Hay/grass Question

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Grabbipig

Grabbipig

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Hello everyone,

My younger sister has just got a pair of guinea pigs and she has been told by our parents that they will not buy hay for them because it's too expensive and they have constant access to grass and straw.

I have tried to explain to them that the bulk of a guinea pig's diet should be hay and that straw is not the same, but they basically think that I am over the top with this kind of thing because I am an animal care student and I 'mollycoddle' my own guinea pigs.

I have told my younger sister to push the matter and that they definitely need hay, but I checked the RSPCA website last night and it said that guinea pigs should have constant access to grass and/or hay, so now I am confused.

Are guinea pigs OK not to have hay if they have constant access to grass?

Thanks for your help in advance :)
 
I don't want to cause a rift between you and your parents - but guinea pigs are not cheap animals to keep.

They need variety in their diet. Their diet should be 80% hay. Straw is not recommended for guinea pigs and the main reason is that it can cause eye pokes. Treatment for an eye poke will be far more expensive than a bag of hay.

I am not sure where you buy your products from but there are a lot of posts recommending the best place to get bargains - whether this be local equine suppliers, websites or shops such a B&M, the Range etc.

The other thing to bear in mind is that guinea pigs cannot get constant access to grass over the winter and need to be acclimatised to it when Spring arrives. These are useful threads ...

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...-preparing-your-piggies-for-lawn-time.111794/

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...age-regarding-grass-time.113408/#post-1554146
 
Thanks @PiggieOwner . I just needed confirmation that what I was saying was correct. I don't live at home anymore so I can't be there to help my sister out. She is 11 and I am 22. I basically told them what you said word for word, and I know they are not cheap pets, which is why I was worried when they got them, because I know what my parents are like with rodents, they are not like me, they just think I am over the top about these things and they don't listen.

You're not causing a rift, I have already done that myself. I am going to help my sister as much as possible. I health checked them for her yesterday and discovered that they have sarcoptic mange, so I am giving my drops to her and I will be telling her how to apply it.

Thanks again, I am confident enough to push this matter with them. I will probably end up buying the hay for my sister myself. I have already told her not to bed them on the straw and use the shredded paper they have in the garage :)
 
Grabbipig said:
Thanks @PiggieOwner . I just needed confirmation that what I was saying was correct. I don't live at home anymore so I can't be there to help my sister out. She is 11 and I am 22. I basically told them what you said word for word, and I know they are not cheap pets, which is why I was worried when they got them, because I know what my parents are like with rodents, they are not like me, they just think I am over the top about these things and they don't listen.

You're not causing a rift, I have already done that myself. I am going to help my sister as much as possible. I health checked them for her yesterday and discovered that they have sarcoptic mange, so I am giving my drops to her and I will be telling her how to apply it.

Thanks again, I am confident enough to push this matter with them. I will probably end up buying the hay for my sister myself. I have already told her not to bed them on the straw and use the shredded paper they have in the garage :)
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I hope all goes well
 
Well done for standing up to your parents on the matter. I had a similar problem with some family members and the size of cage they kept their piggies in, it was so small. They called me ridiculous for my indoor set ups and kept going on about how guinea pigs wouldn't be kept on fleece etc in the wild and wouldn't have snuggle sacs and that I treat them like babies. Frustrates me so much when they refuse to listen to basic care needs! Good luck with the piggies, sounds like you're doing a fantastic job in helping your sister.
 
Straw isn't recommended. 80% of guinea pigs diets is hay. I don't know where from but my parents buy hay that is really cheap and local.
 
@DisneyPig - thank you :) Apparently it is my step dad who is being very awkward about it, saying "They have grass all the time, so they don't need hay. It's the same thing!" I don't really have an answer to that though because he is kind of right but I know there must be a difference in nutritional value, which is why anyone who knows guinea pigs and actually READS knows that a guinea pig needs unlimited access to hay. They seem to think its all about keeping them warm and comfy, but I keep trying to explain that yes that is part of it and they are likely to hurt their feet or their eyes on straw, but it is also what they eat!

It's so frustrating! I use fleece for my guinea pigs too and they live in luxury lol, but I'm not telling them to do that, I'm telling them to feed them correctly....damn it! :hb:
 
Hay is needed to aid digestion and keep their teeth down, much the same as horses. I'm sure there will be plenty of places to get cheap hay from, tecos, asda and b&m all sell Timothy hay x
 
Grabbipig said:
@DisneyPig - thank you :) Apparently it is my step dad who is being very awkward about it, saying "They have grass all the time, so they don't need hay. It's the same thing!" I don't really have an answer to that though because he is kind of right but I know there must be a difference in nutritional value, which is why anyone who knows guinea pigs and actually READS knows that a guinea pig needs unlimited access to hay. They seem to think its all about keeping them warm and comfy, but I keep trying to explain that yes that is part of it and they are likely to hurt their feet or their eyes on straw, but it is also what they eat!

It's so frustrating! I use fleece for my guinea pigs too and they live in luxury lol, but I'm not telling them to do that, I'm telling them to feed them correctly....damn it! :hb:
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I understand how frustrating this is for you and it is very difficult to advise because - not knowing the gentleman concerned. I think you're doing a grand job but this may take some time to sort out - Rome wasn't built in a day. I think you're idea of getting some hay for your Sister is a good idea for the interim as this will bide some time.

Do you think you will be able to talk to your Step Dad about this ?
 
I could talk to him about it. My mum has already spoken to him and apparently he said that he has had animals all his life (never guinea pigs) and so they were going to do it his way and no-one else's lol, so not sure that I would actually be able to have an adult conversation! My sister even suggested buying the hay with her own money, but he got angry about that too, so my sister is worried that she will get grounded if she goes behind his back. It sounds absolutely ludicrous doesn't it!?.......Gentlemen involved is mental....does that help? LOL I think I will have to buy the hay and face the consequences when he finds out, I can't leave them without hay, it's such a basic need, plus they are on straw, which is dangerous....poor babies, I feel like pignapping them :(
 
Grabbipig said:
I could talk to him about it. My mum has already spoken to him and apparently he said that he has had animals all his life (never guinea pigs) and so they were going to do it his way and no-one else's lol, so not sure that I would actually be able to have an adult conversation! My sister even suggested buying the hay with her own money, but he got angry about that too, so my sister is worried that she will get grounded if she goes behind his back. It sounds absolutely ludicrous doesn't it!?.......Gentlemen involved is mental....does that help? LOL I think I will have to buy the hay and face the consequences when he finds out, I can't leave them without hay, it's such a basic need, plus they are on straw, which is dangerous....poor babies, I feel like pignapping them :(
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I hope all goes well. It's very difficult when there is a difference of opinion within a family. It's looking like it would be worth having a quiet word with your Mum too.

When I think of the pleasure my guinea pigs get from their hay. They always get excited when I put a fresh batch in.
 
I am in the same situation with my sisters rabbits as she says hay is too expensive to give them unlimited as they eat too much.She won't listen to me and just keeps saying she has had rabbits before and knows what she is doing.Have tried to tell her why they need unlimited hay and that their hutches are too small but I am being overdramatic and spoil my animals.She has a 17 year old that takes in everything I say but when she tries to implement it shd gets shouted down.I know how you feel
 
Well done for sticking with what you know and standing up to your parents with the correct information! It annoys me when people don't listen to people that actually know what they're talking about, thinking they're being OTT! I am doing a degree in animal behaviour and welfare, so I know how you feel !Good luck with speaking to your mum about it, you were right in saying that hay is needed and is predominately part of a guinea pigs diet, and straw is definitely not recommended! Hope all goes well :)
 
I know that feeling of parents thinking you're OTT.
My dad gives the strange looks when I got on about my piggies and the stuff I buy them... thankfully my boyfriend is understanding and just leaves me to it, I have 6 so buying in bulk is essential
And I can vouch for how expensive eye poke treatment is... it took 3 months before Maple was finished with her treatment! and believe me the amount I spend does not compare to a bag of hay!

You can get hay from Wilkos too if that helps it's all compressed but should last quite a long time.
Plus there's always P&H but thats quite dear for what it is, also independent pet shops might do hay for a decent price
 
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