Hay Racks How to keep the hay in the cage - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**MapleOwl18** · #1 05-20-09, 01:15 pm

Ok so I'm moving to a new house, and one of the problems we have with our current appartment is that the hay has been getting all over the place. I keep it in a big box, fill it up the hay racks, and then move it over to the piggy cage. Somehow it just seems to get all over.

I'm currently using "softy," hay racks from Windespirit that the piggies really like, and I've used paper bags and wire hay racks in the past. So how does everyone keep from getting hay all over the house. Basically if I can't figure this out the piggies are getting banished to their own little room where I can control the hay, as opposed to the front parlor they would otherwise occupy. Should I invest in a shop vac? I have a portable vacumn cleaner for the poos but it doesn't pic up the hay.

**Peggysu** · #2 05-20-09, 01:34 pm

I don't know. Hay always gets outside the cage. I've accepted it as part of the package of having guinea pigs. I always fill up the hay racks in the cage and not outside of it but it still finds its way out.

**lissie** · #3 05-20-09, 02:12 pm

I keep hay box under the cage right under the hay rack. When I refill their hay rack, I slide out the box and hay doesn't fall on the floor. The hay box is about the size of 2x1.5 grids.

**MapleOwl18** · #4 05-20-09, 02:29 pm

Lissie, do you have a picture of that? I couldn't find one I thought was exactly that. I love your cage setup by the way.

**lissie** · #5 05-20-09, 03:20 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by MapleOwl18

Lissie, do you have a picture of that? I couldn't find one I thought was exactly that. I love your cage setup by the way.

Thanks. Not sure which version of my cage you like.

I don't have a picture of the hay box. I can't find a box that will fit the space, so I made one from multiple cardboard boxes, cut and taped/zip tied together to fit the space. This is for my cage #5. It has hay storage at the end of lower level. I think I'm going to make a new box out of coroplast.

**fieryone** · #6 05-20-09, 03:25 pm

I have just recently zip tied a spare piece of coroplast to the grids behind the hay rack to cover up the holes in the grids. It's not perfect, but it does help quite a bit!

**auburnmare5** · #7 05-21-09, 05:12 am

I have a box under the hay rack also. I have it under the hay rack on the outside of the cage all the time. You could even hang the hay rack up in the middle if you wanted, or somewhere where the hay will be messy inside the cage. I used to use a towel, but that didn't work out very well.
Good Luck

**pigsforlife** · #8 05-22-09, 04:27 am

I have a wire hay rack with a "kitchen area" that sits underneath. When they pull out the hay from the rack, trample on it and make a mess I can just remove it and put it in the bin. Also, around the hay rack have the coroplast walls really high so that they can't kick it out onto your floor.

**lissie** · #9 05-22-09, 10:50 am

I just made a new hay loft for my piggies. They like it more than hay racks because they can borrow in the hay. I put it right above my hay storage box, when I refill, I just slide the box out and put hay in the loft. Hay doesn't get on the floor and the high coroplast sides on the loft keep hay contained. This keeps my fleece easier to clean too. You can see the FedEx hay box under the cage in the picture on the right. I clean this out every night and put in new hay. The pigs run around like crazy when I do this. They're so cute!

**Peggysu** · #10 05-22-09, 12:00 pm

lissie, WOW that is a hay loft! I love it, maybe I'll do something like that when i get bored of my current cage and decide to change it.

**lissie** · #11 05-22-09, 12:03 pm

Thanks

I'm going to make a sign "The Hay Loft" and put it on the top of the white part in the front and let my kids decorate it. This should be a fun project for them.

This setup is also by far the easiest for me to clean.

**Peggysu** · #12 05-22-09, 12:06 pm

Oh your kids will have ton of fun doing that! That's so cool. Good to know it's easy to clean.

**MapleOwl18** · #13 05-23-09, 06:19 am

Do you put a bedding like carefresh under the hay or is it just hay.

I love the design

**lissie** · #14 05-23-09, 04:29 pm

Thanks

I put thick layer of newspaper underneath. Every night I roll the newspaper up along with leftover hay, wipe with 50/50 vinegar solution, and put in new newspaper and hay. I think this helps with floor time too.. They're now only pee on newspaper. I let them run around on carpet and only put newspaper down in one corner.

**guineapiglover0** · #15 06-08-09, 12:49 pm

you could like paint a cereal and put or draw somthing cute or warning or just put it there with zipties

**ferndalezoo** · #16 06-09-09, 05:05 pm

If you look in my gallery, you'll see my setup. It does a really good job of keeping the hay IN the cage and even OFF the fleece.

"Thank you, pigsforlife, for this useful post," says:
auburnmare5 (05-22-09)

"Thank you, lissie, for this useful post," says:
guineapiglover0 (06-08-09)

"Thank you, Peggysu, for this useful post," says:
guineapiglover0 (06-08-09)