Do you soak your hay

[loopyhoop]

When I had horses it was a common thing to soak your hay ( still is ) and I wondered if any of you guys did?
I tried my guys with soaked hay today and they loved it

Its just another way of killing off dust particles, I stuffed the veggie balls with the hay and then soaked for 20 mins, then dried out for another 20 mins and hung in their cage .

The babies were first to start eating, them momma pushed them out if the way to get to it, so they had to have their own ball lol.

Phil eventually got his and attacked it with gusto

Obviously make sure that you have drained as much water out as possible so the cages don't get soaked and replace daily otherwise you can get mould spores.
But after having hay ( decent quality meadow hay bales ) sat in their cages virtually untouched I thought i'd see if it made a difference

 

[sharonS]

Thanks, will give that a try with mine, you could have posted this a little earlier though, I could have soaked it in the rain we have had.

 

[loopyhoop]

Lol sorry

 

[Pepperdog]

I never understood why hay was soaked down the stables, I always thought the goodness in hay was leached out in the water that got drained away.

I will stay old school and shake my hay still before feeding it to my gang.

 

[claremw92]

i've never heard of this before...
i might give this a go as nuzzle and scratch dont eat alot of it... not compared to everyone else...
x

 

[loopyhoop]

I never understood why hay was soaked down the stables, I always thought the goodness in hay was leached out in the water that got drained away.

I will stay old school and shake my hay still before feeding it to my gang.

I was advised to do so by my vet at the time, I had a horse on loan that had breathing problems so along with building her a stable away from the yard and a whole host of others things. We soaked the hay to kill off the dust, can't understand the point of soaking it all night as I think some of the goodness goes, but a quick dip was all we ever gave and it seemed to work a treat

 

[SDRB_TP]

Soaking your hay makes it haylage, which has no dust what so ever, and you give it generally to horses that are allergic to the dust particles in hay.

Although, haylage is a lot more sweeter, and there for in horses, needs to be fed less in moderation to prevent drastic weight from being put on.
I'm not sure if it's the same for Guinea Pig's, but I don't want to risk it.

___

Best regards,
Isabella, Tallulah, Penelope & Lily.
x

 

[Astral Heart]

I used to do this a lot, but not anymore. My piggies will eat it either way lol

 

[Doeylicious]

Soaking your hay makes it haylage, which has no dust what so ever, and you give it generally to horses that are allergic to the dust particles in hay.

Although, haylage is a lot more sweeter, and there for in horses, needs to be fed less in moderation to prevent drastic weight from being put on.
I'm not sure if it's the same for Guinea Pig's, but I don't want to risk it.

___

Best regards,
Isabella, Tallulah, Penelope & Lily.
x

Soaking hay is not how haylage is made.

Haylage is made by cutting the grass earlier and wrapping it in plastic or similar so it stays much, much moister and more importantly the sugars are kept in.

It is higher in sugars and has less dust however is unsuitable for pigs as it is much richer than hay. Similarly it is largely unsuitable for horses with lami, weight problems etc.

Soaking hay does reduce dust as loopyhoop says, as does steaming it (pour boiling water into a container, not too much though, add hay, place a lid on and your hay will steam - takes about ten mins in the container)

It will also take some of the sugars/goodness out, but for the time loppyhoop did it, not a huge amount. It will also reduce the ability to keep the piggies teeth down though as it will be much softer to nom on.

 

[This Little Piggie]

Soaking hay is a horse/cow thing, I wouldnt see the point in soaking piggie hay

 

[claremw92]

Soaking hay is not how haylage is made.

Haylage is made by cutting the grass earlier and wrapping it in plastic or similar so it stays much, much moister and more importantly the sugars are kept in.

It is higher in sugars and has less dust however is unsuitable for pigs as it is much richer than hay. Similarly it is largely unsuitable for horses with lami, weight problems etc.

Soaking hay does reduce dust as loopyhoop says, as does steaming it (pour boiling water into a container, not too much though, add hay, place a lid on and your hay will steam - takes about ten mins in the container)

It will also take some of the sugars/goodness out, but for the time loppyhoop did it, not a huge amount. It will also reduce the ability to keep the piggies teeth down though as it will be much softer to nom on.

do you rekon its a good idea for dental piggies then...? (ones that have just had there teeth done... )
x

 

[Marifled]

I don't soak my hay however I buy it from the same place consistantly and have had no problems.

The one mite outbreak I had oddly enough was from some haylage my sister brought up for the lil ones.

 

[claremw92]

do you rekon its a good idea for dental piggies then...? (ones that have just had there teeth done... )
x

i realise this dont make sense in the slightest.... let me try again... ahha...

do you think it woud be a good idea to give to piggies who have just had there teeth filed and recovering... as they dotn eat too well to start with and bless my mate shes having a few problems with getting a dental piggie to eat...
hope that makes more sense....
x

 

[Doeylicious]

i realise this dont make sense in the slightest.... let me try again... ahha...

do you think it woud be a good idea to give to piggies who have just had there teeth filed and recovering... as they dotn eat too well to start with and bless my mate shes having a few problems with getting a dental piggie to eat...
hope that makes more sense....
x

Don't worry I got what you meant

I think it probably would help, they will still get the fibre from the hay which obviously they need to 'keep things moving' but should be able to chew it more easily. My friend's old mare (43 I think now bless her) is losing teeth and finds soaked hay a lot easier to eat than dry hay.

I think when it comes to getting piggies to eat, anything is usually worth a try as long as it is safe for their tummies!

 

[claremw92]

Don't worry I got what you meant

I think it probably would help, they will still get the fibre from the hay which obviously they need to 'keep things moving' but should be able to chew it more easily. My friend's old mare (43 I think now bless her) is losing teeth and finds soaked hay a lot easier to eat than dry hay.

I think when it comes to getting piggies to eat, anything is usually worth a try as long as it is safe for their tummies!

bloody hell... i didnt even know they lived for that long...!....

and thanks for getting it... this is the 3rd time i've had to clarify what i ment on here today... becuase my brain seems to have left the country...
x

 

[ellie_jo3213]

You soak hay for horses for a few reasons like recurrent airway obstructive disorder (heaves) and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) to reduce the dust, and decrease the amount of sugar in the hay.

Hay has such little nutritional value as it is, soaking it will decrease it further. Probably not such a great idea.
Also as has been pointed out before, it would be too soft and would not ware down the teeth. Believe me, you do not want a pig with over grown teeth! It can get blooming expensive and the worry is just not worth it!

Why not treat guinea pigs as guinea pigs, and stop trying to treat them like horses, rabbits or what ever.

 

[loopyhoop]

Why not treat guinea pigs as guinea pigs, and stop trying to treat them like horses, rabbits or what ever.

I actually take offence at you last sentence!
I am not trying to treat them as anything other than pigs! I soaked the hay purely to see if it changed their attitude to it, much like trying different vegetables or fruits!

I will not carry on having to explain myself to people here who think they are purely above the rest of us!

Christ this is meant to be a friendly forum, alas it seems there are alot here who think they are king, queen, castle, judge and jury.

Thanks to all who replied on my recent posts ( especially about the pregancy and birth ) and who weren't aggressive and demeaning in response.

 

[Hanwombat]

I would never think to do this for my guinea pigs. I used to soak my horses hay to downsize the dust and spores as this causes the spores and dust to stick to the hay stems thus the horses eating the particles and not inhaling them but this is something I'd do with guinea pigs.

 

[Doeylicious]

Why not treat guinea pigs as guinea pigs, and stop trying to treat them like horses, rabbits or what ever.

Guinea pigs are actually very similar to horses in terms of metabolism, gut movement, airway issues, inability to be sick, trickle feeders/grazers...so it isn't really that daft to compare the two. I actually look after my guineas in a not dissimilar way to my pony, even to the point of deep littering/banking their hutches.

Obviously people don't want guineas with overgrown teeth but as Claire mentioned, it might be a good idea for guineas who are having trouble nomming as they have had dental work to get something inside them.

As long as the piggies' welfare is not being compromised, there is no problem with a bit of experimentation in their care.