cheapest place to buy small quantity of alfalfa hay?

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crazygal330

crazygal330

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So I have started sneaking round my friend's house and feeding their pregnant guinea pig extra hay and veg a couple of times a week :x I noticed they are running fairly low on normal hay, not sure if they will buy some more when it does run out so I wanted to get my own supply. I was thinking of getting some alfalfa hay, as I only give a couple of handfuls each time I am there- try not to make it too suspicious. Anyone know where I can get alfalfa hay cheaply? I am totally broke at the moment- just spent my last £4 on food for me and the OH :red but still want to buy some hay for this little girly, every time I have visited this week they have had NO hay left, and soem crappy bits of flaked maize in their bowl leftover from the museli. They practically inhale the dandelions I give them!

I was thinking Hay Experts but does anyone know of anywhere cheaper? My local p@h doesn't do alfalfa hay- not sure why I thought they would TBH. It seems a bit of a waste to spend the money on postage just for a small bag of hay but I will if i can't find it anywhere else. Ho hum. rolleyes
 
To be honest, if your really worried about the amount of hay they have I wouldnt strech to alfalfa I would just give them as much hay as is possible. The alfalfa is benificial for calcium - so if you are sneaking them veg give them some brocilli stalk as this is calcium high.

Is there any way of removing these piggies from the sittuation?
 
Hmmm... sadly there isn't really. I'm still trying to go down the improving by talking to them route but its going pretty slowly/nowhere. The problem is it is a couple, the girl seems fairly receptive to new information, but the guy thinks he knows it all. So typically overall not a lot will change. They have been tried on broccoli but they don't like it! :o crazy piggies! I may just buy some normal hay! Bah if they were mine. *wistful thoughts* The girl has promised to ring me once baby piggies arrive- and today asked me to help nurse them! But yeah the guy seems to give me dirty looks whenever I try and tell her things about piggy care. It's a pretty crap situation :(
 
crazygal330 said:
Hmmm... sadly there isn't really. I'm still trying to go down the improving by talking to them route but its going pretty slowly/nowhere. The problem is it is a couple, the girl seems fairly receptive to new information, but the guy thinks he knows it all. So typically overall not a lot will change. They have been tried on broccoli but they don't like it! :o crazy piggies! I may just buy some normal hay! Bah if they were mine. *wistful thoughts* The girl has promised to ring me once baby piggies arrive- and today asked me to help nurse them! But yeah the guy seems to give me dirty looks whenever I try and tell her things about piggy care. It's a pretty crap situation :(
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Urghh hate no it all people who actually know nothing :x
i'd probably have pinned him down and been like you can either hear it from me or an RSPCA inspector when they're charging you with animal cruelty !
RARARARARARA
well in my head that would happen, in real life it wouldn't i'm to shy and lack any brave'ness.
You're doing great with what you're doing, every little helps, sorry i can't offer and helpful information ....
 
I seriously think you should ring your local rescue and see if they can step in with a stern word. I dont know the exact extend of things as I dont have a back story but pregnant piggies under stress and not recieiving the right diet is a recipie for a sad ending. :( To be honest, "once babies have arrived" would be a good result. Lots of things can go wrong with piggy pregnacies. If you want to PM me some more details about this so as not to have it on a public forum and to get it off your chest/see what we can come up with feel free.
 
Connie said:
To be honest, "once babies have arrived" would be a good result. Lots of things can go wrong with piggy pregnacies.
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I know 8... Thankfully I am able to see her maybe 4 days a week so am just about managing to get them hay each day, it's hard to judge how much they need each time until my next visit. Thankfully she has lots of movement but it still "fairly" small in that area. I keep having nightmares, every night I have dreams something awful happens to the poor girl. I'm gonna try and have a chat again today, and I have some yummy watercress for them. wish me luck!@)
 
The best veg to be sneaking them is broccilli stalk (if they have had broccilli before, they may still love this as my piggies hate it but love the actual florrets), bell pepper. And ofcourse as much hay as you can possibly stuff in whereever they are.

Sometimes a word from someone with experience can make all the difference. - to him, you are just another owner thats wrong. Someone running a rescue has more cudos to be doing it correctly.

This is your closest piggy bank recomended rescue http://www.heathlands.org.uk/index.php?pageid=4

However close by is also
http://www.rspcasuffolk.org.uk/small_animals_wanting_homes.htm
http://www.hillsbrookerescue.co.uk/
http://www.woodgreen.org.uk/

Just depends where abouts in cambridge you are I think. Definatly worth having a chat to see if they have any ideas what else you can try.

I'm very worried for this poor girl :(
 
It's a really good idea but I doubt they would listen. they were originally planning to rescue from woodgreen. they had gone down, had a chat, got all the info and booked and home visit. They had even picked out a pair they liked. then they spontaneously cancelled it and went to p@h mallethead

I had thought pepper would be good, I will try them on broccoli stalk, and maybe try the leaves. I am going to ask tonight if I can take her until she has her babies. my approach is to be "oh I'd love to have hands on experience caring for her, it would be so great for my uni course" or something like that.
 
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I know your in a hard position, as you want to still be able to give advice etc etc, (and they might be close friends for all I know) But I think if they will not alter their care of this little lady,(and her friend) or hand her over a harder line needs to be taken or there is a risk to mom and pups.

Well done for helping out though.
 
Hi, has she just got the one pig or 2? It's a hard one as sometimes the more nagging the more they switch off. Could you talk to your friend on her own away from her BF? Maybe even give her some info to read or a list of local rescues so she can chat to someone to know what to expect and what to look out for (ie complications during birth).
 
For some bizarre reason they are still not convinced she is pregant and won't feed her extra! They even said if she doesn't give birth soon they will put her on a diet (AKa they think she is just fat)
I snuck them loads of stuff yesterday night and this morning. This girly I recon has anywhere between days and up to two weeks left to go. They are only spontaneously going away for 5days next week! mallethead
If it was a simple situation I would take her in an instant. But these people are my OH's best friends, and if I intervene in such a drastic manner I risk destroying his relationship with them, and my relationship with the OH. I am trapped and it's awful! I don't know what to do anymore :0:0

Thank you so much everyone for all the good suggestions, I wish I had some good news :( If anything I just have worse news. One of their cat's has been missing for 3 days and they aren't trying to find her, no posters, no searching, nothing. Animals are just toys to these people 8...8...8...
 
Are you going to be looking after them while they are away?
 
crazygal330 said:
For some bizarre reason they are still not convinced she is pregant and won't feed her extra! They even said if she doesn't give birth soon they will put her on a diet (AKa they think she is just fat)
I snuck them loads of stuff yesterday night and this morning. This girly I recon has anywhere between days and up to two weeks left to go. They are only spontaneously going away for 5days next week! mallethead
If it was a simple situation I would take her in an instant. But these people are my OH's best friends, and if I intervene in such a drastic manner I risk destroying his relationship with them, and my relationship with the OH. I am trapped and it's awful! I don't know what to do anymore :0:0

Thank you so much everyone for all the good suggestions, I wish I had some good news :( If anything I just have worse news. One of their cat's has been missing for 3 days and they aren't trying to find her, no posters, no searching, nothing. Animals are just toys to these people 8...8...8...
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:( If they have not arranged care for her whilst they are away report to the RSPCA

Talk to the RSPCA if you feel this is a welfare issue, a visit might open their eyes, the welfare standards changed a few years ago which might allow the rspca to visit for a pep talk, I don't know 100% but it might work or they may have an idea.

Or offer to care for the pig whilst they are away and then tell them she ran off with a guy she met off the internet.........
 
I think the presumption is that we will be looking after them while they are away. I don't see the point in getting the RSPCA involved. the inspectors around here dont seem to care about small animals. I've called them a few times about rabbits and at one point a hamster. they have very little power tbh. the five freedoms aren't particulary being broken so what can they even say. I have a friend who has offered to kidnap the piggies and their rabbit while they are away. she is in no way joking either. :...
 
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