Banana leaves as Hay Replacement

ishimercado

ishimercado

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi,
I'm from the Philippines and I've a 3 Mos old Sheltie Sow. Just want to ask if I could use Banana leaves as a replacement for hay? My girl doesn't seem to be a fan of hay, regardless of what type. I've already tried Timothy, Meadow and Stargrass with the exception of Alfalfa which she kinda likes.
Thanks!
 
I think as a 3 month old piggie, she'll be okay with Alfalfa hay for now. As for using banana leaves instead of hay....I don't think it would work as their diet is made up of 90% hay.
 
Crystella said:
I think as a 3 month old piggie, she'll be okay with Alfalfa hay for now. As for using banana leaves instead of hay....I don't think it would work as their diet is made up of 90% hay.
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Most breeder here in the Philippines feed their piggies with Banana leaves or just normal grass as Hay is not accessible in a tropical country like ours.
 
ishimercado said:
Most breeder here in the Philippines feed their piggies with Banana leaves or just normal grass as Hay is not accessible in a tropical country like ours.
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Are their pigs dying young from digestive issues or dental issues do you know?
 
Hay is still the best food for them. If you can access hay then that's better. Do not replace it with banana leaves coz it's full of sugar. It should just be a treat. Just because that's all the others there do it doesn't mean that you have to follow them, especially when you have access to better food. She is just a baby so alfalfa hay is good for her. As she gets older, she will learn how to eat other food. It will also help her to learn if she has another pig to copy when it comes to eating. Baby piggies learn from the older piggies on what they are supposed to eat. Since you got your piggy as a baby, she doesn't have another piggy to teach her or imitate. Get her a friend and you will see the difference with her overall well being.
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
Are their pigs dying young from digestive issues or dental issues do you know?
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Based on what I've noticed (I'm originally from the Philippines), small animals don't live long. Many don't know how to take care of rabbits and guinea pigs. There are some dedicated owners but a lot still don't have ideas of properly taking care of them. I know someone who had rabbits for their son and every year one dies and they don't know why. They keep on buying new ones but eventually they all die in a short time. They also don't have access to good cages there unless they spend a lot of money.
 
Grass is a fine alternative to hay. But they'll need a constant supply of it, as they are continuous eaters. Try having her on hay during the night and put her in a grass run during the day? Remember they will need shade from the sun all day long and clean water :)
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
Are their pigs dying young from digestive issues or dental issues do you know?
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My Finn and Lara eat hay all day long despite they get veggies three times a day. Therefore I can never allow hay to run out. Every time I check on them they are eating hay. They are indoor piggies so I check on them countless times a day.
 
The3LittlePigs said:
It may be that she's not the keenest on hay because she's young And has no older pig to copy? A friend might be a good idea :)
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What if the older Guinea Pig isn't a keen eater of Hay too? Hay is not readily available here in Philippines so most sellers/breeders do not feed them hay :(
 
Some young pigs don’t take to things straight away if it’s new so it’s definitely worth persisting with it. They need hay to live so they can’t be without it. Just keep doing what you’re doing, maybe mix some alfalfa and normal hay together? It’s sad that they don’t feed their pigs hay as without it they will be very ill with digestive or teeth problems :(
 
All piggies will eat hay :) it's just like introducing any new food. If not, grass, and what little hay you can get your hands on. Banana leaves won't help piggy I'm afraid.
 
I've done a thorough search online of a few reputable sites. Banana leaves are a favourite of some piggies.. however should be fed in moderation, definitely not as their main diet. See the post I've attached as a screenshot below. Screenshot_20190424-173424.webp

Here you can see four leaves feed 40 piggies.. one leaf would therefore be way too much for two!
 
ishimercado said:
Hi,
I'm from the Philippines and I've a 3 Mos old Sheltie Sow. Just want to ask if I could use Banana leaves as a replacement for hay? My girl doesn't seem to be a fan of hay, regardless of what type. I've already tried Timothy, Meadow and Stargrass with the exception of Alfalfa which she kinda likes.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
ishimercado said:
Hi,
I'm from the Philippines and I've a 3 Mos old Sheltie Sow. Just want to ask if I could use Banana leaves as a replacement for hay? My girl doesn't seem to be a fan of hay, regardless of what type. I've already tried Timothy, Meadow and Stargrass with the exception of Alfalfa which she kinda likes.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

UPDATE: 28/04/2019
I purchased Sundog Timothy Hay a few days ago and it's like a miracle. She loves it sooo much. The moment I put a pile inside her cage, she's on it immediately hehehe
 
I do feed them pellets and vegetables day and night. The only vegetables they like to eat are bell pepper, celery, lettuce, carrots, kangkong and sometimes bok choy. Should I discontinue the hay and bring back fresh grass as their staple or is there a way to train them to eat hay?
 
mdcotonopu said:
I do feed them pellets and vegetables day and night. The only vegetables they like to eat are bell pepper, celery, lettuce, carrots, kangkong and sometimes bok choy. Should I discontinue the hay and bring back fresh grass as their staple or is there a way to train them to eat hay?
Click to expand...
Try a different hay, this should make up atleast 80% of their diet everyday. It’s very important for their digestive health and their teeth as these grow continuously the chewing of hay which is more coarser than fresh grass helps to grind there teeth and keep them in good condition. Hence why it’s so important as a guinea pig that can’t eat or digest their food ultimately will die.
 
mdcotonopu said:
I do feed them pellets and vegetables day and night. The only vegetables they like to eat are bell pepper, celery, lettuce, carrots, kangkong and sometimes bok choy. Should I discontinue the hay and bring back fresh grass as their staple or is there a way to train them to eat hay?
Click to expand...
Also veg wise, try cucumber and fresh herbs, basil and coriander are loved by many piggies.
 
In small amount, mine love apple, blueberry, watermelon, melon, and grape as well. Due to high sugar content, I don't give them fruits frequently. Veggies, I like giving them about three times a day in moderate amounts, which would add up to about a cup and a half per day.
Oxbow hay is given numerous times a day. Mind have large hay pans where they use as bathrooms and sometimes sleep in.
 
anyar.dris said:
Hay is still the best food for them. If you can access hay then that's better. Do not replace it with banana leaves coz it's full of sugar. It should just be a treat. Just because that's all the others there do it doesn't mean that you have to follow them, especially when you have access to better food. She is just a baby so alfalfa hay is good for her. As she gets older, she will learn how to eat other food. It will also help her to learn if she has another pig to copy when it comes to eating. Baby piggies learn from the older piggies on what they are supposed to eat. Since you got your piggy as a baby, she doesn't have another piggy to teach her or imitate. Get her a friend and you will see the difference with her overall well being.
Click to expand...

I think you meant the banana fruit.

Banana leaves doesn't really contain full sugar content, it also has high fiber content which is the reason why people feed hay to guinea pigs due to how much fiber it has. Banana leaves contain about 85% water and 10-17% protein (DM basis). Pseudostems (the trunk or stem part) contain mostly water (92-95%) and very little protein (3-4.5% DM) (Ffoulkes et al., 1977). Fibre content is high, in the 50-70% DM range for NDF and about 30-40% DM for ADF" (Feedipedia, 2011).

(DM) Dry Matter - dry foods (hay, dried forage etc; )
(NDF) Neutral Detergent Fiber - measure of fiber used for animal feed analysis (fresh leaves, fresh forage etc; )

(If anyone is interested in the complete nutritional content of banana leaves and effects on different animals, click here.)

Banana leaves contain large amounts of polyphenols such as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, also found in green tea. Polyphenols are natural antioxidants found in many plant based foods, source. A research has also been made that the affect of polyphenols on ovariectomized guinea pigs alters hepatic cholesterol metabolism, which may affect VLDL secretion rates and result in less accumulation of cholesterol in the aorta. Which means it keeps the cholesterol in check and it's specially good for spayed guinea pigs too.
 
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