Sow Refuses Bluegrass Hay?

[alphadox]

I had a very bad batch of 3rd cut timothy hay which was brown and more like 2nd cut. I decided to try the bluegrass and it is fresh and so green compared to batch I got a year back. But...my one sow is acting strange with it.

She will shift through it and not sit down. She takes the strands and spits them back out. Not sure what is going on that she dislikes it so much. I tried getting her in my lap with strands. She angrily yanks on them to tear them apart and turns her butt at me She is fine with the routine veggies and the limited portion of pellets.

Is this a thing piggies do? Will she really starve herself from the hay?

 

[Darcey15]

If she doesnt like it, she's certainly letting you know. I have had several batches of hay this winter that the piggies dislike so I just use it for bedding hay instead. I bought some lovely timothy hay last week with carrot & apple thinking it would be a nice treat and all 6 of mine have snubbed it!

I got a horrible batch recently that was full of dust and had to bin it and another that was waxy & yellow. Mine are quite simple souls really and are normally out grazing on grass so as long as the hay is fine & fresh they will like it but its not always easy to see in a bale. Just try a different batch or brand as hay should be making up most of her diet and be constantly available. Does she eat grass?

 

[Swissgreys]

Guinea pigs can be funny about hay.
I have had bags that look and smell great and the piggies won't touch it.
I have had bags that seem a bit brown and dry and they love it.

I would say if she is pulling at it and spitting it out there is something wrong with the hay.
Get another batch of a different hay and see if she will eat that.
Are your other piggies eating the bluegrass?
If she does the same thing with new hay it may be an indication of a tooth or mouth issue - she is hungry and wants to eat, but can't becasue of a medical issue.

 

[alphadox]

If she doesnt like it, she's certainly letting you know. I have had several batches of hay this winter that the piggies dislike so I just use it for bedding hay instead. I bought some lovely timothy hay last week with carrot & apple thinking it would be a nice treat and all 6 of mine have snubbed it!

I got a horrible batch recently that was full of dust and had to bin it and another that was waxy & yellow. Mine are quite simple souls really and are normally out grazing on grass so as long as the hay is fine & fresh they will like it but its not always easy to see in a bale. Just try a different batch or brand as hay should be making up most of her diet and be constantly available. Does she eat grass?

How can piggies be so picky lol and 6!

I wish the grass was an option. We have cold weather and no grass here yet NE USA They all do love the grass.

I have had such bad hay. Spent online $55 for timothy box SPS and now bluegrass KMS $55 box. I am just not sure of the next option.

 

[alphadox]

Guinea pigs can be funny about hay.
I have had bags that look and smell great and the piggies won't touch it.
I have had bags that seem a bit brown and dry and they love it.

I would say if she is pulling at it and spitting it out there is something wrong with the hay.
Get another batch of a different hay and see if she will eat that.
Are your other piggies eating the bluegrass?
If she does the same thing with new hay it may be an indication of a tooth or mouth issue - she is hungry and wants to eat, but can't becasue of a medical issue.

I would agree on the hay being bad if it did not smell fresh and my other piggies eating it up like crazy. I had a horrible gym sock smelling hay once

I got the 3rd timothy cut before and it still was sharp from SPS online. Plus it is really getting to be bad allergy wise. Do you think I should try a different grass type?

I did a quick teeth check. Seems she is great. She only refused the bluegrass right away. She ate the last of the 3rd cut no problems the same day.

Other piggies do like the hay.

 

[Guinea Slave]

I had a batch of timothy hay which smelt like old socks and hated it from the start, it made my lovely shed smell horrible...but, the guineas love it and nosh through it really quickly! It really does smell awful.

One of them is so fussy she only eats a certain type of bamboo leaves and don't even get me started on brands of curly kale she does/doesnt like! Same with dried herbs. She gives me the 'death stare' if the food is not up to her standard.

They certainly know their own minds when it comes to what they like to eat!

 

[Darcey15]

How can piggies be so picky lol and 6!

I wish the grass was an option. We have cold weather and no grass here yet NE USA They all do love the grass.

I have had such bad hay. Spent online $55 for timothy box SPS and now bluegrass KMS $55 box. I am just not sure of the next option.

The best stuff I got recently was just cheap hay from the pet section of the supermarket..i only bought it because I was rushing & almost out of hay. They loved it you never can tell and even the places I normally go to for hay sometimes have bad batches so its just a case of switching it up if you have other options or a local farm maybe?

Not much grass here yet either...my garden is like a bog after all the rainstorms we've had! Still, the pigs are out grazing on whats left & all look like theyve got muddy wellington boots on