Need Help: Hay For Hamsters

[FluffyBunnyies]

NOTE: I came on here because my question would be better answered by people who constantly buy hay, which I believe Guinea pigs need on a daily basis. That's why I have decided to post here instead of on a hamster forum.

Hello guinea pig lovers,
Now I know that this is a Guinea pig forum, but I've come here with a question about hamsters (or rather, hay.) So I've been looking for a brand of hay to use in a future hamster's cage. I'll be using it as substrate, since it helps to hold together any burrows that a hamster may make. However I need variety in the hay (variety in size: so short pieces, long pieces, and in between) so that the burrows will hold together better.

I know that guinea pigs need a lot of hay, so I assume people here will know of a brand that sells hay like that. I and a lot of people in the hamster comunity don't have any experience buying it, so I wanted to find help elsewhere. I'd want something with as little dust as possible, of course. Thank you for any replies, and I'm sorry if I'm not allowed to do this or if the topic is in the wrong section. I thought it would be worth a try

 

[Redribbon]

Hi I'm no hamster expert but I have a Syrian called Sharon and only rarely do I put a small amount of short soft hay in her cage. She's not that fussed and much prefers her sand and cardboard shreddings to burrow in.
I do fear potential hay pokes which is why I avoid it.

 

[Louise's Zoo]

As above, I have a Syrian hamster and I sometimes stuff a loo roll tube with hay as a sort of toy. I just use the same meadow hay that I give my piggies. My hamster doesn't really bother with the hay at all. She never takes it out the tube to use as bedding but she does nibble the tube and add that to her bedding.

 

[pig in the city]

Hamsters love to make their own beds, l used to put pieces of plain kitchen roll in and she would shred the paper to make her nest. I never used hay, occasionally l put some readigrass in the cage but she ignored it.

 

[Betsy]

I have had 8 hamsters and never gave them hay. The would love to shred cardboard loo roll tubes as has already been mentioned and also they loved the honey and alfalfa houses and tubes to chew on. The houses had hay or straw type roofs which they would pull off and then ignore.

 

[FluffyBunnyies]

I have had 8 hamsters and never gave them hay. The would love to shred cardboard loo roll tubes as has already been mentioned and also they loved the honey and alfalfa houses and tubes to chew on. The houses had hay or straw type roofs which they would pull off and then ignore.

Hamsters love to make their own beds, l used to put pieces of plain kitchen roll in and she would shred the paper to make her nest. I never used hay, occasionally l put some readigrass in the cage but she ignored it.

As above, I have a Syrian hamster and I sometimes stuff a loo roll tube with hay as a sort of toy. I just use the same meadow hay that I give my piggies. My hamster doesn't really bother with the hay at all. She never takes it out the tube to use as bedding but she does nibble the tube and add that to her bedding.

Hi I'm no hamster expert but I have a Syrian called Sharon and only rarely do I put a small amount of short soft hay in her cage. She's not that fussed and much prefers her sand and cardboard shreddings to burrow in.
I do fear potential hay pokes which is why I avoid it.

I think I may of confused you ^^;

What I meant to ask is, what kind (and brand) of hay do you use, and do the pieces vary in size? As in are there very long pieces as well as very short pieces?

I'm asking because I've seen that hay that varies in size helps to hold hamster burrows but when I look for more information in hamster
forums there's very little about the best brand and type of hay for burrows (probably because using hay as a substrate is a relatively new idea). I'm not planning on feeding it to them, because I've already tried that and mine didn't like it either. And I don't think that a little poke from some hay would do much harm, since it's all be pushed down with some softer paper bedding and aspen to cushion it. Sorry if I confused you. Though I appreciate the feedback

 

[Redribbon]

Hay pokes can be very serious and painful, I personally would pick softer substrate for burrowing such as shredded cardboard

 

[Tiamolly123]

Hi I don't use any hay in my hamster cage I use wood chip for the flooring & shredded Toliet roll for bedding. I've never put hay or grass in the cage. Never put that cotton wool bedding in the cage you will kill your hamster. The main problem is hay poke

 

[flowerfairy]

Hay is not considered suitable for hamsters. It can damage the inside of their pouches.

Fitch paper bedding holds tunnel shapes well and is nice and soft for them. I use shredded loo roll for all five of mine in their nesting areas. They also have sand areas and houses with no bottoms so that they can burrow down into their deep layer of fitch to stash food and make cosy nests.

Zooplus are great for cages btw. I have the alaska, two barneys and the wonderful alexander cage.

 

[acapae]

All my hamsters get hay. Some people consider it unsafe, but to be honest all enrichment carries a risk; since you can't just keep them in bubblewrap and the hay risk is not particularly high, most people view the pros outweighing the cons.

Straw is another good one, with an even lower risk. And indeed Syrians get more out of it as the tunnels created keep their shape better.

 

[acapae]

I should add though, that the hay I use is the same high quality soft green stuff as I feed my piggies, not the low quality spikey pre-packaged brown stuff fit for the bin..