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Choosing Farm Hay... Tips Please

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Florrieberry

Florrieberry

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Hi, I know some of you have more Piggies than us (6) and use farm hay rather than the more expensive dust free varieties. However since discovering mites in my last bale I am a bit nervous about buying farm hay again but cannot sustain buying the dust free hay. Please has anybody got any tips to avoid a duff batch? Is there any way you can check for mites? Thank you
 
Going by past experience I'd stick with the bagged expensive stuff. In the long run it's cheaper not having to treat for mites and less stressful for all concerned
 
I don't know whereabouts you are but I use an equestrian/animal supplies shop who sell 5kg bags for £5 and it lasts ages. I've stopped bedding mine on hay as it was getting rather expensive. I now use Fitch, order it in bulk to keep the cost down and store it in my shed if that helps at all
 
Winifred said:
I don't know whereabouts you are but I use an equestrian/animal supplies shop who sell 5kg bags for £5 and it lasts ages. I've stopped bedding mine on hay as it was getting rather expensive. I now use Fitch, order it in bulk to keep the cost down and store it in my shed if that helps at all
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Thanks. I'm on the wirral and resorted to a bag of Lunnun dust free hay, which I used when we only had 2 piggies. Is £7.25 for 6-7kg. We also bedded on dust free shavings & hay till added 4 piggies and extended cage. Now on fleece (about to try a bit of vet bed) with a large hay box on each floor(3 floors). They don't like hay racks but like to burrow and sit in it, but they wee so much I still keep a thin layer of shavings in bottom. It's finding the balance between always having fresh hay available but not throwing too much away at night when trays are cleaned out, ( I just put some fresh in before work in morning).
 
Just to say as far as I am aware any hay can carry mites. Guineas can also get mites from just been in the garden on the grass x
 
I have encountered hay mites from all forms of retail hay, so I am happy to stick with farm hay at £4 a bale.
 
Yes @Florrieberry. Dust extracted hay is usually produced by dropping the hay out of a hopper chute past a stream of air. Basically it just blows away the dust.
 
:DThere is a difference between Dust Extracted hay, which just has MOST of the dust removed, and dust-FREE hay, as from Dustfreehay.co.uk, which has just about ALL of the dust removed.
 
7squeakers. said:
:DThere is a difference between Dust Extracted hay, which just has MOST of the dust removed, and dust-FREE hay, as from Dustfreehay.co.uk, which has just about ALL of the dust removed.
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Yay! That's good! That's what I have bought from a local supplier, it's from Dustfree and branded Lunnun. Now I feel happier. It's £7.25 for a bag which weighs about 6.5 - 7 kg (I weigh it in store on the dog scales to get the biggest bag!)
 
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