Hay is the main component of guinea pig feeding. If you have guinea pigs, you can never let hay come out of the cage or park.
In addition to providing unlimited supplies, it is important that you know how to choose the best hay, as quality hay is the key to preventing dental problems, gastrointestinal disorders and obesity in guinea pigs.
- In this Animal Expert article.
- We’ll talk about everything you need to know about cuy hay.
- Importance.
- Types that exist.
- How to choose and where to buy.
- Read!.
Guinean bunnies 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 guinea pig’s digestive system.
The teeth of guinea pigs, like those of rabbits, grow constantly. It’s true that you read, your pig grows his teeth every day and he has to use them. Dental proliferation of guinea pigs is one of the most common problems found in veterinary clinics and is most often caused by a lack of hay. Most of the time, the tutor does not even notice an overgrowth of the teeth, since he can only observe the incisors and molars, only the veterinarian can observe using an otoscope (as can be seen in the image). While the incisor teeth (the ones you see in the front of the piglet’s mouth), it manages to wear out with wooden objects, slashed food and other vegetables. On the other hand, the pig needs the upper and lower molars to perform continuous wear movements, and this is only achieved by chewing the long strands of hay, which take time to process. For this reason, the quality of hay is so important that you can see the green color (not yellow, dry), the pleasant smell and the long strands.
The herb can be very beneficial to your guinea pig. However, it can be harder to fix and conserve than dry hay, as being fresh can rot quickly after harvest and cause intestinal problems in your piglet.
If you find good quality grass, you can give it to your piggy. Some pet shops sell wheatgrass trays. If you have a garden and it’s safe for your guinea pigs, let them walk and eat that fresh, pesticide-free herb you care for. But if you intend to take marijuana elsewhere, you should always make sure you don’t have herbicides and other chemicals. It is better to plant your own wheatgrass for your guinea pigs.
Anyway, although cuy’s wort is very beneficial. If you don’t have a garden, it’s impossible to get fresh, good quality quantities to give your piglet 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 dry version than the fresh one. The big problem is finding good quality hay because the market has many types of hay and not all are good.
If your guinea pig lives in a cage, it is ideal that it has a hay holder. Foin conveyors are the easiest way to keep hay clean, avoiding contact with feces and guinea pig urine. In any case, the stalls sold on the market are generally not large enough for the amount of hay your guinea pigs need per day. So you can also spread hay in the cage or park of your piglets.
Another complementary option is to make toys for guinea pigs yourself. Take a roll of toilet paper, make holes and fill the whole inside with fresh hay. Your guinea pigs will love this toy that, in addition to encouraging them to eat more hay, is an excellent form of environmental enrichment.
In pet stores, you can also find toys and accessories to fill hay and increase your piglets’ interest in this staple food.
Timothy hay or meadow halibut hay is one of the most common in pet shops. This type of hay has a high fiber content (ideal for the digestive system of pigs and prevents the proliferation of teeth), mineral salts and other nutrients. Nutritional values for this type of hay are: 32 to 34% fiber, 8 to 11% protein and 0.4 to 0.6% calcium.
Another type of hay of excellent quality for guinea pigs. The composition of orchard grass or grass hay is similar to that of meadow halibut hay: 34% fiber, 10% protein and 0.33% calcium.
Prairie hay or prairie hay consists of 33% fiber, 7% protein and 0.6% calcium. Prairie hay, orchard grass and prairie halibut hay are varieties of herb hay, herb and family pepper.
These types of grain hay, compared to varieties of grass hay, have a higher level of sugar. Therefore, although they are very beneficial to your piglets, they should only be offered sporadically. High-sugar diets can cause alterations in the intestinal flora of guinea pigs. Choose to buy grass hay, orchard or meadow and just provide this type of hay from time to time! In terms of nutritional values, oat hay is composed of 31% fiber, 10% protein and 0.4% calcium.
Alfalfa hay is high in calcium and is not recommended for guinea pigs older than 6 months. Alfalfa is rich in carbohydrates, proteins and calcium, so it is recommended only for young guinea pigs, pregnant guinea pigs or for veterinary indication in diseased guinea pigs. Generally, this type of hay is composed of 28 to 34% fiber, 13 to 19% protein and 1.1 to 1.4% calcium. This high calcium content, continuously provided to a healthy adult guinea pig, can cause problems with the urinary system.
You can find hay in almost every pet store in Brazil. Sometimes it can be difficult to find good quality hay (green, soft and long) but it is not impossible. Look for farms or pet shops. If it is very difficult to find a physical store, you always have the opportunity to make pethops online.
The price of hay for guinea pigs varies considerably. Not always the most expensive, the best hay. But if you buy hay from a pet store, the price can be the main indicator of its quality. Anyway, on a farm or even on a reliable farm, you can find a quality hay supplier at a more affordable price.
A balanced guinea pig diet should consist of approximately 80% hay, 10% clean foods and 10% vegetables. In addition, each stage of guinea pig life has specific nutritional needs. Read our full article on feeding guinea pigs.
Plus, you can’t forget to change the water of your guinea pigs every day. Hay must also be changed daily.
If your guinea pig has stopped eating hay, do not ignore this symptom and help your veterinarian of trusted exotic animals as soon as possible. Dental, gastrointestinal and even more serious problems may be involved. The sooner the diagnosis is made and the treatment is defined, the better the prognosis.
If you want to read foin-like articles for guinea pigs, what’s best?, we recommend you visit our Balanced Diets section.