Big Bale Of Farm Hay - Bedding Or Ok For Food Too?

[Kit06]

I hope you don't mind me asking, but where do you get your hay? Just because I'm in the north west too. I can get farm hay locally but I like the sound of the softer bale

I usually put mine in an old single duvet cover as it contains the mess and allows the hay the breathe so it stays fresh

I get my hay from a place called 'Spare Moments' it's near (ish) Morecambe

 

[7squeakers.]

Generally speaking, you should never feed hay to your piggies that has not been marketed for small pets. Hay for horses will not have been treated for dust and mites and should be avoided. I get my hay from "Hay for Pets" or "Dust Free Hay".

 

[Dindypig]

Generally speaking, you should never feed hay to your piggies that has not been marketed for small pets. Hay for horses will not have been treated for dust and mites and should be avoided. I get my hay from "Hay for Pets" or "Dust Free Hay".

@7squeakers. In what way would hay be treated for dust and mites?
I have found mites and other beasties in the dust etc at the bottom of many commercial bags of hay including those you mentioned. It's just a fact of life.

 

[Lilyspiggypower]

I paid £3.50 for the last bale I bought from a local farmer. The quality is far better than any packaged up hay I have had and the girlies. It lasts around 4 months and I keep it in a big lidded storage box in the garage.

 

[smileyface:)]

I think what I have personally noticed is that the bale I got from the farmer (via my pet shop) was superior to the hay I bought from Tesco, but the quality hay from Amazon was superior to the hay from the farmer - both in texture, colour and smell (though the farmers bale was fine too) - so I am going to use the farmers hay for bedding and the quality hay for food.

I think reading through the replies to this you definitely have to check each bale or packet of hay regardless of the source, and if you think its dodgy either in smell or looks then don't risk it with your piggies.

Thanks so much for all the feedback on this, has really put my mind to rest about the differences in hay - just got to ensure I don't keep starting random conversations on this subject with 'Puggles' (people who lack any sort of interest in piggies)

 

[7squeakers.]

@7squeakers. In what way would hay be treated for dust and mites?
I have found mites and other beasties in the dust etc at the bottom of many commercial bags of hay including those you mentioned. It's just a fact of life.

Hay treated for dust and mites is put in a big machine and all the fine dust and mites are sucked out and just the good clean hay is left, or something like that. Dust Free Hay explain how they do it on their website. I believe they do it more than once to be sure that absolutely all the nasties have gone. Personally, the worst hay that I have ever bought came from a local hardware store. I have never had a mite problem nor found anything else in hay that shouldn't have been there.

 

[smileyface:)]

Hay treated for dust and mites is put in a big machine and all the fine dust and mites are sucked out and just the good clean hay is left, or something like that. Dust Free Hay explain how they do it on their website. I believe they do it more than once to be sure that absolutely all the nasties have gone. Personally, the worst hay that I have ever bought came from a local hardware store. I have never had a mite problem nor found anything else in hay that shouldn't have been there.

I now have visions of me putting my hay in the tumble dryer no, I wouldn't really, would I?...

 

[7squeakers.]

I now have visions of me putting my hay in the tumble dryer no, I wouldn't really, would I?...

In the dim and distant past, I have used my hair dryer on hay just to blow away the dust. Didn't do my hay-fever any good!

 

[DisneyPig]

I get a bale for my 6 piggies. The farm shop I go to does a horse bale and a small animal bale which is softer, so that's the one I get. It always smells amazing and the piggies love it. It costs me £8 for a bale and lasts me around 6 weeks. It's in Handforth for any of you that are in the North West

 

[afu]

Generally speaking, you should never feed hay to your piggies that has not been marketed for small pets. Hay for horses will not have been treated for dust and mites and should be avoided. I get my hay from "Hay for Pets" or "Dust Free Hay".

I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one!

Very few hays will have been through a process to kill mites, unless it specifically says on the bag that the process has been done them it won't have been - partly due to the cost involved and partly because that process would impact on the nutritional quality of the forage in a negative way. Very few hays marketed for small animals will have had it done