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Hay Advice on Orchard Grass Hay

JenniferTyler

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Hello everybody. We've been to the vet, and they've asked us to get Orchard Grass Hay for our guinea pigs. Does anybody know the pros / cons of this compared to timothy hay?
 

MaiaBex

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I don't know about pros/cons... Orchard grass hay is a bit sweeter and softer than timothy hay. My pig likes it as a forage at bedtime just for the variety.

Did your vet say why you should get orchard grass hay? And was it instead of or in addition to timothy hay?
 

bpatters

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Any grass hay (timothy, orchard, meadow, blue, brome) is suitable for guinea pigs, although brome is lower quality than the others. I can't imaging why they'd suggest orchard over timothy.

Timothy is usually more plentiful, therefore cheaper. But if you're going to be allergic to a hay, it will probably be timothy. Most of the people I know who use orchard or meadow exclusively do so because someone in the house is allergic to timothy.
 

ItsaZoo

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The nutritional makeup is almost the same. I have noticed that not only is orchard grass a little softer, but the strands are longer. I buy the blended Timothy and orchard and there seems to be less waste than Timothy alone.
 

JenniferTyler

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Our vet recommended this for our guinea pig who is showing blood in her urine. We have her medical thread on our profile, but I do trust her as she is an experienced exotic vet.
 

ItsaZoo

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Depending on the cutting, orchard grass can be a little lower in calcium than Timothy. Blood in the urine could indicate stones, so that may be the reason for the orchard grass recommendation.
 

spy9doc

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Depending on the cutting, orchard grass can be a little lower in calcium than Timothy.

I'd be curious to know the source of your information. Any references? Not challenging, just asking.
 

ItsaZoo

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I almost didn’t find this link again, but Oklahoma Coop Extension had nutrition percentages for different grass hay. They list orchard grass having .27% calcium and .34% phosphorus compared to timothy having .48% calcium and .23% phosphorus.(broken link removed)
 

bpatters

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I think it's also true that the amount of minerals in any hay varies with the cutting. I can't remember whether the younger hay has the most or the least, though.
 

spy9doc

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I almost didn’t find this link again, but Oklahoma Coop Extension had nutrition percentages for different grass hay.

Great article! Thanks for posting the link. As a professor of biology and A&P, I always find it interesting to see how human and animal physiology are often comparable. What applies to one often correlates with the other.

For instance, the article states, "Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism - bone disease caused by too much P and not enough Ca. Calcium is removed from the bone, which can result in brittle, weak bones." In class, we often talk about the fact that we are raising a generation of osteoporotic young women because of their consumption of sodas/cola. Cola has a high percentage of phosphorous (phosphoric acid) that tends to cause the calcium to be leached out of their bones, setting them up for future osteoporosis. Of course, we now know that drinking soda is bad for us at any age! :rolleyes:
 

ItsaZoo

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With your biology expertise you gleaned a lot more from that article than I did! I have read about the phosphorus in sodas and calcium loss in bones and teeth. I have in-laws with dentures due to bone and tooth loss from constant soda consumption.

I stopped drinking pop more than 20 years ago. I was a real fan of Diet Coke and Tab. When my dad was diagnosed with dementia, there were studies being done regarding aluminum levels in the brain and memory loss. My dad was a pop drinker and it was suggested that aluminum in cans and cookware leached into foods we eat. That was enough for me and I quit drinking the stuff. Further research never really found solid evidence that there was any cause and effect, but I was out of the habit by then.
 

spy9doc

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With your biology expertise you gleaned a lot more from that article than I did!

Not necessarily more, just different information. I was happy to see the stats on the Ca content of various hays. Good looking out!
 
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