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Cage Hay containers?

Andreaconner329

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I've been using a hay bag for my boys but they keep dragging it all out. I'm looking into other ideas for hay containers for the cage. I've seen people using littler boxes but I feel like that would be wasting too much hay bc of them peeing a pooing on it. So would one these work? Or any suggestions? Screenshot_20180222-200157.jpg
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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Honestly? I pile their hay on the floor in a corner. They're pigs and they'll simply pull it all out looking for the ONE strand that's the tastiest at the time, and just waste it anyway. I just throw it out daily. It's wasteful, I know. But they always have fresh hay and they LOVE it.
 

bpatters

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Wire bins are a great way for pigs to get injured. They can get a limb caught, or get in them and injure themselves trying to get out.
 

LaurieM

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I was coming to post the same question. I'm wondering what people use. I've tried a couple different hay bags with smaller holes. My pigs don't pull the hay through the holes, they just eat whatever is sticking out. The rest of the hay in the bag doesn't fall down. Initially I just tried putting a bunch on the floor, but they didn't eat much of it, I think they peed on it. I'm wondering what others are using?
 

bpatters

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A pile of hay on the floor. Yes, they pee on it, but they don't waste any more than they do with hay racks.
 

LaurieM

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bpatters, thanks for the response. I'm confused about how they would waste the same as with a hay rack where I thought it would stay cleaner because it's contained?
I'm new to Piggies and still learning so much about their behavior & logistics. Thanks!
 

chickpea222

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I actually use a vertical bent grid with coroplast backing on the main floor kitchen area, and throw hay on the floor in the loft....the reason for the hay rack in the kitchen area is because one guinea pig hasn't figured out how to get up to the loft yet, and I don't want her missing out on hay! It does get quite messy up there (just got done cleaning it, whew!), but the 2 that know how to get up there love it! I tried a litter box initially, but they were fighting over the entrance and honestly just wanted to jump around in it. I keep searching for that perfect solution to messy hay, and I just haven't found it yet, lol!

There is a photo section here on the website with lots of hay rack ideas! You can check there for more inspiration. :)
 

LaurieM

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Thank you! It seems that any type of container with holes in it might not work because they just eat the part sticking through the holes. Right now what I have is actually a utensil holder that someone mentioned that a lot of people use. The holes are bigger than the c&c grid, but my piggies still just eat what's poking through and don't always pull strands of hay out to eat. In the morning I often find there's still hay inside of it, but they can't get to it. I'll check out the pictures for some other ideas. I might go with a small litter box. -thanks!
 

bpatters

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Because with a hay rack, they spend a LOT of time looking for the ONE right piece of hay they'll eat, and pull all the rest out and strew it all over the floor of the cage.

If you use somethng like a utensil holder, you have to load it with hay so there's hay sticking out the holes that they can get to. If you just stuff it in from the top, they can't reach it, as you've discovered.
 

KimAPerky

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my piggies stopped eating out of the hay rack and just ate all the hay that was on her cage floor, so I found that hay containers are just not worth it. I just keep her hay in a pile in a corner of her cage and some as bedding for her house that she loves.
 
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