Hay Racks: How do you get hay into the cage without making a mess?

[pringles70]

Ok, I've figured out that I make a bigger mess with the hay than the piggies do. I end up getting it all over the place trying to get it into the cage.

How do you folks get the hay into the cage without getting it all over the floor? Any tips or ideas will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[akstrohm]

You could put all the hay into paper bags when you get a box of it. Then just put the bags in the cage.

[pringles70]

I could do that. Currently I have the hay in the box and I use a small clean cat litter pan to transfer it to the cage, but I find pulling it out of the box and into the pan is where the mess comes from.

[fieryone]

When you find out, let me know! I get so much hay on the floor in the area between the bin and the cage, it's ridiculous

[Milkingit]

We use a hayball, and I just take it out, fill it up in the current bag, then replace the ball.

No mess at all. And my piggies love using the ball, and are very good at emptying it.

[CavyMama]

Good question! Most of the time I hold the hay over the cage as I transfer it, so any stray pieces fall into the cage. The problem is when I'm done, taking the container back out, there is always some on the floor. It's difficult to vacuum up too!

[eschimpf]

This is my hay rack, It comes off so all I had to do is take it off and fill it up. then put it back in the cage and hook it back up. Very handy!

[NicholsS10]

I store my hay in a 35 gallon rubbermaid bin. I also get my hay from KM Hayloft, so it comes to me all "compressed" so I fluff up as much of it that I can and place it in the bin. The bin is about 15 feet away from my cage, so I know all about getting everywhere. What I have found handy is using a very large, oversized, plastic plate from Ikea. It's about the size of a grid, and is a square too. I pile up a bunch of hay on the plate walk it over to the cage and dump it in their hay rack. I make as many trips as necessary, usually 1 or maybe 2 unless the hay rack is completely empty (which only happens when I completely clean out the cage). Since I started using the plate, hay doesn't get everywhere nearly as often. Plus KM hay (at least the 3rd cut) is actually very easy to vacuum up, so if it does get everywhere, it's not a big deal.

Edited to add: I also want to mention that I fill up the plate INSIDE the bin, so if some falls off, it just goes straight back into the bin.

[pringles70]

Nichols, that's actually a good idea. I'm going to have to get a large rubbermaid container for my Hay ( I use KM's 3rd cut as well).

Thanks everyone for some great ideas, I'm going to redo the hay rack as well.

[NicholsS10]

Originally Posted by Milkingit

We use a hayball, and I just take it out, fill it up in the current bag, then replace the ball.

No mess at all. And my piggies love using the ball, and are very good at emptying it.

I'm against using hay balls, they are a bad idea.

The following picture was taken in February of 2008, I hadn't even had guinea pigs for a month yet.



I have a similar photo in the gallery. If you read the description, it describes what happened and how.

[pringles70]

Wow, that could have been really bad! He must have been terrified!

[NicholsS10]

I just re-read my post and realized that you can't read the description unless you search for the picture. I guess that's what I get for posting so late at night. Anyways here is the link to the picture in the gallery with the description and the comments about it.

Skunk in the Hay Ball - Guinea Pig Cage Photos

[PiggieMamaKelly]

I also use a big rubbermaid type bin and it works great. I keep the big KM box in the garage and transfer the hay into the bin there- makes a mess but it's in the garage so who cares. Then taking the hay out of the bin to fill racks doesn't make as much of a mess because the hay isn't all compressed anymore.

I have my cage on a wooden table that my husband built and I keep the bin under the table in the same place as the hay rack. I slide the bin out and the hay has to make a very short trip. Then I just slide the bin back under and it's out of the way.

Of course I still find hay everywhere in the house but I guess that's unavoidable.

[PiggieMom]

I keep my hay in a giant plastic trash bin in my kitchen, so when I used a hay rack I just used the curved lid to transfer it to the living room. The oversized plate sounds like a really good alternative though. Now, I use kleenex boxes, paper bags and toilet paper rolls, so I just take them to the hay.

[CavyLuver516]

If you have your hay bin or bag right next to the cage, there is no making a mess of it on the floor - it's falling in the cage already! Or, maybe try placing the hay in paper bag (from the grocery store) on it's trip from the bin to the cage. I hope this works with you!

[Deb's4Pigs]

I have a large trash bag next to the cage on top of my cockatiel cage and of course it gets all over the place. There is always a pile of hay on the floor. I just like to toss the hay in their kitchen area so that they can play in it.