Wasting Hay

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Carol

Carol

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Hi guys
As a mum of 3 piggies I was wondering if I was doing things right regarding their hay supply. I put a fair amount in on a morning before I leave and when I come home they get a second large amount. I have noticed that they seem to be making beds out of it rather than eating it all so when I clean them out there seems to be loads that I'm chucking away. Suggestions or is this just part of piggy life?
Cheers guys
 
I throw out lots of hay as mine will often refuse to eat hay that has been in their cage a whole day! I think we have fussy piggies.
 
do you just give the m the hay? or do they have a hay rack?

they do like making beds from it, and pooping on it lol, it just their way. but if its off the ground in hay rack they maybe less likely too? also maybe try a hay bag. also if they keep making beds from it maybe its because they dont like the ones they have or there arent't enough? so maybe try adding more beds of different kinds, plastic igloos/soft plush cat beds/pillows.

just trouble shooting some ideas
 
I tried this, I would save myself by putting a huge load in thinking it will last a few days, but in actual fact, it doesn't work, they toilet in it...so I put small amounts in more often...seems to work. You will always get some they won't eat...but changing the hay from different makes also makes a difference.
 
My boys have lots of different hays handful after breakie before I go out. Then some wen I get in. And a biggish handful each at night before bed. I have found varying the hay helps with wastage tho, but think it's inevitable with the little fellas gotta love them x
 
I bought my lot hay bags and pillows , the girls have two hay bags and Rory has a pillow... I often see Maples's butt sticking out the hay bag and I think she's the culprit for pulling all the hay out the bag and spreading it across the fleece... Rory doesn't seem that interested in his hay pillow... I have seen him occasionally dive into it when he's zooming around.
 
Jess said:
I bought my lot hay bags and pillows , the girls have two hay bags and Rory has a pillow... I often see Maples's butt sticking out the hay bag and I think she's the culprit for pulling all the hay out the bag and spreading it across the fleece... Rory doesn't seem that interested in his hay pillow... I have seen him occasionally dive into it when he's zooming around.
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Ah so i'm not the only one who's piggies decide to climb INTO the hay bag!
 
Hello,
well, I am glad to read this thread as I was wondering the same thing. At first I put in lots of hay and now I pop in more three times a day. They poop much more than three times a day; :) Byeee
 
Mine wont eat the hay from the hay rack- they will nibble on the fresh hay for about 5 mins and then make a nest- SO the answer is yes I waste a lot too , but I buy a bale of hay now for £6 which works out much cheaper than bags from the pet stores, so I don't mind anymore - THEY ARE WORTH SPOILING
 
Jess said:
I bought my lot hay bags and pillows , the girls have two hay bags and Rory has a pillow... I often see Maples's butt sticking out the hay bag and I think she's the culprit for pulling all the hay out the bag and spreading it across the fleece... Rory doesn't seem that interested in his hay pillow... I have seen him occasionally dive into it when he's zooming around.
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What is a hay pillow?!? I have never heard nor seen one, can you post a picture of one pretty please?

Ang
 
I also just put smaller handfuls in more frequently. I found that if I put loads in at the same time, they'd have a little bit of it, but then sit on the rest and leave it on the floor of the cage. I also tried putting it in a hay rack, which works for one of my piggies, but the other two tend to pull a whole load out and once and again, leave it on the floor and sit on it!

I think they're just fussy really. It's the same with their dry food. I now put a smaller amount in but top it up as soon as it's empty again which saves a bit on waste. I guess by not putting too much in in one go means that the pigs don't get the chance to sit on it, because they eat it up quicker. There will always be some hay that is wasted, but I've found that I waste less if I give them little amounts but more often.
 
I just put some fresh hay in each day completely- I have a hay rack so only some hay falls on the floor, but when it falls on the floor they won't each it. So it just get's sweeped up during my spot clean. I suppose they're like any human, if you've had a drink on the table all night, not many people would still drink it.
Pigs are fussy eaters, and they expect nothing less than 5 star, so if this means throwing away hay they've turned their nose up at- you must do what they say, or you'll have a tantrum thrown at you!
 
I am using two types of hay at the mo, the hay for eating from 'hay for pets' and a horrid straw like hay from pets at home that they say is ok for eating it's all brown and like straw only fit for piddling on I think. I was adding a large amount of the p@h hay into their bedroom area but they were not sleeping on it I always found they had moved it to sleep on the newspaper and it was full of poop so I've added a piggy loo to the bedroom and filled it with the horrid hay and replaced it as bedding with fabric eg fleece, towels etc etc they seem much happier spending time in there now. They loved their hay rack but after reading about deaths due to them I know stuff feeding hay into a kitchen roll tube they play with the tube and have a game of tug of war too so it's a boredom buster as well :) I'm going to try hay in a litter tray for playing in if that doesn't get used I'm not using hay any more apart from for feeding.
Kell
 
KittyandNancy said:
They died from what? @My3cuteBoys
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Hi Angela I read on here an upsetting case where an owner had came down in the morning to find her piggy had died after getting trapped in his wire hay rack :( (he must of climbed in the side part and got trapped, she sad by his teeth if I remember rightly ....very upsetting for us reading it so that lady must of been every so upset, I have the same make hay rack that her piggy had plus there was other simpler story's about those hay racks so I stopped using mine so have other members (my Oreo climbs so it had to go) there was a thread about a Facebook comment about a piggy who died got stuck in a wire hanging veg ball too. :(
 
I use hay for bedding & the floor of their run. It doesn't matter where they lay down there's hay nearby for them to graze on.
 
My3cuteBoys said:
Hi Angela I read on here an upsetting case where an owner had came down in the morning to find her piggy had died after getting trapped in his wire hay rack :( (he must of climbed in the side part and got trapped, she sad by his teeth if I remember rightly ....very upsetting for us reading it so that lady must of been every so upset, I have the same make hay rack that her piggy had plus there was other simpler story's about those hay racks so I stopped using mine so have other members (my Oreo climbs so it had to go) there was a thread about a Facebook comment about a piggy who died got stuck in a wire hanging veg ball too. :(
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Oh NOOOOO I just got one of those balls, but I only let them have it when I'm there. OMG that's so sad. I'm gonna work on some hay bags this weekend that they can't climb into or get in from the top either. I got a sewing machine so I plan to make stuff and maybe sell them in my eBay and etsy stores. I've sold some hand sewn dog coats.
 
Hay bags and pillows all the way! Don't allow any metal in my piggie pens
 
Thank you for all your responses! There is a few things I will try but less is definitely more is working at the mo. My girls are living in their summer home in the costa del back garden at the mo and seem happy enough :)
 
I was using a hay rack for my 2 piggy's and they are fine with it but I find some hay just falls out. I tried last week putting the hay in their litter box since they won't use it and they love their hay in there they sit right in and eat and I have a card board box in their run with their hay and they also love it. I put hand towels in the bottom and change them out. Mine never sleep on the hay they just use it to eat. I just find they don't care for the think pieces they are the last for them to eat.
 
I have litter trays that I put cheap hay in twice a day and two hay racks made from c&c grids that I fill with orchard hay and Timothy hay once a day.There is some wasted but not loads
 
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