Hay is the main component of the guinea pig's diet. So, if you live with this precious little animal, you should know that it can never run out of hay. In addition to providing it in unlimited quantities, it is important that you know how to choose the best hay for your guinea pig, since quality hay is the key to preventing dental problems, gastrointestinal disorders and obesity in guinea pigs.
In this article on our site we will talk about everything you need to know about the types of hay for guinea pigs, from its importance to how choose the best and where to buy it. Keep reading!
Importance of hay for guinea pigs
Guinea pigs are strict herbivores and need to eat large amounts of fiber. Hay is rich in fiber and is essential for the proper functioning of the digestive system of guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs' teeth, like rabbits', grow daily and need grinding. Excessive tooth growth in guinea pigs is one of the most common problems seen in the veterinary clinic and is most often caused by a lack of teeth. of hay intake. Most of the time the guardian does not even notice the overgrowth of the teeth, since he can only see the incisors, while the molars can only be seen by the veterinarian with the help of an otoscope. The incisors can wear down on wooden objects, splitting feed and other vegetables. However, the guinea pig needs the upper and lower molars to make continuous wear movements and this can only be achieved by chewing the long strands of hay, which take time to process. That is why the quality of the hay is so important, which is appreciated by its green color (not dry yellow), pleasant smell and long strands.
Hay is the mainstay of their diet
A balanced diet for guinea pigs should consist of approximately 80% hay, 10% dry food and 10% vegetables Additionally, each guinea pig life stage has specific nutritional requirements. Likewise, you cannot forget to change the water of your guinea pigs daily. Hay should also be changed daily.
If your guinea pig has stopped eating hay, do not ignore this symptom and go to your trusted exotic animal veterinarian as soon as possible. Dental, gastrointestinal and even more serious problems may be at play. The sooner the diagnosis is made and the treatment defined, the better the prognosis.
Can you give a guinea pig fresh grass?
Grass can be very beneficial for your guinea pig, however it can be more difficult to store than dry hay, as fresh hay can quickly rot and cause intestinal upset in your guinea pig.
If you can find good quality grass or grass, you can feed it to your guinea pig Some pet stores sell trays of grass from wheat. If you have a garden and it is safe for your guinea pigs, let them go for a walk and eat fresh, pesticide-free grass. But if you intend to bring in weed from elsewhere, you should always make sure it is free of herbicides and other chemicals. So if you can, it's best to plant your own wheatgrass.
Anyway, although guinea pig grass is very beneficial. If you don't have a garden, it's not practical to get good quality, fresh amounts to feed your pig every day. Dry hay has the advantage of being easy to store and also meets all the needs of the animal. For this reason, it is more common to sell the dried version than the fresh one. The big problem is finding good quality hay, because the market has many types of hay and not all of them are good.
How to feed a guinea pig hay?
If your guinea pig lives in a cage, ideally it should have a hay stando. Hay nets are the easiest way to keep hay clean, avoiding contact with guinea pig feces and urine. However, these commercially available nets are often not large enough for the amount of hay guinea pigs need to eat each day. For this reason, you can also spread some hay around your guinea pigs' cage or pen. Also remember that it is not positive that these animals live confined in a cage 24 hours a day, the ideal is that they can leave it to exercise and explore. For this reason, we advise you to set up a room for your guinea pig, where the cage simply acts as a shelter.
Another option is to make your own homemade toys for your guinea pig, where you include hay as a stimulant or reward. To do this, you can take a roll of toilet paper, make holes in it and fill the entire interior with fresh hay. Your guinea pig will love this toy which, in addition to encouraging him to eat more hay, is a great form of environmental enrichment.
In pet stores you can also find toys and accessories suitable for introducing hay and increasing your guinea pig's interest in this essential food in your diet.
Types of hay for guinea pigs
Once we have verified the importance of hay for guinea pigs and how to offer it in different ways, we are going to know the types of hay that you can currently find to help you choose the best hay for your guinea pig:
Timothy hay
Timothy hay is one of the most common hays in pet stores. This type of hay for guinea pigs has a high fiber content (excellent for the digestive system of the guinea pig and to prevent excessive tooth growth), minerals and other nutrients. The nutritional values of this type of hay are: 32-34% fiber, 8-11% protein and 0.4-0.6% calcium.
Hay Orchard grass
Another high quality guinea pig hay is known as Orchard grass, made from Ray Grass seed. The composition of this hay is similar to that of Timothy hay: 34% fiber, 10% protein and 0.33% calcium.
Meadow Hay
Meadow hay is made up of 33% fiber, 7% protein and 0.6% calcium. Prairie hay, Orchard grass hay, and Timothy hay are all varieties of grass hay of the family of grasses and sedges.
Oat hay, wheat and barley
These types of cereal hay, compared to grass hay varieties, have a higher sugar level For this reason Although very beneficial to guinea pigs, they should only be offered sporadically. High sugar diets can alter the intestinal flora of guinea pigs. Therefore, we recommend choosing one of the above hays and providing a cereal hay only once in a while, perhaps as a reward.
Regarding nutritional values, taking oat hay as a reference, we can say that it is made up of 31% fiber, 10% protein and 0.4% calcium.
Alfalfa hay
Alfalfa hay is high in calcium and not recommended for guinea pigs older than 6 months Alfalfa is high in carbohydrates, proteins and calcium, so it is only recommended for young guinea pigs, pregnant guinea pigs or by veterinary indication for sick guinea pigs.
Generally, this type of guinea pig hay is comprised of 28-34% fiber, 13-19% protein, and 1.1-1.4% calcium. This high calcium content, fed continuously to a he althy adult guinea pig, can cause problems in the urinary system.
So what is the best hay for guinea pigs? Alfalfa hay is suitable for guinea pigs under 6 months of age. Once this age has passed, it is advisable to offer Timothy hay, Orchard grass hay or prairie hay, leaving cereal hay for sporadic occasions. Of course, in any of the cases it is important that you take into account the quality criteria mentioned: it must be green and have long branches.
Where to buy hay for guinea pigs?
You can find guinea pig hay at almost every pet food and accessory store. Sometimes it can be difficult to find good quality hay (green, soft and long), but it is not impossible. Likewise, you have at your disposal ecological hay, much more beneficial. If it is very difficult to find a physical store, you always have the option to buy online.
In terms of cost, the price of hay for guinea pigs varies a lot. Of course, keep in mind that, as with practically everything, a higher price is not always synonymous with higher quality. In this way, we do not recommend you to be guided by the price when choosing the best hay for guinea pigs, but by the quality criteria already indicated.
