Hay

Is it best to lay hay all over the floor or to put it in one specific area like a dish?

I've found it's best to have the hay in a dish, so they don't eat something they're going to the bathroom all over.

Plus, if the pigs can reach the top of the cage, put it on the top so they have to stretch up and exercise to get at it. They have hay dispensers for sale that you can put on the side of a cage so the pigs can eat from it and it doesn't get messy.

-Dan

[ninga1026]

You can get great ideas for hay racks at http://www.cavycages.com/photos/show...t=520&password=

[kennethlhm]

i would prefer using hay rack. jus bend a cube to make hay rack. if put on dish, GP may sit on it & urine on it.

[cavylover]

i have a pillar in the corner from top to bottom out of coroplast.its about a foot long and probably 3 feet from top to bottom. I cut out 2 sides of the triangular prism and i stuff alfalfa into it . Sometimes one of them even sleep with his head in the hay :|.Also with my others i took an old kid toy.The toy where you put different shapes into a box.Anyways they love trying to stick their noses in through the little holes and grab hay

[Treen]

Remember hay isn't just for eating - they love to play, burrow and nest in it too. Mine have always ignored hayracks, preferring to stretch out on a nice bed of hay and tuck in while they rest! Of course they may pee on it, but as long as you change it daily and have enough in so there'll be some left unsoiled, there shouldn't be any problem at all and you'll have some very playful and content pigs! Mine are never happier than when a fresh pile of hay arrives in the cage - brings on much popcorning!

[cavylover]

Mine actually take all the hay out of the troft(well babytoy) and throw it around play tug o war and everything.im trying new ideas everyday and they love it.I took some lego blocks and built like a stepping place where they can smell the hay and omg they love it.Head butting it trying to knock it over. Haha very funny

[ChadWPB]

I use both. My hay racks are just empty tissue boxes stuffed with hay. The pigs love bumping them around and digging in to get the tasty hay inside. We use one box per piggie (have two sets of trios).

In addition, each cage is outfitted with two piles of hay, a small one in front mainly for nibbling, and a huge one (takes up a 1x3 space) in back for just about anything a pig can do with hay.

Look in my photo album to see my twin cages fully stocked with plenty of delicious hay for my spoiled piggies.

[GuineaTV]

Basically it depends on how much you are willing to CLEAN UP and SPEND on hay, because they will pee all over it! I have a rack which the pigs still get excited about when they hear fresh hay coming, and also a small paper lunch bag stuffed with hay. Eventually they like to burrow into the bag and hang out in there, and of course pee, but it's way easy clean up. On special occasions (i.e. weekends so I am home to clean up daily) I'll put down a big clump, and of course they go crazy.

[NoVeil]

I do both. I have a hay rack and then I also just toss in handfuls of hay. They nibble the hay on the floor and then they burrow in it and play in it, tramping it down. I fluff it back into a big pile and they do it all over again. I take all the bottom hay out every few days. The hay rack gets fresh hay when needed.

[mom to cujo]

Cujo actually plays hide and go seek in his hay. He will hide and I will call him. He will stay perfectly still -sometimes for more than a minute. Then he will stir and I "find" him. When I touch him he just purrs and purrs. It is almost like he is giggling! It really is quite funny. My husband cracks up every time we play.

[mncavylover]

I use a hay rack I bought and it works well. The pigs always manage to pull half of the hay out though! =) Sometimes I put out hay in the middle of their cage and watch them burrow in it. It's all up to what you feel most comfortable doing and what your piggies like! =)