• PLEASE NOTE - the TEAS facebook page has been hacked, take extreme care when visiting the page, for further information visit here

Timothy Hay

Status
Not open for further replies.
H

hayleyandjohn

Could someone tell me what the difference between normal hay and timothy hay is?
I feed my guineas normal hay everyday and they love it! Would I be better off just using that hay as bedding and buying timothy hay for them to it? Is it better for them?
 
I don't think there is anything wrong with 'normal' hay. My pigs certainly enjoy munching on it.

I have seen Timothy Hay in pet shops but it has looked a bit drab in colour and i think it has been kept a long time in store so has lost some of its freshness. I believe it is good quality hay but best if you can get it fresh from a farmer or supplier but it isn't cheap.

I buy meadow hay or dried grass for my pigs and add a couple of handfulls in their cage a day along with regular hay. I look for the greenest bag i can find as that's the freshest I believe.
 
Hi, All good hay is beneficial, a necessity for teeth and digestion. Timothy has the correct Calcium to Phosphorus ratio, the properties of the hay depend on the cut you feed. The first cut is stalky and has heads in it, the second is more suited to guineas (though it is usually higher in Protein and Calcium ). The second cut is more guinea friendly as it will be leafier. They seem to enjoy the 2 cut more (on Planet Guinea they do anyway ;) )

I buy the pure Tim hays, some have other grasses etc mixed in.

Good Timothy is too expensive to use as bedding, I use Medibed as bedding and give Meadow hay and Timothy in racks or a pile for them to sit in.

Alex: Sometimes the hay that 'looks drab' is that colour from the sun, as long as the hay isn't dusty and has some green in it its OK.

www.bunnybasics.net do a wonderful second cut. They donated some to my rescue pigs who love it :) They also like the Herbal hay and Alpine hay :)
 
Thanks for that Karen I will buy some and try it with my pigs. I have also seen hay with chamomile and other herbs but wasn't sure if this was the right thing for pigs? Is it okay to give them? i suppose the best way is to try them with it and see if they like it.

I brought some alfalfa 'chunks' for the pigs but they are unimpressed with them. Mind you while the weather is still nice i put them out to graze most days and they love fresh grass most of all :)
 
Hi Alex, to be honest I'm not sure of the potency of dried herbs except that its less than when its fresh. Mine will eat the Herbal hay but prefer the Alpine one ie it goes quicker ;)

BB do haybix that my pigs love.
 
Timothy hay is made from Timothy grass (hence the name)! Meadow hay is a mixture of grasses and herbs from permanent pastures. Both are excellent as long as they are in good condition and have been well harvested. By this I mean the hay should look green rather than brown and have a pleasant 'herby' smell to it. Dusty or mouldy hay should go in one place - IN THE BIN!
 
I've tried Timothy hay with my little ones and to be honest, they aren't particularly interested in it. They'd probably eat it if there was nothing else on offer, but I wouldn't put them in that position, none of us would!

They love the Devon Meadow Hay from the "Hay Experts" as well as the Orchard Grass. Any soft hay seems acceptable, but I also encourage them to eat the coarser varieties for their health needs as mentioned.

Barbara
 
I 've had piggies who have only liked the coarse hay to eat, although of course they all love the soft hay to sleep on!
 
My girls go mad for Timothy Hay (well most hays really!). When I fill their trays up in in the morning with it they literally launch themselves into the trays to start munching. It can be pricey though so definatly only for eating and not sleeping in :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top