Hay Rack for rodents: hay kept clean, dry and easy to reach

Hay Rack: staple food kept clean and always available

For guinea pigs and chinchillas hay is the staple food and has to be there around the clock. A hay rack keeps it off the floor so it does not come into contact with bedding and droppings. You will find galvanised racks to hook on, models with a lid, wooden racks to stand up as well as fabric hay bags for the cage and the hutch.

Shapes and mounting

Racks that hook on use the bars and save floor space. Models that screw on sit firmly against the hutch wall and hold even when something pulls hard at them. Combination racks can be hung, stood up or laid down and therefore fit almost any home. A lid stops the animals from sitting inside the rack and soiling the hay while they eat. Door racks are handy in narrow hutches, and fabric hay bags are light, quick to move and easy to take down when you want to shake them out.

Hay, greens and enrichment

Many racks take fresh greens or herbs alongside hay. A hay tower with its own vegetable compartment keeps the two neatly apart. Racks with a perch combine a feeding spot with a lookout, which suits guinea pigs in particular. Refill smaller amounts more often, then the hay stays fresh and fragrant. When you top up, check whether leftovers at the bottom have gone damp and take those out. On wire racks, watch the spacing so no head gets stuck. Galvanised models last a long time in an outdoor hutch, while wooden racks fit nicely into an indoor cage and can simply be brushed down dry once the rack is empty.

Frequently asked questions

Why not simply put hay on the floor?
On the floor hay quickly turns damp and dirty. In a rack it stays dry and clean, so much less of it gets thrown away.

How much hay should go in?
Enough that there is always some available. Refilling in smaller portions keeps the hay fresh and nicely fragrant.

Which rack suits an outdoor hutch?
Galvanised models to screw on or hook on are robust. A lid protects the hay from wet weather and soiling as well.