How Do I Get My Pig Eating More Hay

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Louiseblack2

Louiseblack2

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We had an issue with overgrown molars with my other piggie and the vet highly advised we have to ensure atleast 80% of our pigs diet was hay. We always make sure he has a large amount of hay and half a bowl pf biscuits every morning and he gets a veggie treat every sunday. But were having an incredi le difficult time of getting him to eat the hay and not use it as a bed he was waiting for the biscuits so we staryed giving them him at random times instead of at the same time everyday but still no change he just sleeps on the hay. How do i get him to grind his teeth?
 
Maybe try different kinds of hay to find which one takes his fancy? And placing the hay in a hay rack might show him that its food and not a nice comfy bed haha
 
I have exactly the same problem, I was told to hand feed grass, use long strand hay and literally feed into their mouths. I'm trying but boy it's hard work.
 
Mother Hubbard said:
I have exactly the same problem, I was told to hand feed grass, use long strand hay and literally feed into their mouths. I'm trying but boy it's hard work.
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He gives me such an unimpressed look when i give him hay and no nuggets i really cant find any way to get him to eat it and not sleep on it haha
 
Louiseblack2 said:
He gives me such an unimpressed look when i give him hay and no nuggets i really cant find any way to get him to eat it and not sleep on it haha
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Mine do both.
They like to lie on it and in it, but munch it constantly. They eat more now that it's in a tray and they don't touch the stuff in the rack much anymore.
But all piggies are different.
Like above, try different types. Mine like meadow hay but go crazy for timothy hay too
 
Louiseblack2 said:
He gives me such an unimpressed look when i give him hay and no nuggets i really cant find any way to get him to eat it and not sleep on it haha
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On yeah I know that. I've started feeding flaked peas, they are quite hard actually - oh yes I have actually tried them. Well what's good for them is good for me.
 
I have a 32litre underbed storage box in the cage full of hay. They make little tunnels in it and i can hear chomping as well. Using it as a bed doesnt mean not eating it.

I give them ings and meadow hay from hay and straw (used to be hay for pets).

Straw and hay also do sample packs so yu can see if your gps like any of their hay ... best of luck.
 
flowerfairy said:
I have a 32litre underbed storage box in the cage full of hay. They make little tunnels in it and i can hear chomping as well. Using it as a bed doesnt mean not eating it.

I give them ings and meadow hay from hay and straw (used to be hay for pets).

Straw and hay also do sample packs so yu can see if your gps like any of their hay ... best of luck.
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Thank you a lot of people have suggested different hay so i gues thats the first place to start if not is there any other way he would frind his teeth
 
Hi I feel your pain! I had the same problem with my rabbits a while back. However- I have found a hay my fussy pigs will eat as the P@H stuff was just getting trampled on. I now get large sacks from online store Timothyhay.co.uk. It's about £20 for a large sack and the pigs love it! They will send you a free sample if you email them. The service is fantastic and the quality of the hay is great, long strands perfect for pig tummies. Sorry if I'm promoting this place lol. I've just found it a life saver! Good luck with finding one they like :)
 
My pigs were the same! Try online store timothyhay.co.uk. If you email them they will send you a sample. It was a hit right away with my boys and is great quality and service.
 
It took me over a month to get my piggies to eat more than 5% of their diet in hay when I first got them and would only eat any hay they would eat at night so I got desperate and I took all food out of their cage at night and just gave them a heap of hay and told them "If your'e hungry you'll eat hay" and they got hungry and ate hay. They starved for a couple of nights mind you and I felt terrible but they eat heaps of hay now except recently but they are back on track now. It takes a while to find hay that they like. My two like all the oxbow hays except oat hay the alfalfa king timothy hay and burgess timothy hay with birch bark (naturally all the expensive hays lol but wont touch the cheap stuff iv'e tried them on recently).
 
A hay rack should be sold online or in pet stores but even a box filled with hay would suffice. :)
 
I can only agree with everyone else.
Give them lots of hay, offer different types of hay, and offer it in creative ways.
My lot have hay bags, hay trays and I also put piles in their stick tunnels, and add it stuffed in loo rolls, etc.
It makes a mess and hay does go everywhere, but I assume they are eating at least some of it (at least I hope so!).
 
My girls will only eat Timothy hay, so if you're feeding meadow hay it might be worth the switch :)

Also, when you say a veggie treat every Sunday do you mean they don't have veggies every day? Piggies need daily veg :)
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
My girls will only eat Timothy hay, so if you're feeding meadow hay it might be worth the switch :)

Also, when you say a veggie treat every Sunday do you mean they don't have veggies every day? Piggies need daily veg :)
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We used to give it them every morning but the vet moaned and daidbit ahould only take up 10-15% of their dietbas they choose it over there hay and molars grow etc so we give them loads on sundays they have like a sunday salad
 
Swissgreys said:
I can only agree with everyone else.
Give them lots of hay, offer different types of hay, and offer it in creative ways.
My lot have hay bags, hay trays and I also put piles in their stick tunnels, and add it stuffed in loo rolls, etc.
It makes a mess and hay does go everywhere, but I assume they are eating at least some of it (at least I hope so!).
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I tried stuffing it in loo roll and he went absolutely mad nudging it round the cage eating it but he ate mostly the roll this did make himmeat more hay so i guess its the way forward for now but i definitlry like the idea of investing in a hay rack
 
Really? It seems unusal to me that a vet would recommend not giving veg daily.

It shouldn't stop them eating hay, they probably just don't like the hay. My girls love their veg but also eat their hay, without veg they wouldn't get everything they need.

Correct me if I'm wrong forum friends, I've just never heard of once a week veggies being okay?
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
Really? It seems unusal to me that a vet would recommend not giving veg daily.

It shouldn't stop them eating hay, they probably just don't like the hay. My girls love their veg but also eat their hay, without veg they wouldn't get everything they need.

Correct me if I'm wrong forum friends, I've just never heard of once a week veggies being okay?
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To be honest i found it very weird as in all the time ive owned piggies i gave them veggies every morning when we filled there biscuits but the vet said it shouldnt happen and made me feel awful like i was mistreating them and causimg them pain by giving them veggies as she said it was obvious he was refusing to eat the hay because of them . It upet me tbh and i thought she knew best as she strictly said mostly hay and to reduce biscuits and veg so hed focus on hay and keep teeth down do ypu suggest i go back to my old method?
 
I'm by no means an expert, but I do find it strange he would suggest that. Perhaps a forum mod can shed some light on this. I could understand reducing the nuggets but I don't understand the logic in reducing the veg.

Perhaps it would be an idea to get a second opinion from a piggy savvy vet?

Have you tried Timothy hay yet? My girls went off hay before Christmas so I bought 5 different varieties for them to try and they wolfing it down like it's going out of fashion!
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
I'm by no means an expert, but I do find it strange he would suggest that. Perhaps a forum mod can shed some light on this. I could understand reducing the nuggets but I don't understand the logic in reducing the veg.

Perhaps it would be an idea to get a second opinion from a piggy savvy vet?

Have you tried Timothy hay yet? My girls went off hay before Christmas so I bought 5 different varieties for them to try and they wolfing it down like it's going out of fashion!
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I have a bag of measow hay and a bag of timothy hay but havent tried either yet planning on tomorrow was just alloweing them to finish the small bit they had left so i can monitor the amount they eat so see what they prefer hopefully a forum member will be able to enlighten me on the veg as i lnow its important but now I'm confhsed whether to stick to once a week or every day thank you for your help
 
No worries, I would personally continue with veg and get a second opinion from a different, piggy savvy vet :)

I'd definitely throw some Timothy hay in the hay rack for 'them asap, maybe in a separate area so you can monitor? Hopefully they will snatch your hand off and scoff the stuff :))
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
No worries, I would personally continue with veg and get a second opinion from a different, piggy savvy vet :)

I'd definitely throw some Timothy hay in the hay rack for 'them asap, maybe in a separate area so you can monitor? Hopefully they will snatch your hand off and scoff the stuff :))
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Thank you youve been super helpful everyones suggested this hay so guessing its usually goes down well
 
Louiseblack2 said:
Thank you a lot of people have suggested different hay so i gues thats the first place to start if not is there any other way he would frind his teeth
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Different hays and lots and lots of hay. Unlimited hay. Loads to burrow in. Loo roll middles full of the stuff and hay racks with it in. Never let the hay run out.

Mine also love to chew on willow, apple branches and those wooden bendy log things that they can hide under. All good for wearing the teeth down.

Grass is just as good as hay for wearing down the teeth.
 
flowerfairy said:
Different hays and lots and lots of hay. Unlimited hay. Loads to burrow in. Loo roll middles full of the stuff and hay racks with it in. Never let the hay run out.

Mine also love to chew on willow, apple branches and those wooden bendy log things that they can hide under. All good for wearing the teeth down.

Grass is just as good as hay for wearing down the teeth.
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Thank you i make sure they always have tonnes of hay and I'm slowly finding new ways to make it mlre fun for him as hed much rather nibble a tomato
 
Hi,
My piggies never ate much hay untill I mixed some ReadiGrass in with it. Now they love it
 
Louiseblack2 said:
May I ask what is ReadiGrass haha
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I found this online, it's a good way to describe it "ReadiGrass is a 100% natural feed, with all the goodness of ryegrass pastures captured in every bag. The unique low-temperature drying process removes the water, but leaves the fragrant grass aroma, vibrant colour and most importantly the high nutrient value of fresh grass"
 
Readigrass is a much loved treat in my house, I believe it's only recommended to give a handful of two a week. I think it's due the calcium content but I can't really remember.
 
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