Could Patches injure himself doing this?

**Pandora4co** · #1 03-30-08, 10:43 am

The hay rack in my cage is a bent (Lshaped) target grid ziptied to the side of the cage so it sticks out like a shelf that I put the hay on and my boys had been runing underneath it and reaching up to get the hay. When they were small this worked really well.

Lately though I've noticed Patches is now big enough to actually jump up onto the grid and sit up there to eat it. I'm really worried that his little legs could fall through those inch wide openings and he could hurt himself.

Anyone else had this problem? Could he hurt himself?

I'm considering just removing the rack and just throwing loose hay in there but the couple times I've tried that, they just throw it everywhere, pee in it, lay on it and it gets matted down, really messy, and stinky really fast.

**paula.m.moore** · #2 03-30-08, 11:37 am

All of my boy pigs have done this at some point. One pig actually prefers sleeping up there on top of the hay.
Sometimes when they know I am going to trim their nails or do other grooming, they jump into their hay rack (also a Target grid zip tied to the cage) and think I won't see them sitting in there.

I suppose the potential for injury does exist, but I personally have never worried about it with my guys.

**Rachy1412** · #3 03-30-08, 11:48 am

Well... a few weeks ago I would agree but now I don't. Each cage of mine had a bent grid as a hay rack. But one day when a stranger came in and tried to touch my pig who was happily sleeping in the rack, she got startled, got her leg stuck through one of the grids and went absoloutly nuts twisting, turning and squealing. Thankfully I was there and was able to free her before she did any serious damage. Now I just have litter trays full of hay and they much prefer it.

**Pandora4co** · #4 03-30-08, 11:59 am

That's exactly what I'm afraid of Rachy, I have a 5 year old who can sometimes run up to the cage and startle them with his enthusiastic "Hi Guys!" Maybe I'll try taking it out for a bit and see how they deal with loose piles of hay. I'm sure they will love it... I'm just not sure if I will. But if it's safer it's worth it.

**Rachy1412** · #5 03-30-08, 12:11 pm

, no it won't be easy! The litter tray has to be changed daily now because of all the poop and pee they seem to enjoy laying on it! But I do admit the extra work it worth just seeing how happy they are to have a pile of hay instead of a rack.

**bamby71994** · #6 03-30-08, 12:33 pm

My pig would always jump in and get stuck. So I bought him a hay ball!

**paula.m.moore** · #7 03-30-08, 12:46 pm

One of my pigs got his head stuck in one of those hay balls - which is why I changed to the folded grid. It's probably one of those things that depends on your piggies and level of comfort.

What about somehow adhering a piece of coroplast to the hay rack? I have on the back of the hay grid so that tons of hay doesn't fall out onto the floor.

I also tried just putting the hay in a pile on the cage and that didn't work out. They peed on it nearly immediately and it became inedible fairly quickly.

Good luck whatever you decide.

**auburnmare5** · #8 03-30-08, 12:51 pm

If you don't want a hay "rack" anymore, try a suet feeder. I got the idea on here and it works very well!
I would recommend a large or multiple suet feeders for multiple pigs.

**Rachy1412** · #9 03-30-08, 01:30 pm

paulammore... that's what I did! I put a big chuck of coroplast at the back and two peices on the side to stop them from jumping in.. HA like that worked

. These pigs can jump higher than you think.

**cavyinhawaii** · #10 03-30-08, 02:22 pm

I have a hammock in the corner(triangle with ties on the corners). I just fill it with hay.Sometimes they sleep up there sometimes they pull hay down. No grids to fall through just material.
They love it.I did make sides for my hammock so the hay dosent fall out of the cage. You can drape material or a towel to do the same thing.

**Newpiggiemom** · #11 03-30-08, 02:58 pm

What really works for me is a bent grid rack with a pan underneath. The sides are closed so the pigs can't get in (with coroplast) then I have a tray underneath lined with carefresh and then some hay always winds up on top of the carefresh. The carefresh absorbs the pee and they have hay to eat that's clean, and hay to sit in. It works really well.

**Biscuit** · #12 03-31-08, 11:09 am

Mine practically live in the hay rack that is set up this same way! I'm worried now. We haven't had any problems, but I know how that goes.

They are so cute and funny in their hay rack too. They love it. =/

**Rachy1412** · #13 03-31-08, 11:54 am

Chloroplast back, tray under neath and chloroplast sides:

Spot the pig:

**Pandora4co** · #14 04-01-08, 05:11 pm

Well I decided to remove the rack and just pile some hay in the "litter pan".
I have two pans that are 14" by 17" right next to each other and I put a big pile in each. They really seem to love runing through it and laying in it. So far they are keeping it in the pans and it's not getting to "peed" on.

I think I may just go rack free for now.

**hydrohoki** · #15 04-01-08, 10:14 pm

Love the pig in the hay rack pigtures. I'm realizing how green my hay is.

**Rachy1412** · #16 04-02-08, 05:15 am

Ah yes welcome to great Britain's brown hay. Trouble is after years on that hay my pigs can't stand oxbow hay, oh well hay is hay.

**Cherish** · #17 04-02-08, 09:53 am

We have hay racks like the ones Rachy pictured, and we also had the same worry with the pigs jumping into them.
We just made the hay racks thinner, like at a tighter angle, so our big fat boys are too wide to jump in them anymore.
It means that they can't hold quite as much hay, so I have to re-stock a couple of times a day, but apart from that they work fine.

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