Different types of hay

[Laluvschins]

I was just wondering what would be another good flavor of hay and a good nutritional one. My boys have been on Timothy and Orchard. Wanted to try something besides the Orchard. Was in pet store today and saw Botanical and Oat. The Botanical smelled really good but which would be best for their health? Thanks guys!!

 

[JessieVictoria]

You can try Alfalfa in small doses, but its fattening haha! They LOVE it.

 

[Amethyst]

As far as I know so long as it's just pure hay (no coloring, flavoring, treats mixed in, etc.) any type is fine to switch out with. I normally buy a bag of timothy and a bag of something else, oat, orchard, or meadow (whichever happens to look good). I've also heard that it's good to offer different types of hay because each type wears down there teeth differently, but don't stop giving timothy hay it's high in fiber and low in calories. If your pellets are alfalfa based and it's not a baby or mother it's best to only give alfalfa hay as a treat so you don't end up with a fat furball, my guys get a cube each every week or two. The botanical hay tend to have treats/herbs mixed in, the Oxbow botanical hay for example has "Timothy Grass Hay and three of the following herbs depending on seasonal changes: Chamomile, Lemon Verbena, Hibiscus, Lavender, Rose Hips, Comfrey, Borage, Red Clover Blossoms." for ingredients, so basically timothy hay with herbs, and since it's timothy as the actual hay and you wanted something different for hay I'm not sure it's worth it, I'd rather just give my guys treats separate anyway, they might dig though the hay to get to the herbs.

 

[ticklechin]

Oat is good for the teeth but if it has no heads it had little nutritional value. Alfalfa is fine to feed as a hay with other grass hays, it won't make a chin fat.

 

[Laluvschins]

Thank you

 

[Essentia]

You can try Alfalfa in small doses, but its fattening haha! They LOVE it.

Huh? Fattening? It has the exact same amount of fat (which is VERY little) as grass hay.

Alfalfa Hay
Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein (min) 16.0%
Crude Fat (min) 1.5%
Crude Fiber (max) 32.0%
Moisture (max) 15.0%

Timothy Hay
Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein (min) 7.0%
Crude Fat (min) 1.5%
Crude Fiber (max) 32.0%
Moisture (max) 15.0%

 

[Amethyst]

Huh? Fattening? It has the exact same amount of fat (which is VERY little) as grass hay.

The problem I see with alfalfa hay is not the amount of actual fat that it contains, it's the calories. This is for horses so it's in pounds, but the idea is the same...
Orchard Grass Hay 872 Calories per pound
Alfalfa Hay 977 Calories per pound
Timothy Hay 804 Calories per pound
Alfalfa Pellets 970 Calories per pound (this is horse alfalfa pellets so it wouldn't be the same but gives an idea of what an alfalfa based pellet would have)

 

[chechinchillas]

I don't like to feed loose alfalfa hay because my pellets are alfalfa based and I give an alfalfa cube once a week. The other 6 days they get as much loose timothy hay as they will eat. I just read another article in Empress that said "it is not always advisable to give alfalfa on a regular basis because of the high calcium content." The article said it could be given sparingly to nursing mothers and young animals for added calcium.

 

[ticklechin]

There are plenty of ranchers and breeders and many are on this forum who feed only alfalfa pellets and no hay or alfalfa pellets and alfafa cubes-that is a 100% alfalfa diet and those animals do fine, if alfalfa was such a issue that everyone makes it out to be(this debate has been going on for years and years and chins are not dropping dead yet from alfalfa consumption and frankly not many people even want to talk about it because of all the internet rumors) why feed it at all, since its in the pellets and there are plenty of chins who are pellet hogs and eat very little hay.