Hay

[erinmanson]

Hey guys just a quick one, anyone have any recommendations for hay holders or anything I’ve tried the rack but they don’t get enough and a few boxes and they just chew through it I was gonna try hay bags but wasn’t sure if they’d chew that too

 

[Piggies&buns]

Honestly, they love just loose piles of hay put directly on the cage floor - Its enrichment as well as food as they like to be able to get inside hay piles, play in them, sleep in forage freely etc. Or at least just use a shallow but large litter tray so they can still get in right amongst the hay.
It’s fine to use safe racks, hay bags etc, but they can be restrictive and do remove the enrichment element that hay provides

 

[Hannah_xx]

If you’re not keen on putting it straight on the floor, then you can use cat litter trays. I put newspaper on the bottom then fill with hay. I also use very large shallow storage containers with a door cut in.

 

[Free Ranger]

I gave up after a few years of my set-up, we're just wading through it ourselves!


@Hannah_xx are those kiwis on that fleece?!

 

[Hannah_xx]

I gave up after a few years of my set-up, we're just wading through it ourselves!
View attachment 207041

@Hannah_xx are those kiwis on that fleece?!

Yes it’s kiwis

 

[My Piggies]

As others have said, piggies love big piles of hay to eat burrow in, sleep in, and poop in!
It can be hard to get out of the 'wastage' mindset, but it really isn't wastage when you consider the joy and enrichment they get from piles of hay.
If you don't want to go the hay pile route, hay bags can work. You just have to make sure the holes are big enough for them to climb in and climb out so they don't get stuck. I used to have a hay bag, and I found it was more effort than it was worth. Mine would climb in it constantly, which was cute, but led to them soiling their hay really quickly. I also found the bag really hard to clean (but that may depend on the material used).
I would recommend just a loose pile of hay, but it is up to you and what works for you and your piggies
Here's a photo of my set up. It's just a loose pile of hay, but I closed it off a bit to contain the mess as much as possible.
Hope this helps

 

[Two_Wheeks]

I used to have a hay rack, but found most of it pulled out to be sat on.

We now have one end of the C&C (a 2x1 section) separated off as a kind of hay-bungalow (used to be a loft but got rid of the ramp and made the cage longer). The boys love it, and when it's freshly filled (all the way to the top!) you can see a lovely, round, piggie-sized hole from the entrance to the back! Doesn't take long to be trampled flat but worth it for the popcorns!