Guinea pigs wont eat the hay we give? :/

[coraxlii]

Ive tried mutiple 5 star ratings of Timothy Hay, ive tried oat hay and more. ive gave the pigs fruits and veggies and they ate those but not the hay? nothing seems wrong with them. they run around and play during floor time , they are pooping normally , and they arent bloating either. but they wont eat any of the hay we give them. help?

 

[Sunnyandbutch]

Are you buying manufactured hay, from the pet store or Amazon, like Oxbow hay and such? My pigs were picky about their hay and we saw a huge increase in their hay consumption after we bought farm fresh hays. We buy our fresh hay off of Amazon, it's either Viking Farmer or Small Pet Select. Even I could tell the major improvement in the hay once we switched to fresh hay, it was much more green, and fresh, and less hay dust in the bottom of the bag. I would try switching to fresh hay and if that doesn't work I would consult the vet and possibly if advised and you are seeing significant weight loss try using some critical care. Make sure to keep a close eye on their weight and good luck!

 

[coraxlii]

Are you buying manufactured hay, from the pet store or Amazon, like Oxbow hay and such? My pigs were picky about their hay and we saw a huge increase in their hay consumption after we bought farm fresh hays. We buy our fresh hay off of Amazon, it's either Viking Farmer or Small Pet Select. Even I could tell the major improvement in the hay once we switched to fresh hay, it was much more green, and fresh, and less hay dust in the bottom of the bag. I would try switching to fresh hay and if that doesn't work I would consult the vet and possibly if advised and you are seeing significant weight loss try using some critical care. Make sure to keep a close eye on their weight and good luck!

Ive bought both off of amazon and pet stores and from amazon it was fresh farm hay, i worry if they are sick so i might bring them to a vet, anyways thank you, ill take your advice.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Are you weighing them weekly?
Are they gaining weight well?
If you do stick to the recommended veg and pellet amounts and aren't overfeeding those items, but they are still gaining a good amount of weight, then they must be eating enough hay. They will not gain or maintain weight sufficiently just on veg and pellets as they shouldn't be being fed the in high enough quantities to allow them gain weight significantly. They will only gain weight through eating enough hay (as its 80% of their daily food intake).

Check how much veg and pellets are you giving? They are considered as snacks not a meal.
Ensure you only give a cup/50g of veg per pig per day, choosing leafy veg and herbs as a basis. Dont give fruit often - it is could be a very occasional treat and not given more than one tiny amount once per week. Veg is 15% of the daily food intake.
Ensure you only give one tablespoon of pellets per pig per day. Dont leave them with access to pellets constantly. Pellets are only 5% of the daily food intake.

How are you serving their hay?
They like to be able to forage freely through it, lay in it etc so giving it in large piles can help.
Otherwise, are you assuming they aren't eating their hay because you are seeing lots still left over? If so, then that is normal and doesnt mean they aren't eating it. There will always be a lot of hay wastage with guinea pigs - they do tend to pick out the bits they like best and leave the rest so this is why it needs to be a big pile and refreshed regularly

If there are concerns over their weight or any other health aspect, please see a vet