Wits end with one piggy and hay!

Gadzy

Gadzy

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Honestly, I have never seen such a fussy pig when it comes to hay, eats then turns nose up at it and it’s a nightmare. I currently have 4 different sacks of stuff and it’s beginning to confuse me, and maybe it’s confusing her? Just picks and picks and then looks around like what’s this. I think with so many different types in there she’s just going from one to the other and picking the best bits out? Shall I try with just one in there?

I have natures own Devon meadow, some farm stuff (rye and a meadow hay) although this feels really course for meadow hay? Why can meadow hays vary so much and they all say it’s meadow hay. The stalky Timothy is a no go and always has been, I just need to find something she will like, but I think she does at first and then just stops or is just stupidly fussy and then I end up buying another something. I can’t afford it and also don’t have the space at the moment and I have hay coming out my ear holes lol. She’s been like it since day dot so nothing is going on, it’s just frustrating me now

I need to maybe just had a soft meadow hay and something else and have done with it. Surely they can’t be that stubborn to starve themselves?
 
Please try with just one variety. You can rotate but basically, she can eat it or leave but there won't be any more or anything different, so she can go either hungry or eat what is there. You will only refill with the same on that day when your piggies have eaten a fair bit of what you have put out for them.

She will soon learn to eat what is there. It usually does the trick. But you will have to tough it out for a few days with holding your anxiety in check and not give in - or she will forever dance on your nose and drive you to distraction. :yikes:

Please don't weigh until 7 days after you have started the new regime, for your own protection. She won't come to any harm. None of my own piggies ever have, when they had to learn to eat what was served for the Tribe, whether that was veg, pellets or hay. :tu:

PS: Use the day she likes most for treats and entreaties to get her into carrier or as a mood booster after grooming or when she is ill. It comes in handy that way. ;)
 
She's not having trouble picking up individual strands of hay, is she? Because that would suggest teeth problems.

I know the same meadow (or wherever the hay is cut) can yield different hay depending on whether it's first, second or even third cut of the year. Hay quality also depends on the weather that year and where exactly the hay grows. Natural product, it varies.
 
Thanks both! No she hasn’t any teeth problems, vets have looked in there loads recently when she was ill with a uti. She’s always been like it, never known anything like it. Plus, i have seen her eating long strands and more coarse ones if she want it! she's just picky! Whenever something new is in there hay wise she’s smashing it back then give it a few days and it’s back to square one. Just fussy or manipulating me haha and I think it’s the latter
 
Gadzy said:
Thanks both! No she hasn’t any teeth problems, vets have looked in there loads recently when she was ill with a uti. She’s always been like it, never known anything like it. Plus, i have seen her eating long strands and more coarse ones if she want it! she's just picky! Whenever something new is in there hay wise she’s smashing it back then give it a few days and it’s back to square one. Just fussy or manipulating me haha and I think it’s the latter
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In that case, in your shoes I'd follow @Wiebke 's advice if possible. My guineas used to wrap me round their little paws too, but it's not ideal.
 
I know! I think I’ve cracked it then she just goes to picking! Although, the other one is being selective now, but that’s because I have spoilt them recently with about 4 different types of hay in there! I’m going to sort it all out tomorrow and feed one and that’s their lot 😂
 
Dom was like this. I got a cheaper brand and she starved herself. Refused to eat it at all and went down to 500g. Countless vet visits later, I got the good stuff back and she was fine. But at least I knew what to get.
 
What do you use out of interest? Mine definitely won’t eat any of the slightly coarse stalky Timothy. Never had any pigs that eat that one, they always prefer a softer blend
 
Has she been maintaining her weight all the time? If so then she is eating it even if she appears to be being picky

I only ever feed meadow hay. Bales from a farm but I did buy some natures own meadow the other week just to give it a try (which they are enjoying). I rarely feed Timothy hay and when I did try coarse Timothy (it was years ago), they all hated it.
 
It’s really hard to tell, she did have this uti which knocked her about for a couple of weeks at least, now she’s back to herself. They checked absolutely everything cause it was a weird situation and she’s really hard to work out, but she did have blood in wee and then after the antibiotics she didn’t, so she definitely had some uti going on, they did manage to scan her conscious as well and saw no problems with bladder walls etc

At the moment she’s maintaining weight, but I have about 4 types of hay around the cage and she’s just picking out of them all and there’s so much wastage. Wastage is normal from any type of hay right? In the morning it’s scattered everywhere and still a lot left. I’m going to try and stick to one and go from there. She eats or should I say picks and fusses around with them all. You wouldn’t believe the money and different types of hay I have tried, she definitely prefers a softer type, however, some meadow hays feel stupidly coarse, almost like straw!

I have some natures own which I am using as well. I got their Devon, sweet green, two different types of farm hay and some Timothy. The Timothy is going to someone I know who owns a rabbit and so it’s some of the other stuff, I think it depends on what type of seed and blends each farmer uses so it’s all so different. I can’t possibly try many others cause is always like oooo this is new and munching and then a week later or less picking and fussing, manipulating off the charts haha
 
She is going to pick through hay, it’s what they are meant to do but if she has always gained/maintained her weight then there was never any issue with the hay.

I have only ever fed meadow hay routinely. Yes I have occasionally tried another type but it has been more of a treat and never with a view to giving a different type regularly.
Some batches are nicer than others (a dry year means the hay will be more coarse), some gets picked through more, some gets wasted more but a lower quality batch or being picky with one batch has never prompted me to change type.

Yes wastage is normal but as you are using so many different types you are probably, of course with the best intentions , making it worse!
Definitely just give one type of hay: the one you can source most easily, monitor weights weekly and if all is well then stick to that one type.
 
Gadzy said:
It’s really hard to tell, she did have this uti which knocked her about for a couple of weeks at least, now she’s back to herself. They checked absolutely everything cause it was a weird situation and she’s really hard to work out, but she did have blood in wee and then after the antibiotics she didn’t, so she definitely had some uti going on, they did manage to scan her conscious as well and saw no problems with bladder walls etc

At the moment she’s maintaining weight, but I have about 4 types of hay around the cage and she’s just picking out of them all and there’s so much wastage. Wastage is normal from any type of hay right? In the morning it’s scattered everywhere and still a lot left. I’m going to try and stick to one and go from there. She eats or should I say picks and fusses around with them all. You wouldn’t believe the money and different types of hay I have tried, she definitely prefers a softer type, however, some meadow hays feel stupidly coarse, almost like straw!

I have some natures own which I am using as well. I got their Devon, sweet green, two different types of farm hay and some Timothy. The Timothy is going to someone I know who owns a rabbit and so it’s some of the other stuff, I think it depends on what type of seed and blends each farmer uses so it’s all so different. I can’t possibly try many others cause is always like oooo this is new and munching and then a week later or less picking and fussing, manipulating off the charts haha
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Mine have Nature's Own Devon meadow hay as their main hay and for the night they get an extra handful of the sweet meadow hay on top.

Some of my groups eat a lot more hay than others; there are individual differences. Just put less hay out so there is no so much wastage.
 
I re read my reply above, so many typos! Apologies! Doesn’t make much sense. Ran out of time to edit.
 
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