Hay / Straw question

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Derek Mc

Joined
May 13, 2011
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
Points
0
We generally buy the grass Hay from the pet shop in a half bale size and keep this in our shed before use. The bale lasts a good while.

Is this one of the main reasons we seem to have insect infestation in the straw? is there a way to buy or keep the hay in a more sterile manner as I wonder if it is contributed to our poor Lucy Guinea pig's sore's on her skin.
 
I have a couple big bags of straw and hay for my piggies, and I keep the bags in the garage and they are alright. To be honest I don't see the difference between a garage and a shed - apart from one is a part of a house.:)
 
I store mine in the shed and then in the summer in a black bin with lid outside next to the hutch!
 
Thanks, I am glad to hear this but it means I need to look in other places for the source of the small black insects seen in the hutch.

The are about 1mm long and very hard to spot unless you get one moving in your line of sight (just been looking tonight) there is one visible tonight so suspect this is a cause of my poor Lucy's bad skin.
 
Hay and straw are two different things. :) Hay is essential in guinea pigs diet,

Straw - they dont/wouldnt eat, and it can also be dangerous for eye pokes etc so isnt recomended for use with piggies.

However, either of these *could* bring in parasites, there isnt much you can do accept look out for early signs and seek treatment.
 
Also, common guinea pig skin aliments are mites, fungal or lice.

Mites cannot be seen by the human eye, so will not be what you are seeing,
fungal .. well its fungal.
Lice can be seen by the human eye however these *usually* live on the piggy and therefore the piggy is where you would likely find them. :) Either way the vet will hopefully help
 
Sorry, it is indeed straw not Hay! as it was pointed out to us the correct choice at the store and we have stuck with this far thinner and lighter than Hay so I hope this is the right description.
 
I find the little bugs in my hutch if the newspaper/sawdust&hay is wet mostly because the hutch needs cleaning! they don't seem to do any harm to the guinea pigs!
 
hay does bring parasites to your pigs and the only one that wont int he UK is Oxbow which is imported and has to go through processes to be bug free and imported from the US.

Regular bathing and skin care and your piggy should stay okay skin wise.

if you keep your hay in plastic bags or bins it will sweat, this can put fungal spores onto the hay which your piggy can eat / get on their skin.

Regular baths and mites treatments and your piggys should be okay.
 
Lisajazz said:
hay does bring parasites to your pigs and the only one that wont int he UK is Oxbow which is imported and has to go through processes to be bug free and imported from the US.

Regular bathing and skin care and your piggy should stay okay skin wise.

if you keep your hay in plastic bags or bins it will sweat, this can put fungal spores onto the hay which your piggy can eat / get on their skin.

Regular baths and mites treatments and your piggys should be okay.
Click to expand...


Now this is making a HUGE amount of sense as we keep the hay in the plastic it was bought in then transfer it to another plastic bag in the utility room where the piggy lives. this is warm so condensation thrives hence fungal! I think I have a direction of enquiry to look at with the vet. Thank you all so very much!
 
I dont buy my hay in huge bundles. I have nowhere to keep it and I have found the bigger the bags the less nice it smells. If that makes sense. I always try to smell the bag of hay before I buy it. My first piggie, donkey years ago ,had a fungal infection brought on by old hay...
 
Hay should be stored UNWRAPPED and covered with a loose blanket/duvet/horse rug (how we keep it as we have horses) so it can breath.

As others have said, if you wrap it in plastic etc. it will get hot and any bugs etc. will thrive.
 
Hay should be stored UNWRAPPED and covered with a loose blanket/duvet/horse rug (how we keep it as we have horses) so it can breath.

As others have said, if you wrap it in plastic etc. it will get hot and any bugs etc. will thrive.
 
I sew together an old single sheet to make a big bag. It will fit a very large bale of hay. The hay stays clean, keeps the mess to a minimum and lets the hay breathe. I leave the top open and take what I need. I keep my hay in the basement. It has worked very well so far. This might help to keep out any bugs.
 
An old storage box or trunk with a slightly badly fitting lid (to let a little bit of air in) makes a storage for hay, if you can find one the right size.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top