Storage: How big is hay?

[YayPiggies]

Hi there!
I am in a dilemma. I want to order either 20 or 40 pounds of hay (the only other option is 10 and 60- too little, too much!) Obviously the 40 pounds is cheaper by the pound, HOWEVER, I do not want to buy it only for it to go bad before they can eat it! How long will it take for 2 guinea pigs to eat 40 or 20 pounds of hay? (I'm ordering it from this bunny hay supplier, it's very fresh).

Also, I am going to buy one of those plastic garden storage boxes for the hay, but how big should it be? I was looking at this one- Walmart.ca: Rubbermaid, Rubbermaid 189L Jumbo Storage Tote, Large handles offer easy lifting Measures 42.2* x 21 x 16.6 inches Is it okay?

Thanks so much!

[Peggysu]

I'd go for the 40 lbs as it can last years if stored properly.

[misspiggy&piper]

So hay won't lose it's nutritional value over time?

[Fudgenrolo]

Originally Posted by misspiggy&piper

So hay won't lose it's nutritional value over time?

No, not if it's kept aired and damp-free. The hay you buy from shops etc. is probably a year old or so already by the time you buy it.

I've just bought my first hay bale today for my forthcoming piggies - it's lovely quality and sooo much cheaper than buying lots of small bags. The house and car now smell of hay but it's a nice smell!

It's only £4.00 a bale.... (around $8) and hopefully will last me ages.

[danav]

I don't know about the place you're ordering from, but I can tell you about my hay from kleenmama's hayloft...

I ordered 25 lbs of bluegrass hay. It arrived August 18 in a box 18" x 18" x 16". I have two piggies that have been eating it since Aug 18, six weeks now, and we have barely made a dent in the box yet - it should last for months! (And they have just both had babies - they ate a LOT of hay towards the end of their pregnancies!)

I'm storing it in the cardboard box it came in (I removed the plastic bag the hay was packed in) in my laundry/storage room. I was told it should be good for a year or more stored in the box as long as it doesn't get wet.

The hay in the box is really compressed. I have a plastic storage tub under my pigs' table where I keep hay close by to feed them from every day, and when I fill that tub from the box of hay it barely looks like I took any hay out of the box. (I did drill lots of holes in the sides of the plastic tub and I keep the lid off to allow air to circulate - I don't think you should store it in a closed plastic tub.)

If you have a good storage place (dry, out of the way) for 40 lbs of hay, you should be able to go ahead and get that one and save some money. If not, the 20 lbs is still going to last you quite a while, several months probably.

Hope that was helpful!

[Peggysu]

No, I buy it in bulk and just keep it in a plastic trash bin with the lid off so that it has air flow. I also fluff up the hay so that it continues to get airflow as it settles. It's just one "big" expense and it lasts for a long time. I also do the same thing with pellets and buy those in bulk as well. I freeze the excess. I don't have to buy pellets or hay often and it makes my life easier.