GP. Hay / waste management

[TeenDivided]

We are adopting 2 female GPs next week. They are 4yrs old and are coming from DD's college where they are no longer needed for teaching.
They will be upstairs indoors on a raised C&C cage with fleece lining with hay on the floor of the kitchen end and in hay racks to eat.

What do you all do for storing clean hay and for transporting 'used' hay/droppings?

We are thinking of a large lidded plastic tub for fresh and a large lidded bucket for waste (to help DD carry downstairs as she needs a hand free for the bannister)?

How do you dispose of hay/waste? Can it go as garden waste?

[OddBoots]

Your transport vessels sound fine. Our piggie waste goes in the compost bin in the garden. I am not sure if that is what you mean or if you use a council scheme, if it is the latter it will depend on your council.

I hope you have a lovely time with your girls, we have 2 girls too and they are great company.

[HappyAsASandboy]

Most councils accept animal waste/bedding from herbivores in the composting/garden waste bins. Check your councils website.

[bunnygeek]

For the waste, if you have a garden, it should compost down quite nicely. I have three large compost piles and black compost bin for all my rabbit waste, I get excellent mulch out of it!

[TeenDivided]

Thanks all. I've checked and our council garden waste scheme won't take it.
Our garden is only small and we don't currently home compost but I'll suggest to DH we give it a go.

[BooksAndHooks]

jay racks aren’t advised so I would just have it in piles.

We have to take it to the dump as can’t put it in any of our bins. We do give away as much as we can for family to compost first.

[TeenDivided]

hay racks aren’t advised

Why?

[Ciderandskatesdontmix]

Hay racks aren't advised as they pose a strangulation/entrapment risk. They also encourage an unnatural feeding position for guinea pigs as they have to stretch up for them. Guinea pigs use their hay for playing/hiding and sleeping as well as eating so piles are much better for them.

[MandyMotherOfBrian]

@TeenDivided

hay racks aren’t advised

Why?

Everything Cider said but also they can, for some, discourage eating enough hay and Guineas really do need to eat a lot of hay.
For transporting the used bedding downstairs we used to use a small dustpan and brush to sweep everything in to a pile and scoop it up in the newspaper lining (still need newspaper under the fleece) and pop it in a black bag. We have a large compost heap in the garden that we put it on, fine as they’re herbivores. As for storage of the the fresh Hay, personally I wouldn’t use a plastic bin, or anything else that doesn’t allow it to ‘breathe’ and air flow as you don’t spores building up in it unbeknownst to you. We used a large cardboard box and emptied new packs in to that.

[TeenDivided]

Super. All very helpful. Thank you.

[fortifiedwithtea]

Off topic but as your girls are middle aged piggies have a look at Oxbrow Natural Science Urinary tract support supplements. One biscuit per pig per day. Our old girl loved them and I am convinced they were the reason she lasted until past 8 years old.

[TeenDivided]

Not off topic at all, thank you.

[fantasmasgoria1]

We have a dwarf rabbit. We put her hay in a pile at one end of the upstairs if her cage . We use water bowls rather than bottles as it's easier for her.

[TeenDivided]

We know a lot about how they are currently kept as DD has rotations at college including the GPs so hopefully that will help. (At least she hasn't asked to come home with a Zebu or lemur )