Behavior Why does my girl do this with her hay?

4cavies · Feb 28, 2015

I have a mom and baby pair that I took in off a woman on craigslist, a little over a month ago, Judy and Liza. They had housed Judy with a male and ended up with babies.

When I received them, Judy was slightly emaciated (it was obvious she wasn't well cared for). They both seemed rather confused by anything other than pellets and water. After awhile though, they had both started enjoying their veggies and Orchard grass.

As of late, though, I have noticed the need to refill the girls hay rack quite more often than I had before. At first I had thought maybe it was just Liza growing and eating more. But, I find a lot of hay under the rack and off into the corner of the floor of the cage. Judy pulls it out and sticks it over there and then.... Nests?...in it. I have never had a pig do this before.

I was wondering if that is something pigs do? I don't know if maybe she was kept in something similar to that as bedding before where as now I have fleece for them or if there is some other reason she may be doing it. I'm just curious if anyone has any pigs that do this or may know why she does this?

Sballin · Feb 28, 2015

My girls have been wasting so much hay lately also it's ridiculous. I have a hay ball and if any falls out they refuse to eat it! So after about three days I have a whole section in my cage with nothing but wasted hay. By the end of te week when it's time for a cage cleaning hay is overflowing the sides of the cage they have wasted so much! I've tried everything like making boxes or trays to catch it when it falls but they still won't eat it. They either poop in it or they make a hole and nest in it also! I know they like the dig/burrow/nest but I've been spending so much money on hay lately it's crazy!

Sballin · Feb 28, 2015

Mine also eat the hay fast too - I have to refill atleast 4 times a day if not more.

4cavies · Feb 28, 2015

Sballin said:
My girls have been wasting so much hay lately also it's ridiculous. I have a hay ball and if any falls out they refuse to eat it! So after about three days I have a whole section in my cage with nothing but wasted hay. By the end of te week when it's time for a cage cleaning hay is overflowing the sides of the cage they have wasted so much! I've tried everything like making boxes or trays to catch it when it falls but they still won't eat it. They either poop in it or they make a hole and nest in it also! I know they like the dig/burrow/nest but I've been spending so much money on hay lately it's crazy!

I know the feeling! Luckily I ordered a 50lb box of Orchard grass from SPS....But still... That was $80! I have done the same thing, made little litter trays to go underneath and everything. She just moves it. Last night after refilling the hay rack for the third time that day, I watched. She actually pulls the hay out and moves it into a corner and nests in it. I have been concerned about her being pregnant again because she was kept with the father of her first litter for a couple weeks after she gave birth so of course I started getting paranoid thinking maybe its something pregnant pigs do! I have never really heard of such a thing, but it was just the past week or so that she has been doing it and well... I'm paranoid already because she has been drinking tons more than normal and whatnot, so it didn't help. Haha.

Sballin · Feb 28, 2015

@4cavies Hmm my pigs have never been pregnant before and I've never really been around pregnant pigs but if she was put back in the cage with the male I'm sure it's possible!! From what I've read the water is a sign, and the nesting may be also. You may want to ask someone with more experience though!!

4cavies · Feb 28, 2015

Sballin said:
Mine also eat the hay fast too - I have to refill atleast 4 times a day if not more.

My girls never ate all that much of it. I mean, they'd eat a grid hay rack a day and one of my boys would do one and a half and the other two racks full. Now I am refilling theirs 3-4 times a day and sweeping up a bunch of icky hay that many times, too. So, I am just sitting here like O_O WHAAA???

Sballin · Feb 28, 2015

That's cute though, not the hay wasting of course but that she actually makes herself a little nest! All pigs have different personalities and do quirky things so maybe she just likes the way it feels lol!! She can rest and nibble at the same time
Lol!!!

bpatters · Feb 28, 2015

I have two that are definitely NOT pregnant, and they do the same thing.

I'm pig-sitting for a boar that is the neatest guinea pig when it comes to eating that I've ever seen. I put a pile of hay in his cage, and he starts at one end and munches his way through, eating nearly all of it.

I put a pile of hay in my sows' pen, and within an hour, they've picked through it, pulled out half it and peed and/or pooped on it, and are demanding more. But on the other hand, my two eat anything I put in front of them, while Badger (the visitor) is the pickiest guinea pig on the planet when it comes to eating. I'm beginning to wish for a recombination machine that I could throw all three of them into and come out with the same three guinea pigs, except they'd all eat all their food and hay, and eat it all neatly!

Sballin · Feb 28, 2015

4cavies said:
My girls never ate all that much of it. I mean, they'd eat a grid hay rack a day and one of my boys would do one and a half and the other two racks full. Now I am refilling theirs 3-4 times a day and sweeping up a bunch of icky hay that many times, too. So, I am just sitting here like O_O WHAAA???

I know right! I feel your pain. I honesty think I have just spoiled my pigs too much. They know even if they waste the hay I'm going to give them more and I always have fresh veggies or little treats throughout the day, a piece of lettuce or a slice of something everytime I go to the kitchen lol. So now they just expect it. If I leave the room and come back empty handed they yell at me and will come to the edge of the cage and give me glares hahaha.

4cavies · Feb 28, 2015

Sballin said:
@4cavies Hmm my pigs have never been pregnant before and I've never really been around pregnant pigs but if she was put back in the cage with the male I'm sure it's possible!! From what I've read the water is a sign, and the nesting may be also. You may want to ask someone with more experience though!!

I've never been around or had a pregnant pig either. I have asked about it, but there could be such a time frame when she could have gotten pregnant, that it is hard to tell still. I was worried, then wasn't, then worried again when I realized that there is a 3 week give or take time frame! So, I have just been keeping an eye on her and hoping not. The girls go through a whole bottle of water now compared to maybe going through half of it in a day. I know it couldn't be Liza because she reached sexual maturity for a pig while at my house and even though I have boys, there is nooooo way it could have happened.

lunarminx · Feb 28, 2015

If you can, go to tractor Supply and get a bale of timothy hay for 20.00. Throw a pile of it in her corner for her to lay in. Mine love laying in their hay.

That hay rack you see, hardly ever went down, when I changed the cage, I'd dump it in the box and fill it again.

barbaramudge · Feb 28, 2015

When I bought the bale from the feed store my pigs didn't really like to eat it like they did the oxbow hay. Now I buy good hay in bulk I find myself more frustrated with the amount they waste because it's so much more expensive. So I was thinking, maybe I'll get another cheap bale and layer it. That way, they have hay to lay in and pee on and the good stuff they like to eat in the rack. I'm thinking if they have a nice layer to lay in they won't feel the need to pull the good stuff outta the rack just to lay in it. I don't know if it'll work but if it does then we can all be happy!!

4cavies · Feb 28, 2015

Thank you all for your replies! I am now reassured it is just normal pig behavior lol. I have tried putting it in a box for her, putting a litter tray with some hay in it under the hay rack, placemats, hoping to get her to stop making such a huge mess, but no matter what she takes it out and puts it in the corner flat on her fleece, even if she has to move something to do it! I'm just a horrible neat freak as well. But, if she is happy, then I'm happy.

BaconAndEggs · Feb 28, 2015

Hehehehehehe... My boys aren't that picky, but they still pick and choose! If I hold out a handful of hay- all different sorts, soft, hard, grassy- Bacon will pull out each piece. If he doesn't want it, he tosses it to the floor and tries again. If he does want it, he'll eat it, and do it again. lol

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