Timothy vs meadow

Isabellajones

Isabellajones

Junior Guinea Pig
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My guy is the most fussy pig alive! I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of different hay brands and types he’s liked then suddenly hated.

He’s been eating soft cut Timothy hay from Haybox for the last few months great and his poops have been consistent and normal (he’s goes from super soft to nothing all the time, he’s been vet checked multiple times and they can’t find anything wrong with him) but when I was away in hospital (minor surgery) my mum gave him sweet green meadow hay from Natures Own in one of those hay cube things (the cardboard box with big holes in for them to pull the hay out) and now he’s not eating hardly any Timothy and only wanting the meadow hay. His poops are now soft away too.

Is meadow hay ok to feed on its own? As it is now once the cube runs out he’s barely eating any hay at all until I refill the cube with the meadow hay. His Timothy pile is basically getting ignored apart from the odd nibble. I’m very anxious and stressed over this.

Do I remove the Timothy for the time being and just feed the meadow in a pile as then as last I know he’s getting some soft of hay or do I try putting orchid grass in the cube? I’m at a loss! Any advice from more experienced pig parents very welcome!

Thanks. ☺️
 
As long as it's hay it's all good! I'd give him a break from Timothy and see how he feels in a week or so.

I think we've all got different hay constellations in our home depending on what our furry masters will tolerate :))
 
Haha! Furry masters! 😂 You got that right!

I have no issue switching him to the sweet green meadow if that’s what he wants but I’ve read meadow hay is low quality and doesn’t contain enough fibre?
 
Meadow hay is absolutely fine to be fed on its own - any grass hay is.
For decades I had only fed just meadow hay. I then used to give a mix of meadow and Timothy, but now I feed meadow and orchard.

It can be beneficial to use a range of hays as if one isn’t available or if they go off it, then you have something to fall back on. They all taste different so provide a variety which means they are kept engaged. Meadow hay of course is by its nature a mix of different types of grasses and plants so it great for variety and why lots of piggies and bunnies like it.
 
Thank you! That’s put my mind at ease so much you have no idea! Thank you. 🥰

Should I just stop giving the Timothy for now and only just give him the meadow or should I maybe mix the two together?
 
He loves forage! He has a forage tray full of hay and dried flowers he goes mad on. 😅
 
We always seem to have 3 different hays on the go. Usually from different places. Each day a different one is the favourite. I just add them in and mix them up.
 
That’s not a bad idea tbh. Just putting the two together and mixing it all up and letting him eat what he wants.

The cost though… 😂
 
Agree that either are fine :)

We also mix hays to keep Perry’s interest. I think freshness is key as well as variety so don’t buy them all at the same time - have two on the go then a couple of weeks later add in the third and so on..!

We spend a lot on hay as you can imagine! But if you’re going to spend anywhere then hay is it really isn’t it? It’s just so important for health.

That said, we don’t have the optimum storage for hay (it’s in our dry but warm lounge) so ours might not be as appealing in a shorter time. If you’ve got somewhere cool and dry to store you might not need to buy as often.

Have you tried the Small Pet Select timothy hay? Perry loves the 2nd cut - it’s sort of in between/mix of soft and stalky pieces which he loves.
 
He’s eating sweet green meadow hay with a mix of third cut Timothy. He’s enjoying it atm. But we will see. 😂

How’s the best way to store hay? I have a spare bedroom I keep all the hay in, should the room be cold or warm?
 
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