hay question

**corie dora** · #1 05-04-07, 10:00 pm

Hello,
Our family now has a few little cavies in it. I purchased a small bag of alfalfa hay from a pet supply shoppe, and then ordered a full bale of timothy hay through a small time local farmer who specializes in rare breed goats and poultry.

The hay will arrive tommorow.

Now I see that feeding alfalfa during the first year is better than feeding timothy....

Should I continue to feed the alfalfa bought in small bags through a pet shop....should I mix the two..?

I had intended to use the large bale as a food source, but also for bedding/fun in an outdoor run which will be used daily in the summer.

What about the little square hay cubes? We have some of those as well. As the growing season takes off here, I can also order fresh pasture blend hay and more timothy or alfalfa by the bale through the same farmer...I much prefer to use fresh locally grown hay from a local farm, than to buy little overpackaged bags from a pet shop, which I question the freshness of. Ordering from the internet is not very feasible for me, nor does it interest me in any way.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks

Corie=^..^=

**rabbitsncavyluv** · #2 05-04-07, 10:17 pm

Guinea pigs need timothy/grass hay at all times. Alfalfa is not a grass hay. It is a supplement for pregnant / nursing sows or growing babies.

Hay cubes are not the same as loose hay and should never be used instead of real grass hay.

**corie dora** · #3 05-04-07, 10:41 pm

Our piggers are just weaned...should I be feeding them timothy or alfalfa, or a mix then? And at what point do they need only timothy and no more alfalfa?

**rabbitsncavyluv** · #4 05-04-07, 10:55 pm

A mix, but usually if they have alfalfa based pellets they are fine. They should have mostly timothy or other grass hay like orchard mostly.

You can feed alfalfa til 6 months to a year. Depends on who you ask. Excess calcium can lead to bladder sludge and stones when they reach adulthood.

**corie dora** · #5 05-05-07, 12:14 am

Thanks so much, that answers my questions completely

I look forward to giving our piggies the best that I can so they'll be the best they can be.

**cavywhisperer** · #6 05-05-07, 02:46 am

Hi corie,
I feed my piggies hay from a local farmer. It smells very very nice and they love it. I would go on buying the hay from your farmer. It is not only a support for the local economy, but also for the environment as it does not need long transport.
And I am sure your piggies will love fresh hay too.

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