Tips for hay and allergies?

[Lebby]

Hi. I've been seriously considering getting some guinea pigs, I've been doing a lot of research and they seem like good pets. However, there's one problem. I'm still a kid, (so I live with my parents, obviously) and my mom is allergect to hay. I've heard that alternetives are pelleted hay or compressed hay, which my mom thinks would bother her less, but I bet that the guinea pigs would prefer normal hay, and I don't want to deprive them of it. So does anyone have any tips for hay and allergies? Thanks.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

I know a lot of people with allergies use KM's bluegrass hay, (broken link removed). You really need loose hay and not compressed or pelleted hay. Also you can store the hay in large paper sacks and that helps cut down on allergies. As long as your mom doesn't have to deal with the hay directly, she shouldn't have too many problems with the hay.

 

[Lebby]

Thanks, that stuff seems good. Is it possible to store it in the garage, where my mom never goes in, without it molding or any bugs getting to it? What if I put the hay in bags in a plastic storage container?

 

[cavy-cool-crazy]

As long as the garage isn't damp and it isn't used by cars/motorbikes etc., the hay will be fine in there. Hay doesn't last very long in bags. You should get a big cardboard box, punch some holes in the sides and stick some bales of hay in there. It lasts longer and stays fresher that way.

 

[pigsnchins]

You can't keep it in plastic because it does need to have ventilation to keep from molding. The garage is a great place as long as it does not get damp in there. I store my hay bales in the garage and it works great. Of course, we have very low humidity in Idaho!

 

[aqh88]

Most people are not allergic to bluegrass or orchardgrass if there isn't a large amount of it shook into the air. Store the hay in a dry, cool, dark place in a box or other somewhat breatheable container. Anywhere is fine really so long as it stays dry, has some air movement, and doesn't get direct sunlight. I use a zippable plastic bag like sheets come in to move my hay from the box in the shed to cages in the house. It holds about 2-3 days worth of hay which won't mold in that time and I don't leave any hay scattered around the house. Compressed cubes from the store are generally not a good idea. The pieces are crunched down to be about like pellets and doesn't give them the long fiber strands they need.