Add 'bulk' Without Adding Hay

[Steffie]

Hi,

So, my boys are in the conservatory, with hutch and run, which is off the kitchen and living room, and the doors to both are double glazed, so when closed you can hardly smell they are in there: which is is the issue at hand, smell, of hay, not for me, but for my husband. I love the smell of hay! I do have the conservatory door open, in the kitchen, during the day and in the evening, when I am cooking.

When I first brought them in I had stuffed the hutch with quite a lot of hay, because it was colder outside. I have minimized it now: hay to eat in a cut-off sleeve of an old fleece sweater, and a light dusting of hay over the aubiose. I do want to make it more cozy when it gets colder, which unless I turn the little heater on in the conservatory it will get in there, and which will be on when it gets wintery.

Does anybody use 'bulk' like nesting bedding, the fluffy stuff, which I could stuff around their sleeping huts to insulate? Or do I drape fleece over the huts? Any other suggestions? Thank you!

 

[afu]

For the best guinea pig welfare you really do need to have hay out for them to rummage through, it really isn't good enough for them just to have hay bags (Brambell's 5 freedoms of animal welfare, animals must have the opportunity to exhibit natural behaviours), fluffy synthetic stuff just isn't the same. You could try bulking with shredded paper though which is more similar in texture and mix it with hay.

I've never noticed that hay had a particularly noticeable smell!

 

[Steffie]

fresh and nice hay has a smell, which i like, i.e. i do not consider it 'smelly'.
i had quantities beyond rummaging in the hutch, piled up high. and i do cover the shavings with hay, just not a thick layer, so the question is how much is enough for them to rummage. maybe you can provide a picture to demonstrate how it should look? also, i have a cardboard hay tray in the run, where i mix in some pellets, dried herbs/roots, and they rummage/forage in it.
i like the idea of mixing hay up with shredded paper to create bulk, is worth a try.

 

[afu]

From what you have said it sounds like you have plenty, also because you have shavings not fleece they v will engage through that too I think adding shredded paper is defo with a try, it does mix up well in with hay

 

[Steffie]

hi, have not created the bulk yet (shredded paper with hay), because i need it for when it gets colder, for insulation in the hutch, instead of hay exclusively, which was my main concern: an alternative to hay as insulation, which is a common purpose for it, in addition to using it for food & rummaging. i am assuming you just shred by tearing the paper in pieces, right? looks like the next few days will be very mild around here, but i will be prepared

 

[parkdaleangela]

Shredded paper sounds great . We have two shredders and shred all out old invoices, receipts, etc. The shreddings usually go in the compost bins but using them to augment the hay sounds good. Is it safe to use supermarket receipt slip because I shred those too - they seem to have a kind of coating on them.