How to Clean Hay Stored Outdoors?

[bob1]

I was just wondering how to make hay stored outdoors safe for guinea pigs to eat. I've heard you just need to freeze it or heat it in the oven. I'm just worried about bugs and bacteria. Thanks anything helps (I put this in the horse section becuase there's more people who know about hay here than in the rodent section)

 

[Snezzy]

Feed it to goats or cattle.

Hay stored outdoors where it sits on the ground or gets rained on grows mould and other fungus. Only ruminant animals have a hope of digesting it without difficulty, and even then I prefer to use clean hay.

The cost of hay for guinea pigs is trivial. Any effort in trying to "clean" bad hay is totally wasted. It's like trying to improve manure by washing it. Or trying to improve bad wine by mixing some good wine into it.

When we had guinea pigs, we found that they would go crazy with joy if we gave them lettuce.

If you're never read "Pigs Is Pigs" by Ellis Parker Butler, try to find it, and share it with your fellow guinea-pig fans.

 

[DonnaR]

I would either call my own vet or look in the yellow pages for any vet that treats guinea pigs. I call them all the time when I have any kind of question about my horse and even if they can't come to the phone they always call me back even if they aren't my own vet. They don't charge anything and are really helpful. Also, you need to tell the vet exactly the shape your hay is in and what kind of hay it is. You don't say if it is moldy or dirty or what. I have never heard of freezing it or heating it but it would take an awfully big oven or freezer to accomodate the amount of hay a horse eats. I do know that horses cannot eat moldy hay. Because they only have one stomach and can't throw up it can kill them. Cows on the other hand have more than one stomach and can eat moldy hay without it hurting them. I have no idea where guinea pigs fall into this stomach thing. I have soaked my hay in water if it is really dusty and also to get out the carbs and sugars but this is the only way I have heard of cleaning it. Like I said ask a vet. They are happy to help and don't charge anything for giving info over the phone.