homemade hay holders?

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andymilo

andymilo

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Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
268
Location
Toronto
I was just wondering if anyone had any solutions to minimizing hay messes. Has anyone made any hay holders that work very well to do this? Right now I am using toilet paper rolls and stuffing hay in them...but it causes a giant mess. Any one have any ideas? Thanks :)
 
I think it's an ongoing issue with chins. I think they honestly just love pulling all the hay out to inspect it.
I've tried many things with each chin, and finally got it to where it works for each chin, but they still will pull some of the hay out. Two of my cages have the hanging wire balls, and then my other one has the fleece hay holder I make.

I've also used the metal bins that hang on the outside, but they really made a mess with that. Others use metal dishes, but when I do that, they just pee in it.

Other people have just put the hay in a hammock and let them get it out of that.
 
I used to use suet feeders, I tried hay boxes, now I just toss it in because that is less messy I swear....
 
yeah exactly...i put hay in a ceramic dish and she kept peeing in it so i gave up lol...and i tried the hanging wire ball also...but she is not a big fan lol...and she definitely does loves pulling it all out to inspect it...it's kind of like a game for her lol :p
 
I use the vertical hay boxes from ForCHINate Chins, which are awesome - but since they are attached to the side of the cage, the pieces end up all over my floor. I usually have to pick most of this up by hand since I have a crappy Shop Vac and my regular vacuum isn't meant for hay.

Best thing I've used is a 6-sided box (bottom, top, 4 sides) with the front side at 1/2 height and the top at 1/2 size so it makes a "hole" in the box they cannot climb into, but can pull hay out of. It can sit on the bottom of the cage so it doesn't get on my floor, instead on the floor of the cage, which is fine by me - much easier to pick up.
 
I don't think there is a real solution. That's just how chins seem to be. Mine pull one at a time, but they will nibble and leave the rest and never touch it again. If you want to eliminate them from doing it, or make it less messy.. I would suggest hay cubes. [I use both] But then again, I don't really mind a little mess. Though I eliminate as much as possible. Hay just isn't one I can eliminate.
 
I have wood hay boxes in a couple cages, but for the others I just set it on their shelf because those ones will scatter it all over anyways.
~Barb~
 
I gave up and put the hay just inside their cage. I still ends up all over the place anyway. lol If the mess really bothers you maybe switching to hay cubes instead?
 
Hay cubes are good, but they really need loose hay to properly wear down their teeth. Also, I found that some of my chins would not eat the hay cubes since they weren't used to them and they went to waste. I think the problem lies more in the cage than the hay - If you put up shelf guards or have a melamine cage the hay stays in better. I like Alli's fleece hay holders but they tend to pull it all out at one time.. eh what can you do. At least they are entertained while they munch...
 
I use the metal hay rack that came with my QC Mansion - I also have the shelf guards on all the big shelves that came with the cage - they make a huge difference in keeping the mess inside the cage.

I have added some miscellaneous shelves that don't have any guards and I can tell you that I have a lot more "stuff" on the floor around the cage now. I'm going to look into getting more shelf guards.
 
I have tried different methods of containing hay, and hay still finds itself everywhere. I think Tink likes to make a mess so anywhere she is, there is a bite of hay to eat!
 
I use a half hammock hung in the middle of the cage. As he chews it falls to the bottom of the cage, hence no mess through the cage bars!
 
At first I thought it was the hay, thinking they were pulling it out because they didn't like it, so I tried several different brands of hay, and several different "hay holders" and have come to the conclusion that its just them, probably looking for that special piece of hay.
 
yeah exactly...i think she just tries to find the pieces of hay she absolutely loves...and leaves the rest behind lol...thanks for everyones helpful tips :)
 
People may think this is gross, but I put mine in the litter box in a corner they don't use. It usually stays contained, and not as much gets wasted as you would think.

I have one of these wooden hay holders for my degus, it works good for them, but I haven't tried one with the chins.http://www.chillinchinchillas.com/store.htm
 
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I love Carise's (ForCHINatechins) wooden hay boxes mainly because they are cute with the chinnie cut-out LOL. I don't think anything I use will ever stop them from making a mess so I figure why not use something that is adorable? :D
 
I just noticed that my hay holder is on the site it is petal and pollen's. Just to give you an idea I asked for a tree and daisies, and I think it turned out nice.
 
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