Hay Features of Dangerous Hays?

[Cavilicious]

Hay, everyone, I usually feed timothy but I was asked if other hays would be okay for guinea pigs. I heard that oat, rye, and wheat are dangerous but I was wondering about the specific features of each hay that makes them bad. For example, I've heard that wheat hay has too much calcium...but when I looked it up, wheat actually has the least calcium of all the hays (guinealynx and library books)

So what are the features of oat, rye, and wheat that make them bad to feed guinea pigs?

 

[Cavilicious]

Thank you, I want to keep asking to get different sources of confirmation!

 

[bpatters]

Wheat isn't hay.

Guilnea pigs need a long strand grass hay (long does NOT refer to the length of the stem, but to the fibers inside the hay), and wheat doesn't qualify. Neither does rye. The long strand grass hays (timothy, meadow, blue, orchard, brome) have the best balance of protein, carbohydrates and minerals for guinea pigs.

Alfalfa is fine for young pigs if used as a supplement with a grass hay, but has too much calcium for adult pigs.