How much hay?

Black piggies

Black piggies

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How much hay do piggies need?

They leave so much I'm not sure whether to keep giving them as much as I do, or whether I'm overdoing it. They have a 1x2 hay loft.

Any pics very welcome! I found the photo on the site of how much veg to feed them very helpful.

Thanks.
 
Can't have too much hay, they'll eat the nicest bits and use the rest to sleep on, poop on and play with :) hay quality and texture varies a lot even in one bag, so the piggies will eat the best bits, sorting through a big pile of hay for the tastiest bits is very good piggy entertainment!
 
My Finn and Lara get endless supply of Oxbow hay.
Oxbow hay is very thick and green and you can tell the Oxbow Hay is high quality hay. My Finn and Lara love their Oxbow hay.

Below shows 7 bags of hay bags, total of 17kg or 630oz of Oxbow timothy hay. I stocked up so that I don't run out of hay.
I am not getting any more of Kaytee timothy hay because mine like Oxbow better.
IMG_4595.webp

Below you can see the quantity of Oxbow hay, 2.55kg or 90oz. I stocked up with 7 bags.
Grown in USA, which is what I like for my piggies. I try so that I never really run out of hay.
IMG_4597.webp
 
Black piggies said:
How much hay do piggies need?

They leave so much I'm not sure whether to keep giving them as much as I do, or whether I'm overdoing it. They have a 1x2 hay loft.

Any pics very welcome! I found the photo on the site of how much veg to feed them very helpful.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

They eat unlimited hay, but they are picky and eat the nicest bits first. You'll find out by trial and error just how much you want to give and to refill for your own purposes. ;)
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
 
Unlimited hay of course! I give my piggies new hay throughout the day I it starts getting low, at least 3 times a day.
 
My 5 get through 2 farm bales of hay every 5-6 weeks in the winter as I use it for bedding as well as for eating. In the summer this amount lasts 8-10 weeks as I don't use so much to keep them warm (I have outside piggies). They eat a lot of hay too and I always have nice clean stuff available for them but they prefer they stuff that has been trampled, pooped and wee'd on :vom: I suppose it must taste nicer if you are a piggie. I have had them now for nearly 3 years and they are healthy and happy so I guess it can't be doing them any harm.
 
Black piggies said:
How much hay do piggies need?

They leave so much I'm not sure whether to keep giving them as much as I do, or whether I'm overdoing it. They have a 1x2 hay loft.

Any pics very welcome! I found the photo on the site of how much veg to feed them very helpful.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
What does a hay loft look like? My two piggy’s are in a hutch with a ‘bedroom’ section. I fill this half full (from the floor upwards) when they are cleaned out, that’s roughly 4 large handfuls of hay. I always check the hay level again after a few hours as they usually eat the lot when it’s fresh. Then I top up every day with the same amount. They also get feeding hay when I feed them their veggies twice a day, two small handfuls either side of the nugget bowl. They are picky though XD
 
A hay loft is just a section of the cage, usually up a ramp, filled with hay. Put in more hay than your piggies need so that they never run out. You don't need to remove all the leftovers, just take out the dirty bits and top up with fresh. It's good to have a hay rack or bag of some sort as well as what's in the sleeping area, although they're not fussy.
 
The
G&C said:
What does a hay loft look like? My two piggy’s are in a hutch with a ‘bedroom’ section. I fill this half full (from the floor upwards) when they are cleaned out, that’s roughly 4 large handfuls of hay. I always check the hay level again after a few hours as they usually eat the lot when it’s fresh. Then I top up every day with the same amount. They also get feeding hay when I feed them their veggies twice a day, two small handfuls either side of the nugget bowl. They are picky though XD
Click to expand...
The hay loft is a rectangle with sides, roughly the length of 2-3 guinea pigs and the width of 1-2 guinea pigs. It's filled with hay morning and night. And then after a couple of days I remove huge amounts and have to drive it to the tip as it won't fit in the bin. Maybe giving less but a pricier hay would be an idea ...
 
G&C said:
What does a hay loft look like? My two piggy’s are in a hutch with a ‘bedroom’ section. I fill this half full (from the floor upwards) when they are cleaned out, that’s roughly 4 large handfuls of hay. I always check the hay level again after a few hours as they usually eat the lot when it’s fresh. Then I top up every day with the same amount. They also get feeding hay when I feed them their veggies twice a day, two small handfuls either side of the nugget bowl. They are picky though XD
Click to expand...

Please make sure that your piggies are kept warm in the current cold weather; ideally they are well insulated and not outside. if you use - soft - hay for additional insulation purposes, then you'll go through a lot to allow your piggies to burrow in it to keep warm.
Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs
 
Wiebke said:
Please make sure that your piggies are kept warm in the current cold weather; ideally they are well insulated and not outside. if you use - soft - hay for additional insulation purposes, then you'll go through a lot to allow your piggies to burrow in it to keep warm.
Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs
Click to expand...
I never have my pigs outside. They're indoors with their own oil burning heater on at night.
 
Wiebke said:
Please make sure that your piggies are kept warm in the current cold weather; ideally they are well insulated and not outside. if you use - soft - hay for additional insulation purposes, then you'll go through a lot to allow your piggies to burrow in it to keep warm.
Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs
Click to expand...
I don’t keep my piggy’s outside
 
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