Harder pieces of hay

Ramia

Ramia

Adult Guinea Pig
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Chesney can't seem to eat or pick up the harder pieces of hay. He picks out the little pieces and flowers and then smells the other pieces but doesn't pick them up. I have to keep topping it off but there is a lot of waste.

Would a particular cut be better?
 
None of my animals will eat coarse cut Timothy. I feed orchard hay and meadow hay - plus they are all softer so can be used as a bedding and for generally playing in. I did used to feed soft cut Timothy (which is just leaf) but be aware that (if you can get it) it can be too rich for some piggies.

However no matter what hay you feed, there is going to be some that is always thrown away - that’s just the way it is as some bits won’t be deemed good enough or tasty enough to eat.
(We don’t consider it wasted though as any hay which has been played with, run through, pooped on still served a purpose!)
 
Good to know! I was a little worried. I might give orchard or meadow a chance after I get done with this bag. Do I have to make the switch gradually? Or can I just switch.
 
You should mix some old hay with some new hay and then gradually increase the amount of new hay. So make sure you don’t run out of their current hay before buying a new hay!
 
They will always pick out what they consider to be the best bits. Try not to think of it as wasted. It has been a bed, toilet, fun and something to argue about, anything that provides enrichment is not wasted.
 
My boys love 3rd cut Timothy hay but it is quite rich so you need to mix it in with another hay.
 
I think. I'm the only one on the forum with guinea pigs that'll only eat the coarser timothys (yes, Cam, I'm talking about you 🙄), and they won't touch softer timothy like the 3rd cut or soft mixes. Finding a hay that works for you and them can be difficult and can take a while but orchard and meadow hays are definitely worth a try.
 
So I got a bag of 50/50 Timothy and orchard and I just gave them some. They love it! It seems to take Chesney less time to pick out a good piece to eat. I was worried with the Timothy because he would search and search and then finally find a piece (Stripe eats the coarse, so I wasn't worried about him)

I picked up a bag of 100% orchard because I'd like to make the switch. My question is, they will finish the 50/50 bag in about five days. Can I make the switch to 100% orchard in five days? Or should I get another 50/50 bag m
 
Ramia said:
So I got a bag of 50/50 Timothy and orchard and I just gave them some. They love it! It seems to take Chesney less time to pick out a good piece to eat. I was worried with the Timothy because he would search and search and then finally find a piece (Stripe eats the coarse, so I wasn't worried about him)

I picked up a bag of 100% orchard because I'd like to make the switch. My question is, they will finish the 50/50 bag in about five days. Can I make the switch to 100% orchard in five days? Or should I get another 50/50 bag m
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We can’t answer how long they’ll take to finish it as we don’t know how big the bag is or how much you are giving them.
But otherwise you can use just orchard when you are sure the change hasnt upset them
 
Thanks.

Will soft orchard wear down their teeth? I got soft but can return it.
 
Just put in half Timothy they like and some orchard. So far they're ignoring the orchard, but I have a whole bag of what they're used to if they don't like the orchard.
 
Once you know they aren't having issues with the new hay, you can just switch it out. The teeth are worn down by the chewing itself, so by the other teeth and not the hay. That means the hay texture makes no difference as long as they are eating and chewing enough.
 
Urmel said:
Once you know they aren't having issues with the new hay, you can just switch it out. The teeth are worn down by the chewing itself, so by the other teeth and not the hay. That means the hay texture makes no difference as long as they are eating and chewing enough.
Click to expand...
Great, thanks! I've found their favorite is an oxbow mix of Timothy and orchard. I got a big bag of it yesterday.

As for the hundred percent orchard, they nibble it a little but not as much, so I'll stick with the mix.
 
Its the abrasive fibre of silica in grass and hay which wears the teeth - so yes, while the texture of hay doesnt make any difference (it’s all got the same silica), it is the hay and the chewing of it which is wearing the teeth
 
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