What's The Difference Between Timothy Hay And Pet Shop Hay?

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Mellowmummy

Mellowmummy

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When I got my piggies I was given a bag of hay it looked fine no damp smells etc it was dark in colour like the colour of horses hay, but I had also pre orderd a bag of timothey hay which came yesterday. The timothey hay looks a lot better and is certainly greener I've put this one in for the boys this morning :) is their a major difference between the different types of hay? Can I just give the boys timothey hay as hay or do I need to mix it with the pet shop stuff? Thanks again for all your help x
 
I think they are just a different type of grass. Someone else may have a better idea. I used to use the pet shop hay as a bedding but they still ate it!
 
I am pretty sure it is just different types of grass.... Pet shop hay is usually mixed, coming from a local farmers field or other farming establishment. I think it also depends when it is cut, what it is called. The main thing is that you should be feeding good quality hay everyday, constantly available and it should be free of things like other plants, rubbish, feathers or other things that could be harmful.

Plenty of farm shops sell hay, pet shops sell local or packaged hay and you can order in abundance from online sellers.

Try googling it for more info. I found this but there I loads of other hay info out there...

http://www.guineapigwelfare.org.uk/guinea-pig-care/diet/the-importance-of-hay/

My boys are fussy about what they like so try a few kinds and see what gets eaten first. Sometimes it's worth having a mix, cheap hay is good for bedding and playing in but still edible and more fancy hay as a snack....
 
From my understanding, the hay to avoid giving in large quantities is Alfalfa hay (except for pregnant sows and young GPs). Apparently, Alfalfa is higher in calcium and calories than other varieties. I avoid Alfalfa as my boys are a bit on the chubby side.
My piggies seem to like meadow hay on the ground for rummaging through (this needs to be changed daily - particularly if it has been soiled in urine as damp hay is not good for them). I provide more expensive varieties (usually timothy) in hanging wire balls (you may have seen these in pet shops called veg to balls).
Has anyone come across Readigrass? My piggies love it and I provide it unlimited quantities as well as hay.
 
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My piggies love readigrass but its high calcium so should be limited somewhat in anything but baby piggies :-D
 
Bekki2308 said:
My piggies love readigrass but its high calcium so should be limited somewhat in anything but baby piggies :-D
Click to expand...

I've just ordered some Readigrass for my piggies, one of them is still off her normal hay! Not sure whether the calcium content varies between the different makes, but the one I've ordered from The Hay Experts claims to be 0.8% calcium.
 
0.8% that is considered high calcium :) if you use fleece you may notice white sludgey deposits after foods such as spinach or readigrass :) that is excess calcium. Not normally a problem in healthy pigs but excess can lead to problems as they get older x
 
Aaah ok Bekki! Thanks for that - it didn't sound high to me. Still have lots to learn. So I guess the answer is to not overdo it with the Readigrass then :)
 
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