Tired of hay everywhere?

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WEAVER
one pig at a time.

Post   » Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:07 pm


I love my piggies, but I admit to hating the hay all over the floor and house. It is sooo messy. I have ruined more vacuums than I can even count trying to suck up the strands of hay. (I know I should pick them up by hand :)

Well now the piggies have moved off of carpet in my bedroom to having wood floors in their new room. I have been trying to think of what would be the best method to try and keep the hay from getting everywhere. The good thing about carpet, is at least it kept the hay from moving across the floor anytime someone walked. The wood floor just allows the hay to go everywhere, even out of the room.

The pigs have been moved for about a week now and I have been experimenting with what is going to be the best method to keep the room looking clean, and be easy to still have access to the hay. I think I have come up with a pretty good solution and I just wanted to share in case any of you with several piggies would be interested as well.

Ok, I use hayracks built from the old style grids with coroplast in the back for my KM hay. They look like this for the smaller cages, and than are double length grids for the larger cages.
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To store my KM hay, I bought a laundry bin sorter on wheels. It had three different sections in it to sort the laundry by loads, but I cut the sections open to just have it one larger sized bin. I left about 2 inches of fabric on each of the seams in case it frays a little it won't rip or come apart. This is it...
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The large opening on the top makes it easy to put the haybins right into the hamper to fill without the hay getting everywhere. Even my larger haybins fit real easy. The wheels on the hamper makes it easy to move the hamper to and from each cage so I am not having to carry the haybins and strands of hay fall everywhere as I am walking. The hamper easily holds 25lbs of hay and still moves across the floor without bending and stretching out of it's orginal shape. The nylon material allows the hay to get good air circulation. It even has a flip cover that stays connected to the hamper that just folds to the back when you open it up.
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This has made my life sooooo much easier, and the pigs' area much cleaner.

For my kitchen areas, I use barn bermuda grass on the floor area. For that hay I am using a wicker laundry hamper with a cotton lining. The hamper is light weight so I am just able to lift the hamper up and tip some of the hay out and into the kitchen area. Again, the hay stays hidden out of sight, and is so easy to lift and dump.
This is the bermuda hay hamper.
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Top just comes right off and the lining can come out if it needs to be washed.
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The larger hamper on wheels was less than $20.00 and the other hamper was $18.00 (or maybe $16.00?). I bought them both at Walmart.

So there you have it :) I am loving this setup and hope that it helps some of you with your hay problems. It has made a world of a difference for me.

User avatar
cabaya

Post   » Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:24 pm


I love your design for the hay racks. The large laundry hamper with all the hay is a great idea too.

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Webs
Cavies 'n Cobwebs

Post   » Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:33 pm


I need to organize something like that too. I'm tired of the trails left when a pig decides on a zoomie out of a feeding station. :·)

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somechick

Post   » Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:37 pm


I *am* tired of hay everywhere! I've been ordering 9lb boxes of KM hay and I don't have loads of space in my pig area. So I'm wondering what I could get that I could dump all 9 pounds into that works better than the garbage bag in the box that the hay comes in. I doubt I could fit 9 pounds into any better receptacle. One of those 3-space hampers won't fit. Do you know how much you generally fit in the smaller wicker hamper?

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zazzified

Post   » Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:38 pm


somechick, how big of a box does 9 lb come in? I'm considering spoiling my pigs with some KM hay but I too lack good pig storage.

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chataignon

Post   » Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:48 pm


Thanks for sharing your new hay solutions!

I would love to keep my hay in a large hamper like that, but I just don't have the space. Your smaller hamper has given me a few ideas though! Currently I keep small amounts of hay in a large paper bag and it is ugly and messy. I think I might take a glance around Walmart the next time I get a chance!

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Topaz

Post   » Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:50 pm


Brilliant, WEAVER!

I myself am not so organized and neat. I've got hay behind the cage, under the cage, around the cage, and all over the window sill, which I can't reach.

cutemomomi
Obey My Authority

Post   » Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:11 pm


I LOVE the rolley thingy.
You are so organized, we even got hay in our hooman laundry hamper once...
*cough*

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cabaya

Post   » Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:22 pm


somechick & zazzified:
I have ordered nine pounds of 3rd timothy before. I can't exactly remember how big the box was or I atleast don't know how to explain it. The hay inside the box though was in a kitchen sized trash bag and filled almost the whole bag.

Also, I won 15lbs of 3rd timothy earlier this year and was able to squeeze it into a 58 quart plastic storage container, I kept the lid off though so it stayed dry.

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camende
Supporter 08-09 & 11-13

Post   » Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:24 pm


I love the hamper. I have a medium sizer wicker basket that I use for my hay. I store the hay in the garage and so I bring the wicker hamper with me one a week and fill the basket. It works pretty well.

I still get hay all over the place...It is hard to keep hay from spilling everywhere.

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Lovemypig

Post   » Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:36 pm


Brilliant! I was just delaying going into the den to sweep the hay up. That is fantastic.

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khb1582

Post   » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:05 pm


I have that rolley hamper! It's not so great for clothes. Won't roll across the carpet when full. Might be an idea to switch it to a hay been.

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