Bedding Question

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Vicky(Smudger)

I had my details through yesterday from CCT and reading through they say about the problems there has been with hay so far this year. Their advice to avoid any fungal and mite problems is to bed your guineas on soft chopped straw with a layer of redigrass on the top.

Has anyone else tried this and did you have to put anything like newspaper underneath to absorbs wetness?

Seems a fairly expensive way of bedding them to me but it does seem healthier. :smitten:
 
I haven't had any problems with hay (so far) I can get the nice soft green hay no problem. I would think this would work out expensive and if I put a layer of readigrass on top it would be eaten up in minutes :P I always put plenty of newspaper down under my shavings first O0
 
I have trouble with the quality of hay and my supplier says that it will get worse.

I use newspaper, then Russell Rabbit bedding which is the chopped straw which is lovely for them as it keeps them warm too - its around 2.35 a bag, not too good for the long hairs though.
 
I was thinking of getting that chopped straw stuff and giving it ago as the hay has been hit or miss here and I am not buying bales any more due to the problems with it this year so I am spending more on hay than ever buying it already packed so I can check it first. I always use a lot of newspaper to line the cage and megazorb.
 
Ive always used woodshavings but I keep reading that its not good for their skin. Ive tried Beddown but that causes problems with a couple of my longhaired girlies.

I havent got a problem with using straw, except for the absorbancy side of it. Hay is getting a little harder to get, especially nice hay.

I could use the suggested bedding by CCT but if I put redigrass down they will scoff the lot, especially the group of girls in the shed. Then I can only get straw by the bale as well.
 
I use newspaper with bed-down traditional (short cropped straw mixed with hay) & hay on top. :)
 
I use normal plain woodshavings with meadow hay BUT the meadow hay has started causing problems with the piggies skin.
Not really sure what to use now, ive got to find some fast though :-\
 
Niki said:
I use newspaper with bed-down traditional (short cropped straw mixed with hay) & hay on top. :)
Click to expand...

Is that the bed-down that has the lemony smell to it. If it is then that gave some of my pigs skin problems.
 
The hay bales I have had this year have all been fine so far. I am getting a new bale saturday along with my sacks of megazorb. The farm shop I use has lovely green hay.
 
I read somewhere straw makes there eyes hurt...But my hays good i get it from P@H...
 
I got some lovely chopped soft straw which is likr Russell Rabbit for the buns and it was only £4 for a large sack.
 
Vicky(Smudger) said:
Niki said:
I use newspaper with bed-down traditional (short cropped straw mixed with hay) & hay on top.   :)
Click to expand...

Is that the bed-down that has the lemony smell to it.  If it is then that gave some of my pigs skin problems.
Click to expand...

Yep it is, but thankfully no probs here :)
 
I'm going to change the boys (outside) to straw and redigrass, they had mites poor babies from their hay (pet shop stuff)
 
I'm using ecopet bed which is chopped up bits of cardboard originally designed for horses but now used for both Coco and our rats! Its a big bale but lasts for ages. Coco gets loads of hay in a hayrack to eat and shredded paper to snuggle in.

Just thought I'd stick my tuppence worth in ;D

Helen
 
Where the girls are housed in the shed I use half a bale of shavings each week. Not sure how they would get along with straw, need to see if I can find it soft enough by the bale. It would cost me a fortune bying the small bales in pet shops.
 
In my opinion this is needless and wasteful of good food resources. Mine are bedded on Medibed with a thick layer of newspaper underneath. Medibed is similar to Russel bedding and is an equine product so bought in large bales.

Aubiose is another alternative but you need to put something soft under the houses/in the bedding area :)

Hay is poorer quality but if you shop around there is good English hay out there :) and I know I bang about him but Dust Free Hay is brilliant, Norman could seriously have Vedra for slander there ;D

Our local farm has reasonable hay, but not as good as normal.

Readigrass is sharp and uncomfortable- a friend cut herself on some once and it made her bleed so I will not be using this as bedding, I don't fancy pigs getting cut genitals and infections and anal sacs stuffed with Readigrass.

If this was true then I would have a shed full of fungal and parasitic pigs surely?
 
Yeah your right there Karen about Redigrass being sharp. I dont even feed it to my pigs anymore. I have found Dobson and Horrell Just Grass, its much nicer.

I did think it a bit strange to use Redigrass as part of the bedding. Is Medibed the same as Bed-down?
 
Medibed is short chopped straw but no essential oils. I don't know if Beddown has essential oils but they have caused severe allergic reactions in piggies.

I agree that we need to more careful when selecting hay this year and that it'll be harder, perhaps, but I won't be wasting my Readigrass/Just Grass on using it as bedding!
 
I might see if I can get Medibed near me, the bed-down caused a reaction in one of our longhairs so we cant use that. The smell you get with Beddown is quite strong and I know it has got stuff added to it. I might try and see if I can find out what both companies use.
 
Just googled Beddown and its 'treated with fragrant oil' so I wouldn't touch with a barge pole let alone a guinea pig. :)
 
Yeah I havent used beddown since we realised it was causing a problem. I have just emailed Dengie about the Medibed, it will be interesting to see what they say.
 
Let us know what they say. Someone does Oatchaff and Wheatchaff but can't think who now- Badminton maybe? That isn't treated at all (and Medibed is, it has bittering agents).
 
I use meadow hay and have had no probs.I get my bales from a local feed merchant who supplies racing stables.The quality is always good,but it does vary a bit at different times of year.Spillers Readigrass is tougher than Dodson and Horrels Just Grass.I alternate them because my pigs like both.I only put it in food bowls,not as bedding.
Vedra often comes up with weird advice.She has also been taken to court before,and I would never trust her.
 
I think we should remember to look at the speech as well as the speaker, if you see what I mean. At the end of the day we all have a choice and must take responsibility for making that decision.... :)
 
After sampling many different types of bedding over the years I am happy with Megazorb and sticking to it. Its very absorbant and I rarely get any with skin problems on it :) Last time I used a bale of chopped straw (used it in an emergency as my local supplier had run out of megazorb) I had a load of pigs break out in fungal infections. I cant use medibed because I am really allergic to it ::) I use a thick layer of newspaper, then megazorb, then put in a big pile of hay and just grass. I have no probs with hay at the moment as a few weeks ago we struck gold finding a local farmer with really good quality meadow hay 8)
 
Can I just add that gps cannot get mites from hay,because the mites are species specific.In other words they die away from the host body.Gps have mites all the time,but stress or illness can make the mites more prolific to the point of causing irritation. It may be possible for badly stored hay to carry lice and mouldy hay contaminated with fungal spores could ,possibly cause a fungal infection.

Unless the hay is damp or smells old and mouldy it should be fine.
 
Absolutely Mary, they need the dampness to keep hydrated and even then will only last for approximately 2 weeks.
 
ooops. didnt know that abput mites.

I wont be getting the redigrass then./

thanks guys
 
i use megazorb under vetbed and a good dustpan and brush! for my horde use straw if vet bed being washed but i'm getting more vet bed this week so hopefullyno more straw in hutches but will in run
 
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