Hay: Alfalfa Question

[tabikat55]

I was giving Tasha and Carley straight Timothy Hay until I noticed that with them being under 6 months they should be having Alfalfa Hay. A trip to Mounds and I bought Oxbows Timothy and Alfalfa Hays and Oxbows Cavy Performance.

My question is how does the GP eat dried leaves? Maybe a stupid question. But thanks

[akstrohm]

Just two clarify: Pigs under 6 months need either alfalfa pellets (like cavy performance), or alfalfa hay, or veggies with extra calcium. They don't need all three. Whatever you pick, you also need to feed grass hay (like timothy).

I'm not sure what you mean about the leaves.

[tabikat55]

Aww Maaan I knew I should have asked earlier before going to mounds. Ok then will it hurt to let them finish the Alfalfa/Timothy Hay mix and the Performance?

[Ly&Pigs]

No. I'd cut back on the alfalfa hay to every 2-3 days though. Some people give young cavies both alfalfa based pellets and hay but in my own opinion, I think it's not really necessary as they will get calcium from one or the other and they will get calcium from their veggies too.

[xoLauraox09]

No you cant feed them leaves because some of them are poisenis ( I spelled that wrong )

[tabikat55]

Originally Posted by akstrohm

I'm not sure what you mean about the leaves.

When I opened the bag there was, of course, the stems and darker green leaves.

Not sure if anyone has seen Alfalfa grow but it's a plant with multiple stems growing from it and each stem has smaller stems with a bunch of leaves growing that. Don't mean to insult anyone if you have seen it grow.

So because this is a dried plant, the finer parts of the plant (the leaves) breakup and if you look at the bottom of the bag it's green powder.

So my question is: Will the dried leaves or the leafy "dust" hurt the GP? Since they eat crunchy wet veggies I'm concerned about them inhaling the leaf dust. I wouldn't think that the leaves would be poisonous because this is an Oxbow product, all the bags have them and it states it's for GP"s.

Just looking for thoughts and opinions.

[akstrohm]

Yes, I am familiar with the leaves on the hay. They are fine to eat. I was just confused by the wording of your initial question "how does the guinea pig eat the leaves?".

Don't feed the dust, but the leaves are fine. You'll find that pet store brands (even Oxbow) can be very dusty. Kleenmama has hay that is much less dusty, and I've heard good things about Sweet Meadow as well. You might want to switch to one of these brands.

[tabikat55]

LOL Okay, question answered.

[Ly&Pigs]

Alfalfa is a legume hay (plant hay) so it has leaves where timothy, orchard, bluegrass, etc., are all grass hays without leaves as they are based on grass.