Hay Racks Anyone NOT have a hayrack? If so, what do you do? - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**blessedbeingmom** · #1 07-17-09, 12:46 am

Does anyone here not have a hayrack, and if so, what do you do? Recently our three pigs have started pulling all the hay out of our (rather large) bent grid hay rack, and it just ends up all over the fleece. I am tempted just to fill up a kitten litter box (clean, we bought it for the pigs) with hay every day, and just dump it out every morning when we tidy their cage, and replace it with fresh hay. Does anyone see a problem with doing it this way? Thanks!

**oilooilooiloo** · #2 07-17-09, 12:52 am

i have a small cat litter box underneath the hay rack. i use fleece as well, but i have pine bedding covered w/ hay in the litter boxes. clean 'em daily and it's perfect for us!

**lissie** · #3 07-17-09, 12:58 am

That's what I do. I have a hay loft with no hay rack. They like eating off of the floor. I replace hay everyday. But it's kinda getting expensive since they wasted so much hay. I buy Klennmama hay. Thinking of getting local hay by the bale.

**Toadies** · #4 07-17-09, 07:40 am

I use a cardboard box about 12X12X8 inches and cut an entrance in the side, fill it up with hay and let them have their way with it. It's nice because they can burrow and sleep in it as well as gnash on hay. I have considered a plastic container but eating the box is half of their fun. It's not a perfect solution for tidiness, but it does keep the hay pretty much at on end of the cage.

**dra&pigs** · #5 07-17-09, 08:16 am

Since I use shavings, I just give them a huge old pile in the corner...they love to play around in it, and although it creates a little extra work for me, they definitely love it!!

**lilcavy** · #6 07-17-09, 09:08 am

I use the big ball with the bell on it. Sometimes i just fluff up the hay and put it in the cage so they can get in the middle and hide.... they love that!

**fieryone** · #7 07-17-09, 09:28 am

My new pig doesn't have a hay rack in his quarantine cage. I have a rabbit litter pan with a low front because my new pig came to me pretty chubby and he had a hard time getting in the box (with a hay rack) that I was originally using

I put Yesterday's News and Carefresh in the bottom and a pile of hay along the back "wall" of the pan and he loves to just sit there and munch away. He's in the pan a lot. It makes more of a mess than the set up in my girls' cage, but they have a pretty high walled coroplast box that I use.

My girls definitely prefer a pile of hay, but they ruin too much of it that way

**SFailed186** · #8 07-17-09, 12:16 pm

We just make a pile or two in there kitchen area. They are on fleece, but I don't think it is that hard to clean it up. We are wanting to make a hayrack to reduce the amount of wasted hay because they end up peeing in the pile.

Libby09 · #9 07-17-09, 12:27 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by lissie

That's what I do. I have a hay loft with no hay rack. They like eating off of the floor. I replace hay everyday. But it's kinda getting expensive since they wasted so much hay. I buy Klennmama hay. Thinking of getting local hay by the bale.

Thats exactly how Sophie does...she'd rather eat it off the floor. Its fine though because she gets fresh all the time and the old is cleaned.

Libby09 · #10 07-17-09, 12:29 pm

If the hay is changed daily, is it okay to be in the floor as long as they are not going to the bathroom on it?

**jordan** · #11 07-17-09, 12:45 pm

My boars are absolutely messy even though we made them a hay rack. Our youngest spreads it all over the cage, so I'm not sure what to do differently with him.. he's very mischevious.

My sows eat hay right out of their dish without any problems.

**blessedbeingmom** · #12 07-19-09, 10:15 am

Thanks! They are pulling out every single bit of hay from the hayrack, so there's really no point in having it there, and I think I'm going to try some sort of plastic kitty litter box or something, so it is at least somewhat contained, as it's making a huge mess on the fleece. I don't know that there is any point in putting bedding in the box if we are just going to be replacing the hay every day anyway. I'm still thinking about what to do.

**Ibbet** · #13 07-19-09, 12:52 pm

I use aspen bedding so I just put a pile in and he loves to sit on top of it. I take it out and replace it daily so it can be kind of a pain but he loves it.

He use to have a hay rack but it ended up all over the carpet and then he had a basket but he would just dump it. So just putting on the floor of the cage seems to work the best for us.

**Oliversnana** · #14 07-19-09, 12:56 pm

I made a hay rack for two reasons; (photo below) One, it would be nice if they were not eating the hay off of the ground, and Two; it looks neater and would be easier to clean up with less hay being woven into the fleece. WRONG!
This is just never gonna work because for some reason both of my boys insist that the hay be all over the floor

I have even observed Levi climbing up into the hay rack and throwing it out onto the floor as Oliver cheers him on

it is so funny to watch because if Levi realizes I am watching him he will stop tossing it out and start eating as if that is all that is going on but as soon as I leave the room Oliver will begin egging him on and the hay tossing resumes!

**LuLu the Guinea** · #15 07-19-09, 10:02 pm

I just put it on he fleece because I don't want to use a 'kitchen' or do anything like that. It doesn't stick to the fleece, well only the little parts, but that does not matter to me or my piggy.

Oh, I also used to have a hay rack but it just ended up making a bigger mess believe it or not!

**momof1kid3piggi** · #16 07-20-09, 08:13 am

I put it in a rabbit litter pan. It does get messy sometimes but its worth the cleaning. Because my piggy's they love it!

**guinea12** · #17 07-30-09, 09:14 am

on my second level i have the kitchen and hayloft so that the bottom level is easier to clean. my hay room is a plastic bin that is about 14 inches by 14 inches. is that big enough for 2 piggies? It seems big enough to me, I just like getting other people's opinions just to make sure!

**kimberlyg** · #18 07-30-09, 10:01 am

I took a large cardboard oatmeal container and cut a hole at the bottom. I shove it full of hay and as the eat it they get super excited because they can climb up in it and have a tall lookout point. My piggies are both pups so it won't be such a fun feature for a bigger pig but it still is very functional.

**Scarlettexeyes** · #19 07-31-09, 08:25 pm

I have a 1x1 cube sticking out of the side of my cage, and I use pee-pee pads, fleece AND carefresh in it. Then I hang one of the cavy hammocks and put the hay in it. This way, it stays in the kitchen area, it stays off the floor, and I can clean out all the spoiled hay easily.
I have a picture of it in my photos if I didn't explain it well.
I hope that helps!

**rjramer06** · #20 07-31-09, 09:03 pm

It might not be a "cleaner" option, but I stuff a toilet paper roll with hay as a sort of toy for our piggy. I think he prefers the hay in that, since I rarely see him eat the hay out of his loft. Maybe it's better tasting with it's from a toy? Haha!