Eating Soiled Hay - Is it harmful?

[cavy-cool-crazy]

The title says it all really. Does eating wet and soiled hay harm them, and if so, how?

 

[WEAVER]

Yes it is. Hay does not dry out very well and therefore will grow mold. YUCK!!

 

[cavy-cool-crazy]

Will it get moldy within 24 hours, do you know? I'm just wondering because my pigs pull the hay out of the rack and pee in the whole lot, and it gets pretty messy, so I change it once, often twice a day. I've used up half a medium bale in just under 2 months. I'm not complaining about that, I'm just wondering.

 

[WEAVER]

What kind of a hay rack are you currently using?? I do know that if you have a grid that you are using the spaces in it are so wide that you do lose a lot of hay. Also if your pigs are like mine once it hits the floor they won't eat it. It will not get moldy that quickly though, just make sure that if they are going to bathroom in that area that you do try and clean it at least every other day.
Going back to the hay, all depending on which kind of hay you feed, the stalks maybe smaller and also falling through the grid more easily.

 

[Slap Maxwell]

The pigs are likely not to be eating the solied hay.

 

[cavy-cool-crazy]

I use this hay rack:-

I think the hay is Timothy, and it doesn't come out too easily. Naturally my lot find a way to get the whole lot out though.

Also, the hay really starts to smell after less than 24 hours. Would it hurt the pigs if I let it smell for 24 hours, so I change the hay once a day, rather than changing it the moment it starts smelling? They'd still have some unsoiled hay, but some would be a little wet. I need to save as much hay as I can, while still giving them fresh unlimited hay, which is proving difficult at the minute at the rate it's getting changed.

 

[pennick]

I changed my hay rack to a smaller one because I got tired of all the hay falling to the bottom of the cage.

Now I give a handful of hay as needed. When the hay rack is empty they usually finish up most of what is on the floor within hours and I really don't have any problem with soiled hay. Then I replenish again.

Many times they don't even bother with whats on the cage floor, they start to wheek for fresh hay.

 

[pamziaw]

My hay rack is a bent over piece of cube and it works really well, the hay doesn't really fall out of it, thou these days I have to put a load in cos Fudge sits on it. He doesn't pee on it thou.

 

[WEAVER]

I have never had a problem with my hay smelling bad. I noticed in your picture that you are using newspaper in your cage, or at least in that area. That is probably why your cage is smelling so bad and so quickly. You may want to reconsider you bedding to something that wicks away the moisture like fleece and towels, or aspen shavings, both being cheaper than Carefresh. If you are on a really tight budget and can not afford to do the whole cage in that, what about if you just did a litter pan under your hay area with aspen?

 

[cavy-cool-crazy]

That picture was taken months and months ago. They're now bedded on Vetbed and fleece. Their hay rack (which is very full with much better hay than the picture showed) is located above a large hi-back litter tray with CareFresh in at the moment. I'm hoping this will do the trick.