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[calidani]

Hi..
throughout the years I have gone back and forth a couple times between feeding my chins hay and cubes.  They're both the same thing (as far as I know) and it's just a matter of how they are presented, right?  I prefer the hay but I've never had luck with the things that clip onto the side of the cage (sorry I don't know the name...), and I've tried putting it in dishes but it just ends up on the floor and then it's wasted... so it just ends up being a messy hassle!  I like that the cubes are clean but the chins seem to prefer the actual hay. 

My questions are these....

1.) Is one better than the other? 

2.) Has anyone ever tried the other hay-containment products?  Like the wire balls and wheels?  Do those work? 

Thanks!

[chinclub]

There used to be a person who made hay containers out of cubes of wire.  I don't know if they do anymore but it would be easy enough to do.  They just took 1/2 x 1/2 inch wire and made it into a 4 inch  square box.  The top was hinged with the same c claps you use for making cages.  It was latched and attached to the top of the cage with a dog leash type clip.  We just filled it with hay and hung it in the cage and the chinchillas would pull it though.

We have done the same type of idea by taking a piece of 1/2 x 1/2 inch wire and looping it around and under and attaching it inside the cage door like a cup.  Our doors go right to the ceiling of the cage so we can open the door to fill it and then it sits flat against the top of the cage when the door is closed to keep the babies from climbing in.

The Shoots in Ohio cut a large coffee can in half and attached it to the outside of the cages like the plastic hay mangers you see in pet stores.  That looked like it would work well.

[jmrothermel]

I personally have a "hay ball" in each of my chins cages, and it seems to work well.  You just stuff a handful in there, and they can pull it out as they want.  Now most of my chins are very clean and tidy with them, but I do have one pair that I swear always wants a piece thats stuck wayyyyyyyyy in th center, and they rip all the hay out anyway.....

Silly chins..... 

[Marie14625]

Here  is what works for us.  My husband, Rick bought a small (about 4 inch diameter) bowl, which he attached to the side of Trixie's cage with a metal clip.  We then cut the hay into small pieces..easier for her to handle, and except for getting hay all over her cage, very little of it gets out onto the floor.  Trixie sits right on the edge of the bowl to eat.  We put Timothy into the bowl, and also give her alfalfa cubes.  I put one in her cage, qand always keep a couple of the cubes in her play room.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

That's what I find Marie, I cut my by the handfull so it's in sticks instead of a webbed clump. So when they pull on a stalk the whole works don't come out.
Now mind some will pull every bit out no matter what you put it in.

[Jo Ann]

  There are lots of things you can use as a hay and/or hay cube holder. 
We made hay holders in the shape of a little square box, but when the number of chins increased, it became to time-consuming to fill each one daily ... then came the outside hay-chute and the cube-hall.

I'll post pictures of the box and the chute. 

The "cube-hall" is made by taking a strip of cage wire 4 inches wide and as long as the depth of the cage.   Fold the wire long-ways, to make two 2" sides that can be attached with clamps to the top and side of the cage ... cut out the front of the cage where the "cube-hall" begins. 
Slide the cubes in the little hall-way through the opening in the front of the cage.

  Jo Ann

[Asikovsek]

Yea I always give my chins both loose hay and cubes...they seem to always love the loose better...but reguardless they love throwing hay everywhere...then when me or someone else forgets to close the door to the chins room my cat decides to sneak in and  eat the hay off the floor and throw up everywhere..lol ...i wake up and immediately know that the door was left open...  and I am immediately ticked off while im scrubbing...hahah....