Wasting hay….

Ruth1

Ruth1

Adult Guinea Pig
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I feel like I seem to be sweeping up and binning a lot of their good hay. I give them soft cut Timothy hay from Haybox - yummy! Not begrudging them their fresh hay daily, nor do I mind putting bundles of it wherever I know they stop, on their pottering or in their chilling in the tents, but I wonder am I too fussy about adding extra or taking out too much. When I sweep I’m always worried that they may have peed on some, or is it not fresh enough, will it cause them to eat less hay if I’m not replenishing it often enough….. and so I obsess! 🤣

Is this just a guineapig thing - expect to waste some hay…? Has anyone got any top tips for hay conservation. (I don’t want to go down the hay rack route).

Beginning of the week starts like this - nice and tidy. Communal hay in a dish, hay in each tent, hay in each tunnel - delightful…

End of the week - this is today and I swept a while ago - carnage and a load of probably good hay in the bin.

Sorry for long post - any seasoned piggy slaves got some pro tips?!

Thanks xx
 

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It's totally normal and not being wasted - just appreciated.
I use large hay trays and throw all the hay away at least every second day. It is so important that they feel they are able to eat unlimited amounts, that I never consider it a waster to throw a lot away.
Your end of week cage looks like piggy heaven.
 
I have 9 piggies over 4 enclosures, I spot clean each every day, I sweep all poops and remove only the wettest of the hay which tends to be in a corner or at the bottom of the pile, I then add a load of fresh , my grass bin only gets emptied every other week so I have to push it down as much as possible, I tidy cage and piggies like to rearrange by dragging hay everywhere 😂 I don’t mind it’s their safe place. As long as they are eating loads of hay I ain’t fussed.
 
I chuck loads away...it's just part of having piggies. It's bedding, enrichment and food all in one.

I do fluff it all up in their hay trays before I put fresh in though so I'm not being overly wasteful. The trays get a full scoop out every other day.

I have started putting a hay rack up so on the days where they feel the stuff in the tray is not up to their demanding standards anymore, they still have a fresh stuff. Some days they eat what's in the rack, other days they don't touch it so I just leave it as it is rather than replace it as it's still clean.

Stuffing hay in loo roll tubes can sometimes prioritise it for eating rather than sit and poop on. But no other tricks from me really.
 
Thanks folks - just part and parcel then really - it is lovely to see the joy they find in a fresh handful of hay!

Maybe I should give them a stern talking to - bedding hay for poop and pee, Timothy hay is to be kept clean, neat and tidy and in its proper place for eating! 🤣 or a little laminated sign in the pen to remind them!

I’ve just set up a hay box subscription for a box every 5 weeks along with their herbal forage mix and coriander mix. Just fling it in there and let them enjoy it!

Thanks x
 
Milo & stitch enclosure never looks tidy but they like it this way
 

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No hay racks here, just messy bundles of hay. My before picture would not be anywhere near as tidy as yours.
Enjoy the piggies hay re-arranging.
We get through a lot of hay too, and often wonder if we are wasting, but the boys have fun with it all.
 
There's permanently hay everywhere in the Goblin Room. Note I say room and not cage, lol. Literally the first thing I do when I wake up - open Goblin Room door, chuck in a handful of hay, then go to the toilet. Priorities, right?
 
I can tip toe to the bathroom and rumbled as soon as I sit down, their hearing is super sonic 😂 I can’t even put the kettle on as bars are being rattled so hard I have to grab the romaine and feed like yesterday 😂
 
Mine are in the kitchen and I can hear them wheeking by the time I’m in the hall with my hand on the living room door handle. I’ve started keeping a little pot of pea flakes in the hall, because I’ve started a routine of two wee faces in tunnels waiting at the bars for a flake 😳. It seemed a good idea at the time 🤣🤣. They don’t be long in settling into a routine that pleases them!
 
Agreed they do know the time, feeders foot steps, noises regardless how quiet, I can’t open anything plastic wrapped, I have a young one whom sets everyone off, I get rumbled lol 😂
 
Mine are terrors. Due to their health problems they have a bowl of Emeraid each for breakfast. And boy do they rattle the bars for it. They'll yank the door off its holdings and chew all the way along the metal. Sometimes they're so in a frenzy they'll fight me for the door...yanking it back towards them when I'm trying to open it 🤦🤦 All goes quiet as soon as they get their face in the bowl though 🤣
 
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