Hay Separate hay area...how do YOU do this?

Amy262 · Jan 27, 2013

For those of you who put the hay on the floor of one section of the cage, how do you do this? How often do you completely change out the hay? Where do you buy your hay from so that it isn't so expensive to replace after they poop/pee on it?

I currently have a 3 story cage that is 2x3 on the bottom, 1x2 in the middle and an L-shape on the top which is basically a 1x3 plus another 1x1. I have the original store bought cage that sits on the floor next to the large cage, but is not being used for anything. I was thinking about incorporating the store bought cage into their bottom floor by having a little bridge going through one of the walls in the cage into the store bought cage. The store bought cage would be their "kitchen" area. I was thinking of using hay on the floor in their instead of bedding, but didn't know if this would be a more expensive option. Or, would it be better to just use bedding and have a regular hay rack, like I already have? By adding the store bought cage to the lower floor, it would extend their current living area on the bottom floor to 2x4.

Crazy Cavies · Jan 27, 2013

They really love having hay on the floor to burrow in, and I highly recommend it as it makes them so happy. You would need to change it out often though, and this could get expensive if you are buying hay in a bag from a pet store. You could also buy a bale of timothy hay from a local farmer, which is a much cheaper option. (I bought a bale of hay for $4.00 from a local farmer.)

Elthysia · Jan 27, 2013

My cage is 2x4 with 1x2 L shape for hay area on the side. The 2x4 is fleece, then 1x2 is newspaper, carefresh then a very generous amount of hay in it. I change the hay every other day, the whole lot twice a week. I give the, cheap soft meadow hay to lie in, but they get Timothy to eat from hay rack. Timothy is very expensive in UK as it comes from the Us.

They also have a 2x3 loft where water, hayrack, pellets and fresh food is. So the 2x4 is clear of clutter so they can run freely around their pigloo etc.

Cavylier · Jan 27, 2013

I have a 2.5x4 (the equivalent of a 2x5) and I just put my hay into their litter tray in a big heap with lots of recycled, non-clumping pelleted litter below.

Admittedly, it requires a bit more cleaning up than a hay rack but I couldn't stand to see my pigs crane their necks every time they wanted to munch! They also soil their litter tray more than the rest of the cage this way.

You can basically do as you please as long as you just use a good bedding so that the hay does not remain wet too long and get moldy. Some members use wood pellet bedding as it's more absorbent and cost-effective.

Amy262 · Jan 27, 2013

I have fleece throughout the rest of my C&C cage, so another option is to make a fleece liner for that new kitchen section and keep using a hay rack. I'm going to have to look into the cost of purchasing a larger amount of Timothy. Doesn't the Timothy get dry if you store it for too long? I would think that the large amount purchased would get bad. Also, if you buy a bale of hay, where do you keep it? My husband would not be thrilled with keeping a bale of hay in our garage. LOL!!!

YourSoJelly · Jan 27, 2013

I did that a couple of months ago. I did not fill it all of the way. I put a large handful in the very center of the petstore cage bottom and I try to keep it away from the corners. Your pigs will poop in the corners but thats ok. My girls liked it but It took away 1/3 of their 2x3 so I took it out to give them more space. Now that have a pig cage that I could put it in a spot where it wouldnt take up any space but I don''t because I have a hay bag.

Amy262 · Jan 27, 2013

The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning toward just sewing some separate fleece liners for that area. What I disliked most about the paper bedding was the inability to pick up all the poops daily (they always fall to the bottom). The fleece is so nice because the cage stays so clean. I also just purchased some cotton fabric to make hay bags, so I may as well use it. Still on the fence about this, though...

madelineelaine · Jan 27, 2013

I have a hay bag that I love, but I still give them a pile of hay on the floor because it makes them happy. It just goes in there 2x3 kitchen area. I'm fine with them making a mess there, when they track it to other parts of the cage, however, I get a little miffed.

Carissa6729 · Jan 27, 2013

When I had a separate hay area, I used a full 2x3 grid space and had a coroplast tray set up with a towel/uhaul and fleece under it. I just replaced the hay daily and rolled up the fleece & towel. It honestly was a PITA, but my boys loved it. I still need to find a good local supplier, so my hay costs were getting pretty ridiculous to be honest, but now I've only changed it to give my boys some extra space to get away from each other. When they get a bit older, and I can find a supplier, I'll put their hay area back in again.

2198lindsey · Jan 27, 2013

I bought my first bale of timothy 6 months ago, for like 12 $ I think and it's stayed good. We split it up into 3 garbage bags and do have it in the garage. The cost difference is HUGE and the quality is the same you just have to look around and find out what's best. There's no mess if you're careful, and I'm pretty sure we're going to be getting a huge plastic tote to put the third that I'm using in to cut down on mess. I'll swear by this method but only because I have feed stores 10 minutes away and for me I didn't see the purpose in ordering hay and having to pay shipping when I could just buy when I get horse feed.

Amy262 said:
I have fleece throughout the rest of my C&C cage, so another option is to make a fleece liner for that new kitchen section and keep using a hay rack. I'm going to have to look into the cost of purchasing a larger amount of Timothy. Doesn't the Timothy get dry if you store it for too long? I would think that the large amount purchased would get bad. Also, if you buy a bale of hay, where do you keep it? My husband would not be thrilled with keeping a bale of hay in our garage. LOL!!!

PrincessAngel · Jan 27, 2013

I have a 1x2 hay area with separate fleece liners. I stuff big cardboard tubes with hay. So they can pull hay out, lay in the tube, etc. Most of the hay stays in the 1x2 and I usually don't have much waste but I pick up hays and poos every day or every other day. I get my hay from a feee store for anywhere between $5 & $6. 1 bale can last me anywhere from 6 months or more, with 3 pigs and waste and all the weeds I might pull out.

Amy262 · Jan 27, 2013

I think I've made a decision to stick with fleece throughout the whole cage, which means making additional liners for that section now. I do want to look into buying the hay in bulk. Friends of ours have horses, so I'm going to find out where they get their hay. I pay $5.00 for a teeny bag of Oxbow Timothy. I had no idea that I could get a whole bale for the same price!! I will have to figure out a place to store it. As it is, our C&C cage keeps getting larger and larger. I think my husband thinks I have lost my mind. Lol

Nazzie081 · Jan 27, 2013

How about a big shoe box or even a box of some sort fill it up with hay and you got your self a hay section.

Amy262 · Jan 27, 2013

Nazzie081 said:
How about a big shoe box or even a box of some sort fill it up with hay and you got your self a hay section.

I actually just saw another post on here where someone bent one of the grids from a C&C cage and made a hay silo. That's what I'm going to do!!

ButtersandMimsy · Jan 27, 2013

I used a store bought hay rack and placed it in the C&C cage, which they loved, but now I place lots of hay in their home made hammock, and they love burying in it and munching away! I've also incorporated a store bought cage into my C&C cage as I found it handy for when I'm cleaning, as they still have somewhere substantial whilst I'm washing sheets, and I also find it beneficial for reducing the smell of wee on the fleece as I use sawdust in the store bought cage. =)

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