Hay Juice

As I mentioned in my previous post, I make hay juice for my piggy. I do this because it's fun to give him a treat, but it's also a good way to give him the vitamins he needs and prevent scurvy (a vitamin C deficiency). Guess what I found out? Vitamin C drops in a pig's water do almost nothing as to prevent scurvy.

A good idea to prevent scurvy is to give your piggy as much fortified hay juice as he or she will drink per day. If you miss a day, it's no big deal! This is just a prevention.

How to make hay juice-
1. Cut your hay into 2 or 3 inch pieces and put into a blender.
2. Add a little water and blend until it is a juice.
3. Strain through a kitchen strainer into a small container. I like to use an empty, cleaned yogurt cup.
4. As Vitamin C is an unstable vitamin, just before using each serving (put a little bit of your hay juice into a yougurt cut and then do this step), toss in a 1/4 of a chewable vitamin C tablet. You may want to warm it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to make the tablet softer.
5. Crush the tablet with a spoon and wait until it is completely dissolved.
6. Wash your hands and dip your finger into the hay juice to make sure that it is not too hot or cold. If it is too hot, let it sit out to cool. If it is too cold, warm it up in the microwave for 5-10 more seconds. Feel the hay juice again and make sure the temperature is just right.If not, repeat above instructions until it is the perfect temperature for your piggy, preferably lukewarm.
7. Feed it to piggy through a syringe (follow the directions for syringe feeding in my last post) or feed from a spoon
(use the instructions on how to feed from a spoon in my last post). I love the way it sounds when they slurp. If your piggy doesn't finish his or her hay juice, store it in the refrigerator for up to two days.


Happy juicing!