Recommendations for hay feeder?

Minnou

Minnou

Teenage Guinea Pig
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I don't like the plastic hay rack that came with the cage plus the cage is deep and my new babies are shorties; I think they'd struggle to reach it comfortably and I envision a lot of rage biting at the bars of the cage if the hay fails to drop within reach and they're already waking me up multiple times in the night with their zoomies; I can't be doing with bar chewing and pinging noises. :xd:

I thought they'd like it if I just dumped a large pile in the cage and fluffed it up so they could hide in it and eat it but they always completely flatten it all and poop and wee all over it. If they like it that way, fair enough, I guess, but are there any good hay feeders that they can use quietly and won't get stuck in? (I've been reading the horror stories on here regarding certain toys marketed to piggies).

I had thought about putting a cardboard box in the cage and stuffing it with hay but I'm assuming they'd eat the box? Is it ok for them to eat cardboard?
 
Most people go the pile of hay route. They will pee, poop, play and sleep in it as well as eat it. The usual thing is to remove the soiled hay and refresh once or twice a day. I personally have a hay tray and a hay bag as my boys like playing in both. I have two reusable hay bags as the bottom can get mucky and they need regular washing. Sometimes I put in a paper bag with hay in it. Eating cardboard shouldn't be harmful. Hay is more than food, it is enrichment.
 
fluffysal said:
Most people go the pile of hay route. They will pee, poop, play and sleep in it as well as eat it. The usual thing is to remove the soiled hay and refresh once or twice a day. I personally have a hay tray and a hay bag as my boys like playing in both. I have two reusable hay bags as the bottom can get mucky and they need regular washing. Sometimes I put in a paper bag with hay in it. Eating cardboard shouldn't be harmful. Hay is more than food, it is enrichment.
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So is it normal for most of the hay to go to waste then? Or am I giving them too much?

And is there much difference between feeding hay and bedding hay?
 
D
Minnou said:
So is it normal for most of the hay to go to waste then? Or am I giving them too much?

And is there much difference between feeding hay and bedding hay?
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It is very normal, try not to think of it as wasted. I use p@h Timothy and meadow hay for both with a bag of "treat hay" every so often. Whatever I am using my beastie boys are delighted whenever I clean/refresh/ top up their hay and act like it's the best thing that has ever happened 😂
 
Some people just heap the hay in the cage. This works with all bedding types but may be difficult to get the bits out of fleece, and the fleece may become saturated with urine very quickly. This has the advantage of hay being always readily available and may increase the hay intake. It also provides them with excellent enrichment as they can burrow in the hay.

Another technique is having a hay area. There are lots of ways it can be done, some people use a large cat litter tray, a storage box with the side cut out or a correx base (like the kind that goes in a C&C cage but smaller). The advantages of this option are that the pigs can still burrow or sleep in the hay but it is contained in a certain area. It makes cleaning easier as you can clean the hay area daily without having to clean the whole cage. The main disadvantages are that they may chew it and it can be difficult to find something that works for you, your cage and your guinea pigs.
 
fluffysal said:
D

It is very normal, try not to think of it as wasted. I use p@h Timothy and meadow hay for both with a bag of "treat hay" every so often. Whatever I am using my beastie boys are delighted whenever I clean/refresh/ top up their hay and act like it's the best thing that has ever happened 😂
Click to expand...
I was hunting for toys for them but reading the posts here it sounds like you just grab an Amazon box, toss hay into it, toss the guinea-pigs into it and that equals hours of entertainment. They seem to be easily amused. :xd:

I asked a local shop if I could have their empty boxes and have made them into dens/tunnels ready for when they can have floor time.
 
Pantalaimon said:
Some people just heap the hay in the cage. This works with all bedding types but may be difficult to get the bits out of fleece, and the fleece may become saturated with urine very quickly. This has the advantage of hay being always readily available and may increase the hay intake. It also provides them with excellent enrichment as they can burrow in the hay.

Another technique is having a hay area. There are lots of ways it can be done, some people use a large cat litter tray, a storage box with the side cut out or a correx base (like the kind that goes in a C&C cage but smaller). The advantages of this option are that the pigs can still burrow or sleep in the hay but it is contained in a certain area. It makes cleaning easier as you can clean the hay area daily without having to clean the whole cage. The main disadvantages are that they may chew it and it can be difficult to find something that works for you, your cage and your guinea pigs.
Click to expand...
If most people just dump it on the cage floor and my piggies seem to like it that way, maybe I'll leave it like that with the addition of buying a hay bag that clips to the cage so I know at least some of the hay is pee-free. xD

It's more people wandering in and looking at the state of their cage and judging me/them.

Person: What a mess! It's like a bomb has been dropped.

Me: They like it like that? ;__;

Person: Don't you clean their cage?

Me: Yes, like, 5 minutes ago. This is what happens.
 
fluffysal said:
Maybe not toss the pigs in......
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I was joking; I would never! xD
Roselina said:
Also as mentioned paper bags full of hay and forage and you can fill toilet rolls stuffed with hay as that makes it a bit more interesting 😂
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Funny you would mention toilet rolls... I'm currently trying to make a mobile toy out of them, with hay hanging out of every orifice. I can tell they're after something to get into mischief with and I'm going to provide. xD
 
fluffysal said:
The hay bags don't stay pee free either, hence having a spare😄
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Good grief... can you buy piggy nappies? xD

In the interests of health and safety, do piggies ever get stuck in the bags?

On a side note, the hay filled toilet roll/cardboard mobile has attracted attention but every time it moves one or both of them jump, scare each other and run. Then they come back 5 1/2 seconds later for another go and scare themselves again. 😅
 
Mine haven't been stuck and George is a chunky boy. I now have a mental image of guinea pigs wearing nappies😂
 
Hay just gets thrown everywhere for my lot. They do live in a shed so a lot is it is for bedding but it’s just thrown in in large amounts with wet hay removed 1-2 times a day
 
That's awful, Poor little thing looks so uncomfortable 😞 Btw, I regularly check their hay bags for loose stitching etc
 
Some people are just incapable of accepting that animals are animals, and most animals are not like dogs.
 
eileen said:
That "nappy" can be very dangerous,because the guinea pig can not eat its cecographs pellets from there bottom,that's how they get there vitamins.😒
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People buy them as well, I was reading the reviews. "My pig HATES it" Can't think why....
 
I had a look too, seem to be American products!🙄. Sorry, I know we have some US forum members hopefully they have more sense...
 
My girls get most of their hay dumped in a pile on the floor of their cages. Sometimes I'll put a pile on top of their house or shelf, but they drag that onto the floor of the cage pretty quickly ... and Lexa sits on her house anyways, so ...
I did make a fun toy for one pair by making an origami box out of unprinted newsprint and stuffing it with hay; they enjoyed eating the hay, sitting in the semi-unfolded paper, and then shredding the paper.


That "nappy" is absurd and mean to the piggy. I can't imagine why anyone would want that.
I'll admit to doing Halloween "costumes" one year, but the most it involved balancing "hats" on the pigs' heads during floor time ... I'm not sure Lexa even knew her crown/veil was there ...
CB0A3494-31A4-4A00-B1C2-981368ABE069.webpB9E60020-A954-4249-B888-5DE7617214C2.webp
The real challenge was getting the piggies to stay still-ish and in frame ...
73018BDC-D6CF-423B-89FC-9C1D7F396A0A.webp7080DE75-EC76-4745-BFEE-DCD965279093.webp

I promise that no piggy was harmed in the taking of these pictures and the piggies could have removed or had these costume fall off with pretty much no effort (no straps, ties, elastic, or anything like that was involved ...) I removed the props as soon as I finished the pictures to avoid nibbling of the materials.


I don't really get dressing up dogs either unless it's functional, like a coat or booties to protect from cold and road salt, or the baby romper we used on our bichon after her spay to protect her stitches instead of using a cone.
 
Princess Dustmop said:
My girls get most of their hay dumped in a pile on the floor of their cages. Sometimes I'll put a pile on top of their house or shelf, but they drag that onto the floor of the cage pretty quickly ... and Lexa sits on her house anyways, so ...
I did make a fun toy for one pair by making an origami box out of unprinted newsprint and stuffing it with hay; they enjoyed eating the hay, sitting in the semi-unfolded paper, and then shredding the paper.


That "nappy" is absurd and mean to the piggy. I can't imagine why anyone would want that.
I'll admit to doing Halloween "costumes" one year, but the most it involved balancing "hats" on the pigs' heads during floor time ... I'm not sure Lexa even knew her crown/veil was there ...
View attachment 235828View attachment 235825
The real challenge was getting the piggies to stay still-ish and in frame ...
View attachment 235826View attachment 235829

I promise that no piggy was harmed in the taking of these pictures and the piggies could have removed or had these costume fall off with pretty much no effort (no straps, ties, elastic, or anything like that was involved ...) I removed the props as soon as I finished the pictures to avoid nibbling of the materials.


I don't really get dressing up dogs either unless it's functional, like a coat or booties to protect from cold and road salt, or the baby romper we used on our bichon after her spay to protect her stitches instead of using a cone.
Click to expand...
Ooo. Now you've got me thinking about making paper parcels and hiding hay and other goodies inside. Funny that they're all so destructive, it's like small dog syndrome. xD

--
Lexa does look oblivious to the veil; must think its her own fur. x3
 
Princess Dustmop said:
My girls get most of their hay dumped in a pile on the floor of their cages. Sometimes I'll put a pile on top of their house or shelf, but they drag that onto the floor of the cage pretty quickly ... and Lexa sits on her house anyways, so ...
I did make a fun toy for one pair by making an origami box out of unprinted newsprint and stuffing it with hay; they enjoyed eating the hay, sitting in the semi-unfolded paper, and then shredding the paper.


That "nappy" is absurd and mean to the piggy. I can't imagine why anyone would want that.
I'll admit to doing Halloween "costumes" one year, but the most it involved balancing "hats" on the pigs' heads during floor time ... I'm not sure Lexa even knew her crown/veil was there ...
View attachment 235828View attachment 235825
The real challenge was getting the piggies to stay still-ish and in frame ...
View attachment 235826View attachment 235829

I promise that no piggy was harmed in the taking of these pictures and the piggies could have removed or had these costume fall off with pretty much no effort (no straps, ties, elastic, or anything like that was involved ...) I removed the props as soon as I finished the pictures to avoid nibbling of the materials.


I don't really get dressing up dogs either unless it's functional, like a coat or booties to protect from cold and road salt, or the baby romper we used on our bichon after her spay to protect her stitches instead of using a cone.
Click to expand...
The duster one is brilliant! You have a “which-end-is-which” pig!
 
I need help again 😭

Am I ok to give the piglets different greens/veggies to try each day or should I stick to one or two things while they're still young? Should the portion size be 1/2 that of an adult? 1/4?

Does fresh green grass count towards this? Or could they have this in unlimited amounts like hay?
 
Minnou said:
I need help again 😭

Am I ok to give the piglets different greens/veggies to try each day or should I stick to one or two things while they're still young? Should the portion size be 1/2 that of an adult? 1/4?

Does fresh green grass count towards this? Or could they have this in unlimited amounts like hay?
Click to expand...
It’s a good idea to introduce them to a range of foods when they are young. It will make them more likely to accept new foods when they are older.

Most things are OK in moderation when they are young but you should still definitely be aware of different nutrient contents in different foods. This is especially important as they get older and are very prone to excesses or deficiencies in some nutrients.

It is best to introduce a new food starting with a small amount, then increasing the quantity each time if it is something they can have more of or have more regularly.

Some people will count grass as part of the veg portion. It depends on what else they are being fed and how much of everything they get. The most important thing is ensuring they are eating plenty of hay, I find it encourages them to eat more hay when they get a big fresh pile at a time when they are not getting any other food (in the morning for mine) so are hungry. Personally I give my pigs a fairly large quantity of grass (occasionally including some forage in the summer) in the middle of the day, a portion of pellets each (10 pellets per pig), then a moderate amount of veg in the evening (always the same three vegetables in roughly the same quantities).

I’m not completely sure about quantities of food but I think they get roughly the same amount as an adult, because although they are smaller they will still be growing and tend to be far more active than an adult.
 
Always introduce new veg slowly so not to cause digestive issues but definitely get them used to a wide range of things (slowly!).

The portion of veg is one cup per pig per day.

Grass. It depends on the season and if they are actually going on the grass, how long for or whether it is just that you are picking it for them and feeding it to them in their cage.
Fresh spring grass and any new autumn growth is much richer than grass in the middle of summer, with spring grass more likely to cause digestive issues.
If they are not going to actually go out in the grass and you are instead going to bring handfuls to them, then you may not want or need to reduce veg amount at all. The grass may end up being supplementary rather than anything else.

Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time

Mine do go out on the grass to graze when the weather is warm enough. I start by giving a handful of grass to them while in their cages from around February time if the grass isn’t frozen but I don’t tend to reduce veg because the amount of grass is very small. From then on over the coming months I play it by ear - the amount of grass is likely to be increased and come April they usually start to go out on the grass in increasing amounts. I don’t usually find a need reduce their veg portion but I do play it by ear each year depending on the situation, how long they are on the grass, how they are managing it etc. By early summer they are on the lawn grazing for 12-14 hours a day with constant access to hay. Their digestion is used to it so I still don’t reduce their veg.
My four piggies are used to this though and tend to have a very wet diet anyway - they get more than the recommended one cup of veg per day year round. I also pick fresh forage for them, as well as buying dried forage. They however do not get pellets often though (three times a week in winter and twice a week in summer) so they have variety through the plants I pick for them and I have greater scope regarding calcium intake in their veg.
My two older boys (they turn 6 at the beginning of next year) may need a closer eye this year given their ages and the elderly being more prone to issues.
 
Pantalaimon said:
It’s a good idea to introduce them to a range of foods when they are young. It will make them more likely to accept new foods when they are older.

Most things are OK in moderation when they are young but you should still definitely be aware of different nutrient contents in different foods. This is especially important as they get older and are very prone to excesses or deficiencies in some nutrients.

It is best to introduce a new food starting with a small amount, then increasing the quantity each time if it is something they can have more of or have more regularly.

Some people will count grass as part of the veg portion. It depends on what else they are being fed and how much of everything they get. The most important thing is ensuring they are eating plenty of hay, I find it encourages them to eat more hay when they get a big fresh pile at a time when they are not getting any other food (in the morning for mine) so are hungry. Personally I give my pigs a fairly large quantity of grass (occasionally including some forage in the summer) in the middle of the day, a portion of pellets each (10 pellets per pig), then a moderate amount of veg in the evening (always the same three vegetables in roughly the same quantities).

I’m not completely sure about quantities of food but I think they get roughly the same amount as an adult, because although they are smaller they will still be growing and tend to be far more active than an adult.
Click to expand...
I've been giving them a little bit of different things to try and they already seem to have favourites.
Piggies&buns said:
Always introduce new veg slowly so not to cause digestive issues but definitely get them used to a wide range of things (slowly!).

The portion of veg is one cup per pig per day.

Grass. It depends on the season and if they are actually going on the grass, how long for or whether it is just that you are picking it for them and feeding it to them in their cage.
Fresh spring grass and any new autumn growth is much richer than grass in the middle of summer, with spring grass more likely to cause digestive issues.
If they are not going to actually go out in the grass and you are instead going to bring handfuls to them, then you may not want or need to reduce veg amount at all. The grass may end up being supplementary rather than anything else.

Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time

Mine do go out on the grass to graze when the weather is warm enough. I start by giving a handful of grass to them while in their cages from around February time if the grass isn’t frozen but I don’t tend to reduce veg because the amount of grass is very small. From then on over the coming months I play it by ear - the amount of grass is likely to be increased and come April they usually start to go out on the grass in increasing amounts. I don’t usually find a need reduce their veg portion but I do play it by ear each year depending on the situation, how long they are on the grass, how they are managing it etc. By early summer they are on the lawn grazing for 12-14 hours a day with constant access to hay. Their digestion is used to it so I still don’t reduce their veg.
My four piggies are used to this though and tend to have a very wet diet anyway - they get more than the recommended one cup of veg per day year round. I also pick fresh forage for them, as well as buying dried forage. They however do not get pellets often though (three times a week in winter and twice a week in summer) so they have variety through the plants I pick for them and I have greater scope regarding calcium intake in their veg.
My two older boys (they turn 6 at the beginning of next year) may need a closer eye this year given their ages and the elderly being more prone to issues.
Click to expand...
I've been handpicking it for them and patting it dry and letting it warm up a bit before giving it to them.

Not sure mine would be happy in the garden in the summer because so many cats pass through our garden and we're also surrounded by yappy dogs. They would constantly feel hunted.
 
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