Different types of hay

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LittleEskimo

LittleEskimo

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Well this might be a silly question but all the different types/differently named hay confuse me a little. I mean there is Timothy Hay, Meadow hay, redigrass, orchard grass, and others that I have seen. I jut don't really know what one is best or what one I am supposed to pick @) so confusing

Although I do know that Alfafa is for baby and pregnant guineas. But what is with all the different variety/names and what differences are there?
 
I think it's timothy hay thats best for piggies. Thats what I buy, though not sure about the other :)
 
Alot of it is down to your pigs preference too. My lot aren't keen on Timothy Hay if given a choice. As long as it's good quality, any hay is good. Readigrass can be high in calicum though so I wouldn't feed it every day :)

My lot love Oxbow Orchard Grass over any other hays, but I do try to change them every few weeks to give them a change.

Just try a couple of different ones and see which yours like best :)
 
I think it's piggy preference :)

I know the rule of thumb is the greener the better. I have lots of different types of hay. This is my set up.

I use cheap standard hay for their hay tubs (basically two shallow plastic containers - almost like a cat litter tray) to line the bottom and the back where they tend to do their toilet.

Layered on top of the cheap stuff is the more middle range stuff - I have a Timothy hay with apple and carrot - at the moment.

Hanging above their hay tub is the posh stuff in hay balls - I use a chamomile hay - they LOVE it and it's meant to help calm them - the same way a nice cup of chamomile tea would have on us I guess.

I think it's nice to mix the hay up a bit. You'll soon figure out which one they like the most - but it just makes for more interesting and varied nibbling. And they will eat all of it, even the cheap stuff.

But mine wheek in excitement for their evening fresh chamomile hay more so then they do for their veggies! They aren't ever without it - they have a constant supply of fresh hay every day in their hay balls and I change the hay tubs every other day.

But I'd deffo get a cheap one for the bottom of their hutch/cage/tray tub, on top of that layer it with the medium expensive/quality hay - (I refresh this inbetween clean outs - just spread another layer of fresh hay on top everyday) and then a really good quality hay in their hay rack/ball.

That way you know they are getting the goodness of the best one and your money literally is being wee'd away......hehe.
 
I usually buy the big bags of long strand hay, which the piggies love because we fluff it up for them and they make their nests in it. Though I've bought some Timothy for my babies, as one had the runs, and I read that Timothy hay is best for poorly chigs. It's quite nice hay to stuff into chubes etc, but the longer strand stuff is much better for bedding purposes.
 
I vary mine a lot - timothy hay, meadow hay and in the last order I got some sussex hay and suffolk hay .... it seemed nice and soft and the piggies liked it. I am waiting on my next order which consists of ings hay, meadow hay and timothy hay. So I guess like most things variety is not a bad thing.

But as already mentioned not too much readigrass.

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