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How Do I Get My Pig Eating More Hay

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Louiseblack2

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We had an issue with overgrown molars with my other piggie and the vet highly advised we have to ensure atleast 80% of our pigs diet was hay. We always make sure he has a large amount of hay and half a bowl pf biscuits every morning and he gets a veggie treat every sunday. But were having an incredi le difficult time of getting him to eat the hay and not use it as a bed he was waiting for the biscuits so we staryed giving them him at random times instead of at the same time everyday but still no change he just sleeps on the hay. How do i get him to grind his teeth?
 
Maybe try different kinds of hay to find which one takes his fancy? And placing the hay in a hay rack might show him that its food and not a nice comfy bed haha
 
I have exactly the same problem, I was told to hand feed grass, use long strand hay and literally feed into their mouths. I'm trying but boy it's hard work.
 
I have exactly the same problem, I was told to hand feed grass, use long strand hay and literally feed into their mouths. I'm trying but boy it's hard work.
He gives me such an unimpressed look when i give him hay and no nuggets i really cant find any way to get him to eat it and not sleep on it haha
 
He gives me such an unimpressed look when i give him hay and no nuggets i really cant find any way to get him to eat it and not sleep on it haha
Mine do both.
They like to lie on it and in it, but munch it constantly. They eat more now that it's in a tray and they don't touch the stuff in the rack much anymore.
But all piggies are different.
Like above, try different types. Mine like meadow hay but go crazy for timothy hay too
 
He gives me such an unimpressed look when i give him hay and no nuggets i really cant find any way to get him to eat it and not sleep on it haha
On yeah I know that. I've started feeding flaked peas, they are quite hard actually - oh yes I have actually tried them. Well what's good for them is good for me.
 
I have a 32litre underbed storage box in the cage full of hay. They make little tunnels in it and i can hear chomping as well. Using it as a bed doesnt mean not eating it.

I give them ings and meadow hay from hay and straw (used to be hay for pets).

Straw and hay also do sample packs so yu can see if your gps like any of their hay ... best of luck.
 
I have a 32litre underbed storage box in the cage full of hay. They make little tunnels in it and i can hear chomping as well. Using it as a bed doesnt mean not eating it.

I give them ings and meadow hay from hay and straw (used to be hay for pets).

Straw and hay also do sample packs so yu can see if your gps like any of their hay ... best of luck.
Thank you a lot of people have suggested different hay so i gues thats the first place to start if not is there any other way he would frind his teeth
 
Hi I feel your pain! I had the same problem with my rabbits a while back. However- I have found a hay my fussy pigs will eat as the P@H stuff was just getting trampled on. I now get large sacks from online store Timothyhay.co.uk. It's about £20 for a large sack and the pigs love it! They will send you a free sample if you email them. The service is fantastic and the quality of the hay is great, long strands perfect for pig tummies. Sorry if I'm promoting this place lol. I've just found it a life saver! Good luck with finding one they like :)
 
My pigs were the same! Try online store timothyhay.co.uk. If you email them they will send you a sample. It was a hit right away with my boys and is great quality and service.
 
It took me over a month to get my piggies to eat more than 5% of their diet in hay when I first got them and would only eat any hay they would eat at night so I got desperate and I took all food out of their cage at night and just gave them a heap of hay and told them "If your'e hungry you'll eat hay" and they got hungry and ate hay. They starved for a couple of nights mind you and I felt terrible but they eat heaps of hay now except recently but they are back on track now. It takes a while to find hay that they like. My two like all the oxbow hays except oat hay the alfalfa king timothy hay and burgess timothy hay with birch bark (naturally all the expensive hays lol but wont touch the cheap stuff iv'e tried them on recently).
 
A hay rack should be sold online or in pet stores but even a box filled with hay would suffice. :)
 
I can only agree with everyone else.
Give them lots of hay, offer different types of hay, and offer it in creative ways.
My lot have hay bags, hay trays and I also put piles in their stick tunnels, and add it stuffed in loo rolls, etc.
It makes a mess and hay does go everywhere, but I assume they are eating at least some of it (at least I hope so!).
 
My girls will only eat Timothy hay, so if you're feeding meadow hay it might be worth the switch :)

Also, when you say a veggie treat every Sunday do you mean they don't have veggies every day? Piggies need daily veg :)
 
My girls will only eat Timothy hay, so if you're feeding meadow hay it might be worth the switch :)

Also, when you say a veggie treat every Sunday do you mean they don't have veggies every day? Piggies need daily veg :)
We used to give it them every morning but the vet moaned and daidbit ahould only take up 10-15% of their dietbas they choose it over there hay and molars grow etc so we give them loads on sundays they have like a sunday salad
 
I can only agree with everyone else.
Give them lots of hay, offer different types of hay, and offer it in creative ways.
My lot have hay bags, hay trays and I also put piles in their stick tunnels, and add it stuffed in loo rolls, etc.
It makes a mess and hay does go everywhere, but I assume they are eating at least some of it (at least I hope so!).
I tried stuffing it in loo roll and he went absolutely mad nudging it round the cage eating it but he ate mostly the roll this did make himmeat more hay so i guess its the way forward for now but i definitlry like the idea of investing in a hay rack
 
Really? It seems unusal to me that a vet would recommend not giving veg daily.

It shouldn't stop them eating hay, they probably just don't like the hay. My girls love their veg but also eat their hay, without veg they wouldn't get everything they need.

Correct me if I'm wrong forum friends, I've just never heard of once a week veggies being okay?
 
Really? It seems unusal to me that a vet would recommend not giving veg daily.

It shouldn't stop them eating hay, they probably just don't like the hay. My girls love their veg but also eat their hay, without veg they wouldn't get everything they need.

Correct me if I'm wrong forum friends, I've just never heard of once a week veggies being okay?
To be honest i found it very weird as in all the time ive owned piggies i gave them veggies every morning when we filled there biscuits but the vet said it shouldnt happen and made me feel awful like i was mistreating them and causimg them pain by giving them veggies as she said it was obvious he was refusing to eat the hay because of them . It upet me tbh and i thought she knew best as she strictly said mostly hay and to reduce biscuits and veg so hed focus on hay and keep teeth down do ypu suggest i go back to my old method?
 
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