If it is a great deal of hay, you can clog the vacuum. I had to spend 20 minutes cleaning out the vacuum due to a massive clog of hay. my suggestion would be to buy yourself a broom and sweep the big bits into a pile and put them into the garbage. This even works on rugs. The less you vacuum, the less you clog.

yup… i sweep up as much as possible before i vacuum.  i sweep first and then pick up any medium size bits that clung to the rug so all thats left to vacuum is the very small bits & dust.  i read here that there are rubber brooms that work really well but i don’t have one of those (keeping my eyes peeled for them when i’m shopping for sure tho).

I use a “no waste hay holder” that I bought at Save A Bunny that is wonderful. Very little hay comes out. It’s just a quick sweep with a paper towel to corral it to pick it up. If interested go to http://www.saveabunny.com  and go to their online store. Sorry I could not copy and paste the link for you. I highly recommend this even though it’s a little pricey BUT the proceeds go to the rescue.

Heck, I have only had my Buns for 5 days now & the hay is already every where!

I got a really cute little wire chrome basket (Bathroom department at Target) that seems to hold about 2 worth days of hay. I have it clipped to the side of thier pen. They can pull hay out of the top or out of the sides. It is totally cute when they put thier paws on the edbe of the basket. 

I also got a wire “treat” ball that hangs over one of the litter boxes. I pack lots of hay into it. They have a blast tugging the hay out. It is half feeder – half toy!

Luckely, I live in a old house with hardwood floors. All of my Bun rugs are small enough to take outside and give a good shaking to. So mostly, I am sweeping up the hay.

ARggg…This is sooo funny b/c just last night I had a big clog that was a little hard to get out!

My vaccum has no bags and all the filters are washable. Sooo…I vaccum everything up (drives my bf crazy b/c he has to fix it if I can’t) and I usually have to flex the tube while I go so nothing gets stuck…Usually we unclog the vaccum twice a week. But it’s been two years of vaccuming hay and litter etc. …so far it’s the best way I can do it, since I really hate sweeping and in a nic cube I don’t really see how I could?

With my clog, what I did was remove the bag from my vacuum and dig out what hay I could from the vacuum (As mine is an upright, it tends to clog right where the bag meets the vacuum as that’s where the tube ‘bends’). I then would just turn on the vacuum without the bag, another plug of hay comes up, I dig that out and repeat. It does get a bit dusty without having the bag attached but it works much quicker and it gets done. No real damage to the vacuum – just work.

I gave up on hay holders they make a big mess. for me anyway. yes I get hay on the floor I don’t have carpet so I sweep it up. I have rugs down for the bun and sometimes it gets on there along with the litter so I sweep it off too.I will check out that no waste hay holder too

I get hay here and there on the floor. But they’re all gone and clean by the end of the day. My buns eat it ALL when I let them out. I just leave it because I’m guessing it can be considered as “foraging”.

two words… shop vac!
best investment ever if you’re going to be dealing with a lot of hay! Most vacuums can’t handle the hay and have the clogs and such.

I ususally try to sweet up a lot of it with a dustpan and lil brush to save my vaccum. I then put a hay in the living room litterboxes for them to munch on later.

I use a hand broom & dustpan for a general go-over then use a push sweeper (non-electric) like they have in restaurants, it works great and when I get a lot of small crummies I get out the vacuum cleaner.