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Hay Questions about KMS Hay, and storage of hay

Tylerryan79

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Hi all! I'm a new guinea pig slave, with two young males(Scott and Good Boy) and I had some concerns about my hay. Sorry if this is repeated(I'm sure it is) but its too difficult to use the search function with my phone.

I ordered 45lbs of 3rd cut from KMS and wanted to know if it's normal to see a large amount of brown hay. I know there should be "some" but I feel like there is one brown leaf for every 3 green, if that makes sense. Also it was as dry as a store bought bag of Kaytee Orchard Grass, and literally looks/feels like the orchard grass except the orchard has no brown blades.

Is this normal? I expected something fresher I guess after readig posts here.


Also how do I store the hay? Am I suppose to mix it or anything? Right now its in the box it came in, minus the bag I emptied it from.
 

Kimberly713

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No, it doesn't sound normal to me. I've not had any 3rd cut this year yet, I ordered 2nd and most recently Bluegrass. Both of which were green and fresh. KM may have had a bad crop this year for their 3rd cut, if that's the case there is nothing you can do.
Last year, it was beautiful! Green and leafy, and very soft. I don't remember seeing very many brown leaves at all either. My pigs loved it, and they are snobs. For your next batch try the 2nd cut or Bluegrass if there is any left, both are good crops.

Normally I buy a 15lb box of hay because I can fit it right under my cage. Some people buy big bins they keep in their sheds or garages for the hay and fill a smaller bin for inside as needed.
 

Gmato2piggies

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I have noticed that the quality this time around is not very good. I too have had alot of brown hay in the 3rd cut. Which is dissappointing when this is the first time ordered 3rd cut. After reading rave reviews. It is very saddening when we spend hundreds of $ for hay.
 

SpazNMeos momma

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My friend and I were going to go in on the cost of a large order from KMS, should we wait and continue to buy store stuff until next season? I dont want to pay shipping and higher cost if its the same quality as the store brands.
 

Piglicious

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the box i got so far has been very green and soft...very little if any brown. and my piggies inhale it
 

ILoveMillie

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I've never ordered KMS so I can't really compare it to anything that I have personally had, but it doesn't sound like the normal KMS hay. I get my hay from a local feed store and I love it!

For storing large amounts of hay, I keep my hay in a huge trash can on the side of my house. It doesn't get wet when it rains and it doesn't take up too much room! Keeping it in your garage is a great idea too like some people have mentioned above me. I have a small paint bucket, not can, for when I bring the hay inside for the pigs and it's small but holds a lot of hay! It's one of those orange paint buckets if you have ever seen those?
 

bpatters

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Most people had bad crops of hay this year, all across the country. Either too little rain, or too much. You could mail Linda a sample and see what she says.

You're storing it pretty well -- just punch a bunch of holes in the cardboard box so it can breathe.
 

Kim37040

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I just got in a 45 lb box of the 2nd cut.
I have noticed a little brown, but not nearly what I think you are describing with the 3rd cut.

This time I split my shipment in 2 and am storing each under the table where the cages sit.
I poked a lot of holes in the boxes and I leave the top open.
 

Kim37040

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For storing large amounts of hay, I keep my hay in a huge trash can on the side of my house. It doesn't get wet when it rains and it doesn't take up too much room! Keeping it in your garage is a great idea too like some people have mentioned above me. I have a small paint bucket, not can, for when I bring the hay inside for the pigs and it's small but holds a lot of hay! It's one of those orange paint buckets if you have ever seen those?

I love this idea! The bedroom that my boys are in has a door that leads to my back deck. What type of trashcan do you use? How do you keep the hay ventilated but keep it protected from the elements? I would love to get some local hay to help supplement the KMS I have for them. A trash can outside that door would be very convenient if I got the right type. Could you post a picture of the type of can you use? or send a link to it from somewhere on the web?
Thanks!
 

ILoveMillie

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I love this idea! The bedroom that my boys are in has a door that leads to my back deck. What type of trashcan do you use? How do you keep the hay ventilated but keep it protected from the elements? I would love to get some local hay to help supplement the KMS I have for them. A trash can outside that door would be very convenient if I got the right type. Could you post a picture of the type of can you use? or send a link to it from somewhere on the web?
Thanks!

Sorry for the delay...long week! Anyway, it's a big black trashcan and I will put pictures of the trashcan and paint bucket I use at the bottom of this post. To keep it ventilated I mix it around when I go get more hay. I live somewhere where there isn't much weather so it's easier to keep it protected from the elements. We rarely get rain, and NEVER snow. Here it is :) :

trashcan.JPG
This is the trashcan I use. I think my mom got it from Home Depot. If I am remembering correctly it was about $15-$20. It's on top of a boogie board so when it rains it doesn't sit in a puddle or something.
photo(16).JPG
Here's the inside of the trashcan. I keep the hay in a trash bag, but you can also just put it in the trashcan without the bag. It's right out side the door from where the guinea pigs are.
photo(17).JPG
This is the bucket that I bring the hay inside of. If you have a lot of guinea pigs I would get a bigger hay thing. I only have two guinea pigs, and I only have to refill this 1-2 times per week.
photo(18).JPG
And last, this is the inside of the bucket. It's a little less than half full and I could fit a ton more hay inside! I just put the bucket in the guinea pig cage so the hay that falls from my hand falls in the guinea pigs cage (they love cleaning my hay mess!!) instead of all over the floor.

Hope this helps :)
 

Cavalicious

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Yep, I like the trashcan idea! But it's also because I live in dry, sunny SoCal, too. :)
 

aislynn99

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If you are interested in storing it inside, I just purchased a free standing clothes closet from Walmart that works wonderfully. I bought two bales at once (25lb and 39lb), and I stood them on their ends inside the closet and they fit perfectly. The liner is cotton and very breathable, and it zips shut completely so no one can see what's inside. It's actually tall enough (63" high) that I could still hang things inside of it if I chose, like spare fleece or towels/U-Haul pads/such things that wouldn't matter if they smelled strongly of hay. Outside storage isn't an option for me, so this was the best I could think of. Just another option for you :)
 

Petlovr

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Are there any concerns about the plastic making the hay smell, or any chemicals leaching off the containers into the hay? All the water bottles being sold are BPH (?) free now, so does that translate into a concern for piggies to store food/hay in a non-food safe container?
 

SurfingPigs

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No, the plastic wouldn't be able to be heated enough for any harmful chemicals to leech into the hay.

I find the plastic annoying, anyhow. I store my hay from KMS in the box it comes in. I cut the trash bag it comes in down the side and just pull it out.
 

Cavalicious

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Sorry if something similar has been posted elsewhere, but I bought something like this and it really works well for aerating the hay:

Laundry-Hamper-21571388102.jpg
 

Delaine

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My sister is a horse person and she told me to make sure the hay can breath. I sewed together old twin sheets to make a huge bag and I can fit a 120 lb. bale of second cut timothy in it. I keep it inside so moisture isn't a problem. It keeps the mess to a minimum and is easy to access.
 

pinky

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I buy 50 lbs of Oxbow Orchard Grass and transfer it into brown paper yard waste bags. It usually fills about 5 of them. I keep one bag in my dining room where my pigs are (hidden next to an armoire) and the other bags are stored in my lower level on a table in my laundry room and in an another armoire that has part of the back removed so there's a lot of ventilation. I reuse the brown bags every time I reorder more hay. I just fold up the bags and store them when I get more hay.
 

sfrangu

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Pinky, where did you find Orchard Grass in such big bale/s?
 

pinky

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Pinky, where did you find Orchard Grass in such big bale/s?

I order it from Pet Supplies Plus. I don't have to pay for shipping because it's delivered to the the store where I pick it up. They also load it in my car. It costs about $61 which includes tax. I think it was $55 before tax. I think any store that carries Oxbow should be able to order it for you. PSP will order 25 lbs of timothy hay but the smallest box is 50 lbs for orchard grass. I've gotten three orders from them so far. The store gets shipments on Tuesdays so they can usually order with one or two days notice. It's a lot cheaper than buying in bags and the hay is a lot fresher. I'd say it's as good quality as KM.
 

Nicolene

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We buy a 100lb bale and stick it in a canvas christmas tree storage bag. It's in our garage, works perfectly.
 
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