having a very hard time finding good hay

[Naomi]

even the local farm supply place doesn't carry it. they have an alphalfa/grass mix but that is it. I found big bales of white pine horse bedding that I can use, is it safe? there is no pine smell at all from it. I would much rather have the timothy hay though.

[Percy's Mom]

Are you looking for something to use for bedding, or are you looking for hay? Hay as a bedding is really not a good idea at all. It's almost completely non-absorbant, and would have to be changed out at least once, if not twice, a day. If the pine horse bedding truly doesn't have any scent, it's a much better idea. I would still let it sit out and stir it a few times a day before putting it in the cage, so it can continue to air out.

Hay really needs to be in the cage in unlimited quantities only for you pigs to eat to keep the length of their teeth in check.

[aqh88]

If the pine is kiln dried it will work but if not I wouldn't mess with it unless you can't find anything better. It may not smell to you but when you have a whole cage full of it and are only a few inches away from it like a guinea pig it can be a different story. The only "pine" bags I've found that didn't smell were actually spruce and generally will say softwood shavings on the front instead of pine shavings. I would still prefer to cut the pine bags open and leave them for a day even if they are kiln dried. If it's not kiln dried you can dump it in a container(the wider and shorter sided the better) to let it air out for several days before using it but personally I would skip it for something else.

For hay have you looked into ordering online? It's much cheaper if you can find local baled hay that is of good quality but alfalfa is a preferred hay for livestock except in areas with a warmer climate and hay for livestock is often not stored as carefully because of the large amounts people have to deal with. That makes it difficult to find good guinea pig hay even in areas of the country that produce lots of hay. Even with shipping ordering from places like Kleenmama's Hayloft :: Home or Oxbow Pet Products | Welcome is cheaper than buying small bags in the stores.

[Naomi]

Thank-you for your input. The bag says nothing about how it is dried, just white pine horse bedding. I was wanting to use the hay as bedding, but now reading I see that is not a good idea, they still need a good supply for eating though and the small bags from the pet store are pricey! Thanks for the links I will check them out.

Naomi

[Naomi]

I checked out the links but unfortunatey they don't seem to ship to Canada.

[Naomi]

Is there anyone who ships hay to Canada?

[jdomans]

Naomi, go into the Canadian area and ask about where others get their hay from. You may get some help there.

[Naomi]

I contacted Oxbow and they will ship to Canada, just can't do it off their site. Thanks to all for your help

[Naomi]

well ZOINKS!!!! they can ship here BUT it costs more than the products!