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1 List of available types of hay (with description and pros/cons)
2 Hay comparison chart (with nutritional values explained)
3 Assessing the quality of hay
4 Storage
5 Suppliers (UK - USA - Aus)
6 Further information, hay racks and hay treats
This guide has been written by @G&C in 2019 and updated for UK sources by @Lorcan in 2023.
The forum would like to thank them for all their hard work in researching and producing this very helpful and thorough guide!
Hay is basically grass that has been harvested, dried and then stored and should make up over 80% of a guinea pigs daily diet. They also use it to keep warm, sleep on, forage and play amongst. Hay is high in fibre, without this, food a guinea pig eats cannot pass through the digestive tract and can lead to health problems such as impaction. The chewing of hay also helps guinea pigs to keep their teeth worn down correctly as these grow continuously.
1 Available types of hay
There are a number of different types available depending on worldwide location. In the UK the 3 most commonly grown are Timothy, Orchard or Meadow Hay.
If you want to switch to another hay, especially a richer one, please introduce the new hay gradually over several days in growing quantities in order to give the microbiome time to scale up the specialist digestive bacteria needed. This avoids diarrhea, which can occasionally happen with a sudden switch.
You can also always serve a mix of hays - soft hays (like meadow hay) for romping in and harder hays (like timothy) just for eating. A wider variety also means a wider variety of digestive gut microbiome. It also counts as enrichment.
Timothy Hay
There are different cuts of Timothy Hay, 1st cut contains the seed heads and has less nutritional value and fibre than the 2nd cut which is the soft leafy green hay (Griffin, 2015). 3rd cut is the sweet green leaves grown and harvested later in the season, it is the last harvest of the year and to grow more hay quickly farmers sometimes plant other faster growing types alongside this, which are then mixed in and harvested at the same time.
Pros: Probably the most well known, high quality hay available. Guinea pigs love it!
Cons: Can be expensive when compared to others available. Pure 3rd cut Timothy hay is hard to come by.
Orchard Hay
Also known as Orchard grass, orchard grass hay or cocksfoot hay (USA). This is high in fibre, low in protein and is generally more green to greenish-gold in appearance (Galens Garden, 2014).
Pros: Suitable for adult guinea pigs diet and relatively cheap to buy. Readily available in the UK. Contains the lowest calcium levels compared to all other hays (The Rabbit House, no date). Good for feeding and is soft so can be used as bedding too (Roche, 2018).
Cons: In the USA it is less widely available and can therefore be more expensive.
Meadow Hay
Also known as herbal, alpine, fescue (Australia and USA) or botanical Hay, meadow hay has a better distribution of trace elements and other minerals compared to grass hay (Galens Garden, 2014).
Pros: encourages foraging behaviour as it contains other herbs and wild plants guinea pigs like to eat.
Cons: Contains slightly more calcium than other hays (see hay comparison chart). Depending on the soil it is grown in, the quality can vary and meadow hay can contain other plants and materials of which, some could be harmful.
Ryegrass
Also known as pasture hay in Australia, this is high in protein and has the best balance between calcium and phosphorous out of all the hays available (Galens Garden, 2014).
Pros: widely available in the UK, mainly because it grows well in cold/damp conditions (Perkins, 2018), probably the most common Hay to find in pet shops.
Cons: similar to normal lawn grass, ryegrass needs to be gradually introduced. The result of too much too soon can cause gastric upset and bloat. Also it is not widely available in drought areas (Perkins, 2018).
Wheatgrass, Oat and Barley Hay
Also known as wheat hay this type of hay comes within the family of oat, wheat and barley hay. However wheatgrass can contain more protein than oat hay. It grows well in drought areas such as the plains of North America and is more yellowish in colour (Galens Garden, 2014).
Pros: Suitable for long term adult guinea pig feeding but preferably as a treat rather than as the main hay. Very good for guinea pigs teeth (Roche, 2018).
Cons: Oat Hay has thicker and harder stems so may not be as comfortable to use as bedding (Roche, 2018), could also cause eye injury.
Bermuda Hay (Bermuda Grass)
This hay is more readily available in the USA as it is grown in the imperial valley of California. Also known as Bermuda grass, it contains short blades with slightly rough edges and is green-grey in appearance (Perkins, 2013).
Pros: Low Ca
ratio so can be fed regularly (Perkins, 2013), widely available in USA.
Cons: Not widely available in UK or Australia. May cause eye injury due to its rough edges during foraging.
Alfalfa Hay (Lucerne/Clover Hay)
Also known as legume, Lucerne (Aus) or clover hay, this is a high fibre hay with high protein, fat and calcium.
If fed to guinea pigs it should be in moderation (Griffin, 2015).
Pros: Suitable in moderation (1 handful max with alfalfa-free pellets) for well cared for pregnant or nursing sows as the extra calcium and protein is passed onto the pups and can be beneficial for the sow, taking into account the stressors of birth (Griffin, 2015). Neglected sows, especially pregnant and nursing ones, profit from alfalfa as main hay initially to help cover the extra needs.
Also can be fed in moderation (1 handful together with alfalfa-free pellets) to very young or elderly guinea pigs that need to put on weight, for example, those recovering from illness.
Cons: Should not be given regularly or at all to healthy adult guinea pigs as it is too rich and can cause health problems such as obesity and bladder stones or sludge from high calcium content. Not suitable for elderly pigs with bladder problems.
Dried Grass (Readigrass, Barn Dried Hay)
Also known as readigrass or barn dried hay, this has a rapid drying process, therefore it contains more protein similar to fresh grass (The Rabbit House, no date). It is green to dark green in colour with shorter strands.
Pros: Keeps well during storage and is relatively cheap. Guinea pigs find it very tasty.
Cons: High in protein and lower in fibre than other types of hay. Very rich, therefore needs to be introduced gradually and can be mixed with other hay as a treat (The Rabbit House, no date). Should be given in small amounts.
2 Hay comparison chart (with nutritional values explained)
3 Assessing the quality of hay
4 Storage
5 Suppliers (UK - USA - Aus)
6 Further information, hay racks and hay treats
This guide has been written by @G&C in 2019 and updated for UK sources by @Lorcan in 2023.
The forum would like to thank them for all their hard work in researching and producing this very helpful and thorough guide!
Hay is basically grass that has been harvested, dried and then stored and should make up over 80% of a guinea pigs daily diet. They also use it to keep warm, sleep on, forage and play amongst. Hay is high in fibre, without this, food a guinea pig eats cannot pass through the digestive tract and can lead to health problems such as impaction. The chewing of hay also helps guinea pigs to keep their teeth worn down correctly as these grow continuously.
1 Available types of hay
There are a number of different types available depending on worldwide location. In the UK the 3 most commonly grown are Timothy, Orchard or Meadow Hay.
If you want to switch to another hay, especially a richer one, please introduce the new hay gradually over several days in growing quantities in order to give the microbiome time to scale up the specialist digestive bacteria needed. This avoids diarrhea, which can occasionally happen with a sudden switch.
You can also always serve a mix of hays - soft hays (like meadow hay) for romping in and harder hays (like timothy) just for eating. A wider variety also means a wider variety of digestive gut microbiome. It also counts as enrichment.
Timothy Hay
There are different cuts of Timothy Hay, 1st cut contains the seed heads and has less nutritional value and fibre than the 2nd cut which is the soft leafy green hay (Griffin, 2015). 3rd cut is the sweet green leaves grown and harvested later in the season, it is the last harvest of the year and to grow more hay quickly farmers sometimes plant other faster growing types alongside this, which are then mixed in and harvested at the same time.
Pros: Probably the most well known, high quality hay available. Guinea pigs love it!
Cons: Can be expensive when compared to others available. Pure 3rd cut Timothy hay is hard to come by.
Orchard Hay
Also known as Orchard grass, orchard grass hay or cocksfoot hay (USA). This is high in fibre, low in protein and is generally more green to greenish-gold in appearance (Galens Garden, 2014).
Pros: Suitable for adult guinea pigs diet and relatively cheap to buy. Readily available in the UK. Contains the lowest calcium levels compared to all other hays (The Rabbit House, no date). Good for feeding and is soft so can be used as bedding too (Roche, 2018).
Cons: In the USA it is less widely available and can therefore be more expensive.
Meadow Hay
Also known as herbal, alpine, fescue (Australia and USA) or botanical Hay, meadow hay has a better distribution of trace elements and other minerals compared to grass hay (Galens Garden, 2014).
Pros: encourages foraging behaviour as it contains other herbs and wild plants guinea pigs like to eat.
Cons: Contains slightly more calcium than other hays (see hay comparison chart). Depending on the soil it is grown in, the quality can vary and meadow hay can contain other plants and materials of which, some could be harmful.
Ryegrass
Also known as pasture hay in Australia, this is high in protein and has the best balance between calcium and phosphorous out of all the hays available (Galens Garden, 2014).
Pros: widely available in the UK, mainly because it grows well in cold/damp conditions (Perkins, 2018), probably the most common Hay to find in pet shops.
Cons: similar to normal lawn grass, ryegrass needs to be gradually introduced. The result of too much too soon can cause gastric upset and bloat. Also it is not widely available in drought areas (Perkins, 2018).
Wheatgrass, Oat and Barley Hay
Also known as wheat hay this type of hay comes within the family of oat, wheat and barley hay. However wheatgrass can contain more protein than oat hay. It grows well in drought areas such as the plains of North America and is more yellowish in colour (Galens Garden, 2014).
Pros: Suitable for long term adult guinea pig feeding but preferably as a treat rather than as the main hay. Very good for guinea pigs teeth (Roche, 2018).
Cons: Oat Hay has thicker and harder stems so may not be as comfortable to use as bedding (Roche, 2018), could also cause eye injury.
Bermuda Hay (Bermuda Grass)
This hay is more readily available in the USA as it is grown in the imperial valley of California. Also known as Bermuda grass, it contains short blades with slightly rough edges and is green-grey in appearance (Perkins, 2013).
Pros: Low Ca
ratio so can be fed regularly (Perkins, 2013), widely available in USA.Cons: Not widely available in UK or Australia. May cause eye injury due to its rough edges during foraging.
Alfalfa Hay (Lucerne/Clover Hay)
Also known as legume, Lucerne (Aus) or clover hay, this is a high fibre hay with high protein, fat and calcium.
If fed to guinea pigs it should be in moderation (Griffin, 2015).
Pros: Suitable in moderation (1 handful max with alfalfa-free pellets) for well cared for pregnant or nursing sows as the extra calcium and protein is passed onto the pups and can be beneficial for the sow, taking into account the stressors of birth (Griffin, 2015). Neglected sows, especially pregnant and nursing ones, profit from alfalfa as main hay initially to help cover the extra needs.
Also can be fed in moderation (1 handful together with alfalfa-free pellets) to very young or elderly guinea pigs that need to put on weight, for example, those recovering from illness.
Cons: Should not be given regularly or at all to healthy adult guinea pigs as it is too rich and can cause health problems such as obesity and bladder stones or sludge from high calcium content. Not suitable for elderly pigs with bladder problems.
Dried Grass (Readigrass, Barn Dried Hay)
Also known as readigrass or barn dried hay, this has a rapid drying process, therefore it contains more protein similar to fresh grass (The Rabbit House, no date). It is green to dark green in colour with shorter strands.
Pros: Keeps well during storage and is relatively cheap. Guinea pigs find it very tasty.
Cons: High in protein and lower in fibre than other types of hay. Very rich, therefore needs to be introduced gradually and can be mixed with other hay as a treat (The Rabbit House, no date). Should be given in small amounts.
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