storing hay

[jeza921]

Currently, I buy bags of Kaytee Timothy hay from the petstore. I live in a smallish apartment (think college apartment that's falling apart). My dad, who lives in another state, is a equine vet. (Not to be confused with my stepdad, who is a small animal vet.) His office has bales and bales of hay. I used to climb all over it and in it when I was a kid. So, if I drove down to KY and loaded a bale into my car, could I keep it in, say, a gabage bin with a lid? Has anyone had trouble storing hay? I'm assuming that hay is hay, weither it's for a guinea pig or a horse. Any idea how long a bale would last me, and if it would keep that long?

 

[Piglet]

Hay, if stored correctly, can stay fresh for absolutely ages! I jus finished a bale a couple of weeks back and it lasted me 10 months. I use meadow hay, which I picked up from a horse feed store. So, the horses eat this hay too. You could keep it in a rubbish bin, but I would reconmmend taking the lid off for ventilation. Hmm....come to think of it, maybe the hay won't get enough air from being in a trash can? I store mine in a cardboard box, and I have cut little squares all over. Make sure you don't break the bale - try to keep it in tact as much as possible. Keep it in a dry and ventilated area and not in plastic (my bale came in this plastic bag, take it out of that).

 

[DocDolittle]

The best way to keep hay fresh, like Piglet said, is to keep it well ventilated. Just make sure it stays dry and try to find a more open way to store it and it should be fine.

 

[jeza921]

Will it make my apartment smell strongly of hay? I like the smell, but I don't want it to be overpowering.

 

[cavy-cool-crazy]

Only the area the hay is kept in will smell strongly i.e. if the hay is kept in the bedroom, part of the bedroom will smell of hay.