grids, plus twenty-five or so more for platforms, ramps, etc.

A 2.3’x2.3’x7′ cage would require only 72 grids for the shell, plus extra for platforms. This calculation assumes one would be building floor and roof from grid, as opposed to Coroplast or other building material.

This is going to be sooo expensive. =P

[Author]

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