Hay What Do You Use to Feed Hay?

Hay balls are inefficient in delivering hay, and dangerous to the guinea pig. We've had more than one broken leg when a pig gets a leg stuck in the wires of the ball.

Look at the photo galleries -- there are all sorts of hay feeders in there. Just avoid the ones that are made out of wire that a pig can jump into -- we've had injuries from those as well.

Whatever you choose, make sure he has hay all the time. It's the most important thing in his diet -- it keeps his teeth ground down and his gut moving properly.

I use a 4" deep tray at one end of the cage that's about 1x2 in size. I put a layer of carefresh in the bottom and put hay on top of that. They love to burrow in the hay as they eat it. This method does use a lot of hay though.

I bought a plastic filing container and cut openings in it. However I have 7 pigs to feed so I needed something really big for them.

I use this hayrack from the Store:
https://www.guineapigcagesstore.com/hayrack-large#.Vrvm1VgrLIU

It fits so much hay in it that I can go 2-3 days without refilling it- and even then, it's only half empty. My pigs can't reach the top of it to jump in, either.

A bent grid with hay in a box is what I normally use.


Hay in corner pans too.


More grid and box hay.


And now I am using two bent grids to make a diamond shape attached to a grid on the bottom so they can not tip it over, it's free standing.



In the first picture here is candy eating at the dish and Chewie between the hay racks. those girls will come up to get petted. Sometimes at the same time, you are doing two arm pets.

I think a huge hay rack over a hay box works best.

I use a plastic basket thing I found at Target for $2. There are a large variety of things you can use. I hope you find something that works for you!

i use one of these https://www.walmart.com/ip/More-Inside-Medium-Under-Shelf-Basket/22388187

and i secured a piece of coroplast on the back to keep the hay in and then hang it on the grids for the girls and it works well for them

I just plop the hay right in their cage in a little pile. Much easier that way, and I don't have to worry about them not getting enough hay. Plus, they love sitting/sleeping in it.

I'm thinking of taking my hay rack out and going to a pile of hay.

I've had a pig with pneumonia for the last three weeks, and I've been putting down a big pile of hay close to her to make it easier for her to eat. And all three LOVE it! They're so excited when I top the pile off, they burrow in it, they circle around it, they run through it. It just seems mean to deprive them of that joy.

It's messy, and it wastes hay, but I'm about to decide that it's worth it. I'm dumping the fleece every day to get rid of the poop, so the hay can just go with it.

Nazgul said:

I just plop the hay right in their cage in a little pile. Much easier that way, and I don't have to worry about them not getting enough hay. Plus, they love sitting/sleeping in it.

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I have hay ninjas too. Mine will eat, sleep, run, pee/poop in it. Kinda like in the wild.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I use 2 little closet maid storage rack things that you can pick up at target or Home Depot. I'm sure some walmarts have them, but mine didn't. I like them because they are narrow, hang on the wall easily, and long so the pigs can all sit side by side and eat. Pigs can jump into them though, if they are are small enough and the rack is half empty. Pansy has only ever jumped in there once, but i haven't seen her try since then.

Wire hay racks that pigs can jump into can cause serious injuries. I know of pigs who've had broken legs because they got startled while in the rack.

bpatters said:

Wire hay racks that pigs can jump into can cause serious injuries. I know of pigs who've had broken legs because they got startled while in the rack.

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All of my pigs are too big to fit in there now. And I typically keep it overflowing with hay so they're not tempted anyway.

We are getting a hay rack thing, right now we have hay balls.