4.01.2014

Guinea Pig Hay Storage

Guinea pig hay storage - wicker laundry bin

Chances are that as a guinea pig owner, you are undoubtedly familiar with the sight of hay being scattered all over the place. (Unlikely locations I have discovered hay: my handbag, the shower, the vegetable drawer of the fridge, an airplane seat, and between the pages of a book.) This holds true especially if you buy hay in large quantities such as flakes or bales, as people with several cavies are likely to do.


HAY STORAGE CRITERIA

  • Material allows for air to circulate 
  • Doesn't trap moisture - which can lead to mold
  • Easily moved from room to room as needed

Our previous arrangement was to leave hay in the large cardboard boxes it was shipped in. This was the easiest solution, but certainly not the most ideal - it was messy, inconvenient, and left nearby furnishings covered in a layer of dust.

Peaches and Revy on laundry hamper

Our local Bed Bath & Beyond had several attractive options (tip: bring a 20% off coupon). We purchased this cotton lined laundry hamper, which measured 22 1/4"H x 11 1/2"D x 17 1/2"W. It meet all the criteria for proper hay storage and the removable cloth interior can be washed. Although it can't hold huge quantities, it does fit about 8 pounds of loosely packed hay. The rest is being stored out of sight until the bin needs to be refilled.

The floors still aren't spotless but the amount of hay that finds its way out is more manageable. Hooray for a functional and aesthetically pleasing hay storage solution!

So, piggy slaves - what's the oddest place you've found a strand of hay?

Source
Guinea Lynx - Hay Storage
Guinea Pigs Australia - Storing Hay

17 comments:

  1. Such a great idea! I'll be getting one for my horrors.

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  2. I manage to hide my hay box under the cage stand, which has a cloth skirt all around it. It's amazing what I can stuff under there!

    Love the hamper idea. I've got all sorts of other junk that needs to get out of sight.

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  3. I have stupid amounts of stuff:
    2 types of food as Harry refuses to eat pellets
    2 types of Hay, timothy and bedding
    Towels
    Cavy cosies
    Chew toys
    Boxes to run through.

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  4. PaintedThread, a cloth skirt is a great idea. If only I could fit all pig paraphernalia underneath my pigs cage.

    Mopsy, that does not sound too bad! My pigs own so much, I was forced to forfeit an entire closet to store all their belongings in. And that does not even include the three different types of hay we were forced to buy since they decided that certain bales of hay from certain suppliers did not meet their approval.

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  5. My guinea pigs took away my art studio which took away my bedroom so maybe I'll SLEEP in the hamper, thanks for sharing!

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  6. Yum-Yum, that is so typical! My pigs insisted on a larger cage, so they took over virtually an entire room in addition to the aforementioned closet. The communal work&study area is squashed into the cramped space not taken up by their cage. Forget about a bedroom, we sleep in what is essentially servants quarters.

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  7. I was at school reading a book and I ran my fingers through my hair and a piece of hay fell onto my book!

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  8. I found a piece of hay in my cup of tea, just half an hour before reading this post!

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  9. I've found hay in my school binders and in my backpack ;)

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  10. Looks like a good substitute to me!


    A big hello from my girls to Cocoa & Cookie :)

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  11. I love your laundry hamper-into-guinea pig storage idea! In fact, I wanted to have something like that! So I started looking online. Do you think this laundry basket from ikea (I'm in sg, therefore no bed, bath, and beyond) would be ok? Link: http://www.ikea.com/sg/en/catalog/products/70216935/


    Thnx, with love from Cocoa & Cookie!

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  12. I play violin as a hobby, and my violin is in my bedroom, as is my pigs' cage. One day, I was in the middle of playing a scale, when I felt something weird in my violin. After 10 minutes of carefully shaking around my violin, I saw something green fall out. It was a strand of hay. Have the pigs been playing around my case during free-roam time?

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  13. Yes, it certainly does! It's actually a better storage solution because the wicker allows air to circulate so moisture doesn't result in moldy hay.

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  14. Does the hay stay as fresh as it is when it is in the cardboard box? I'd love to try this!

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  15. great recommendations you have shared
    Laundry Services

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