confused, please help.

[chinquillurker]

hi all.

i am kinda wondering about something. alfalfa hay is unhealthy for chins, but isn't oxbow chin food alfalfa-based? couldn't that alfalfa be unhealthy as well?

should i possibly switch my chin over to oxbow rabbit pellets (do "bunny basics" pellets have antibiotics?) or oxbow guinea pig pellets?

i really love her and want to do what is best for her, but i am so confused. :wacko:

please advise.

 

[Stackie]

No, an alfalfa based pellet is fine. Pretty much all chinchilla pellets are alfalfa based, which is why we feed timothy hay to balance it out. Oxbow Chinchilla is a great pellet.

Alfalfa hay isn't unhealthy persay, it is just very rich..so an alfalfa pellet + alfalfa hay is not needed.

 

[3CsMommy]

Feeding alfalfa-based pellets and alfalfa hay is like a child that will *only* eat carrots. If you let the kid eat carrots every day, he'll store too much of some vitamins and be deficient in others. Other nutrients have to get in there somehow so there's balance, whether that's a daily vitamin gummy or sitting at the table for an hour with 3 pieces of broccoli on his plate. Some owners on here offer orchard grass and oat hay as well as timothy, or herb and grain supplements, for the same reason.

 

[mishellyshel]

I use Alfalfa very sparingly and as a treat. Infact I havent had it for a while and just bought a small bag of the oxbow today. I will give everyone a little pinch maybe 1 or 2 times a week. I also like the orchard grass, oat hay, botanical hay as a nice treat but every night every chin (and 1 piggie) gets the Timothy. Some eat more than others but it is always there if they want it.

 

[Laurie]

as others have said when feeding an alfalfa based pellet you want to balance it with timothy hay. While I feed rabbit pellets to my chins--Nutrena, I have not heard of anyone feeding a guinea pig pellet to chins--so the oxbow guinea pig pellets I would not recommend. If you're feeding the oxbow chin pellets that is a very good feed for chins--just make sure you are balancing the hay intake with timothy hay

 

[chinquillurker]

ok, now i have

another question.

thank you for all the replies. i do give taj timothy hay daily, so no worries there. i am relieved to hear i am on the right track with her diet.

but i now have another question. how do i keep the hay at bay? it goes everywhere, and it winds up all over the floor. is there some sort of secret trick to keep the hay from getting all over?

could i give her a "rollin' the hay" toy (this is like a wheel which dispenses the hay and makes it less messy)? i gave one to my cavies, and it works well for them, but i hesitate to give it to a chin, as i worry she may chew on the plastic (she likes to chew on everything, including mummy!)

any advice on making it less messy?

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

Unfortunately, there is really nothing you could do to keep the hay at bay, as you said. Chins are messy and like to throw down what they do not eat. Those rolling hay toys are dangerous, as the chins can get their heads and feet caught in the spokes, which can be detrimental to them. The same with the hanging hay balls. Especially if she likes to chew plastic, you should not give one to her. And watch the piggies with theirs too cause they can get their heads stuck in them in as well and can chew the plastic too.

The only way I can see, would be to feed hay cubes instead of the loose hay, but I know with mine, they throw those on the floor as well..

 

[Stackie]

You can use hay holders. Some people use small terra cotta pots, threewingedfury here makes fleece hay bags, and some others make wooden hay holders. It helps keep the mess down a bit. I put a litter pan under my hay holders so that most of the loose hay falls into the litter pan and isn't scattered all over the cage floor.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

I bought Carise's hay box from Chincessories and it does a pretty good job. There's usually little bits of hay on the cage floor in the direct area of the box cause my chin is messy, but it rarely gets outside the cage. I can't wait til I'm less broke so I can get a second one for my new chin. Here's her page: http://forchinatechins.com/chincessories.htm
I bought the horizontal one. Here's the picture

The top of it is open, and Banilly loves to stand on top of it and eat the hay that way.

 

[mishellyshel]

i have tried many different type of hay holders, in fact there is a whole other thread on that right now, but i find if my hay isnt fresh or they dont like that particular brand than no matter what, it will get tossed about their cages.
i do also like to offer a little variety of hay. timothy is the staple, but it is nice to add a little orchard grass or meadow, alfalfa is good occassionally, and also botanical is a nice treat!

 

[chinquillurker]

thank you all for the replies.

isabella whateva (love your username, btw) thank you for that link. i will absolutely be getting one of those cute little dispensers. :dance3:

actually, my problem is not hay on the cage floor. the hay is all over the carpet, and it is killing my poor vacuum.

i am sorry, but i am skeptical that an animal the size of a cavy or chin could get a head caught in the hay wheel. maybe a foot, i can believe that.

don't worry though. i know taj would chew on the plastic, so i will not be giving her one. the wood thing is so much cuter. anybody know how much shipping would be to virginia in the usa?

also, i have another question (sorry if we are getting off topic here). her eyes. i have never seen anything like them. her mum is albino, her daddy is not. her eyes look pink, like an albino. but when the light hits them, they have inky blue splashes along the outer edges. it is so unique, and beautiful. her eyes have been like this since she was a kit, so i know there is nothing wrong. but if anybody knows what this eye colour is called, i would appreciate a name for it.

thanks peeps!

 

[Essentia]

The hay ball you are referring to doesn't get a head stuck but I have seen it first hand get a leg stuck. I used them a long time ago. Luckily I got the chin loose before any damage was done, though unfortunately this usually is not the case.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

You'd be surprised at what kind of spaces chins can fit their head into.

I'm in Virginia too and the stuff I had shipped from chincessories wasn't too outrageous. It really depends on how much stuff you order. Send Carise an email. She's really nice and great about helping you get the best deal for your shipping.

Here's the chincessories site, and you can find her email on there: http://forchinatechins.com/chincessories.htm

 

[kathiva]

I make my own wooden hay boxes, and I find they work pretty good, it's still like the chins won't throw out the hay out, but at least there is a bit less mess than if they didn't have anything at all

 

[chinquillurker]

now i am confused again...

i emailed with some questions i had about the wood hay boxes. it turns out they are made from kiln dried pine.

now i am wondering if pine would really be that safe. i was going to get two. one for the chin and one for my ground squirrel.

but i know kiln drying will not remove all the phenols.

now i don't know whether to get the boxes or not. they are really cute... but i don't want to risk anybody's health. :wacko:

 

[Stackie]

Kiln dried pine is fine. It's what 98% of chin shelves, ledges, hay holders, etc. are made out of.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Yeah as far as I understand, kiln dried pine is the standard for chins and most caged animals. If it were toxic, I would definitely have two dead chinnies, for how much KD pine they chew!

 

[addictedtochins]

I know what you mean about hay on the carpet. I have a little rake that was intended for small window box gardens that I use first, then I use a stiff broom. But lately I have been putting their hay in a brown paper lunch sack and giving them one every 2 days. I fill the sacks in advance (about 12) outside...so no mess.

 

[Essentia]

KD pine is absolutely fine.

 

[chinquillurker]

thank you for all the replies.

ok, i think i am convinced. i will be buying at least two. they are too cute to resist, anyway. :bliss:

now i am wondering, should i get a third for the cavies as well? the bar spacing on their hay wheel thing is only about 1/2" wide, so i know their heads will not get caught. but their little toes/feet/legs could be at risk. i would say they are probably less active than the chin, but still...

what do you guys think?