General Alfalfa v.s. Timothy

[DroidGuineaPig]

Why do older guinea pigs need timothy hay and why do younger guinea pigs need Alfalfa? Just curios

 

[bpatters]

All pigs, regardless of age, need a long strand grass hay. Timothy is a grass hay, alfalfa is not.

But young pigs need more calcium than older pigs, for their growing bones. Alfalfa has a lot more calcium than timothy.

People with young pigs should feed either alfalfa supplements to timothy hay, OR timothy pellets. Not both.

 

[DroidGuineaPig]

What nutrients does timothy have that alfalfa doesn't.

 

[bpatters]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=nutritional+value+of+alfalfa+hay
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=nutritional+value+of+timothy+hay

But one thing that timothy has that alfalfa doesn't is enough silica to keep the molars, and thus the incisors, ground down. Alfalfa is a legume, like peas, not grass, like hay.