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cvericker
Guest
I am getting a chinchilla some and was wondering if there is anything wrong with using the hay cubes vs. loose hay.
Thanks
Clint
Thanks
Clint
Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:
Nope. People have definite preferences and so do their chins. Use which works best for you.
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cvericker
Guest
Ok thanks, I tried looking through the threads but they really were just talking about what type/brand of hay to use.
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Carol~Anne
Guest
I have both loose and cubed hay and my boys have almost zero interest in the cubes and they can sit in the cage for weeks and even get peed on, but they LOVE the loose timothy hay; they devour handfuls overnight.
A lot of people with a lot of chinchillas opt for the cubes b/c they are more economical, easier to feed and make less mess. Sometimes a good fresh loose hay is not available in certain areas either.
I only have five chinchillas so it's really not that big of a deal to give them loose hay and I don't mind cleaning up the mess b/c they do enjoy it so much.
Lately I've been buying botanical grass and orchard grass too just for something different and although they like it, they do seem to prefer the loose timothy hay more.
A lot of people with a lot of chinchillas opt for the cubes b/c they are more economical, easier to feed and make less mess. Sometimes a good fresh loose hay is not available in certain areas either.
I only have five chinchillas so it's really not that big of a deal to give them loose hay and I don't mind cleaning up the mess b/c they do enjoy it so much.
Lately I've been buying botanical grass and orchard grass too just for something different and although they like it, they do seem to prefer the loose timothy hay more.
InkedupTara
Do the chinny shuffle!
I feed both. My chins sometimes decide they dont like the cubes. Can we say spoiled!
Easterpiggy
Master of the Fuzzies
my chins preffer cubes
Both loose hay and cubed are fine. I prefer loose hay.
Long strands of loose hay are great for digestive system, they also help to propel ingested fur through the intestinal tract.
Acid detergent fiber of some cubes may not be ideal, chins seem to do better on high ADF diet. This is another reason I like loose hays more.
The advantage of cubes is incisor wear(however in cubes that I tried only outer layer of the cube was hard, once it chewed off I can easily pry flakes loose with my nail).But my chins just love to destroy wooden houses, shelves, apple perches, pumice stones etc, so I worry about molars. Loose hay requires more grinding from the molars, cubes still require some molar grinding but not as much as as loose hay.
Fecal water content may be lower if loose hay is not included in the diet.
I like to evaluate the quality of the hay: touch it, smell it, bend it, check for weeds etc. It's not that easy to do with cubed hay.
Cubed hay takes less time to chew than loose hay, so I am not sure if cubes really satisfy chins pervasive urge to chew. Loose hay also provides entertainment
If to compare just loose timothy hay and timothy/alfafla cubes. I think many chins will like cubes better, because they just love alfalfa. I've heard that some cubes may have molasses added, chins may like that taste more than just hay.
Another thing that I worry about whether it's loose grass hay or cubed is calcium level. It does vary a lot between different brands, cuts. I prefer to give primary grass hay that is about 0.65-0.70% calcium, Mg 0.34%, and Fe 160ppm. I offer other types of grass hays as well that are much lower in minerals (in limited amounts daily) just because I see other benefits, and they are also important. And this way they eat much more hay.
Maybe it's just crazy me! I just love nutrition topics. Cubes are fine, it's just your personal preference!
Long strands of loose hay are great for digestive system, they also help to propel ingested fur through the intestinal tract.
Acid detergent fiber of some cubes may not be ideal, chins seem to do better on high ADF diet. This is another reason I like loose hays more.
The advantage of cubes is incisor wear(however in cubes that I tried only outer layer of the cube was hard, once it chewed off I can easily pry flakes loose with my nail).But my chins just love to destroy wooden houses, shelves, apple perches, pumice stones etc, so I worry about molars. Loose hay requires more grinding from the molars, cubes still require some molar grinding but not as much as as loose hay.
Fecal water content may be lower if loose hay is not included in the diet.
I like to evaluate the quality of the hay: touch it, smell it, bend it, check for weeds etc. It's not that easy to do with cubed hay.
Cubed hay takes less time to chew than loose hay, so I am not sure if cubes really satisfy chins pervasive urge to chew. Loose hay also provides entertainment
If to compare just loose timothy hay and timothy/alfafla cubes. I think many chins will like cubes better, because they just love alfalfa. I've heard that some cubes may have molasses added, chins may like that taste more than just hay.
Another thing that I worry about whether it's loose grass hay or cubed is calcium level. It does vary a lot between different brands, cuts. I prefer to give primary grass hay that is about 0.65-0.70% calcium, Mg 0.34%, and Fe 160ppm. I offer other types of grass hays as well that are much lower in minerals (in limited amounts daily) just because I see other benefits, and they are also important. And this way they eat much more hay.
Maybe it's just crazy me! I just love nutrition topics. Cubes are fine, it's just your personal preference!
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Chinaroo
Guest
Does it matter what specific type of hay it is? Not cubed and loose, but thomas hay and grass hay?
blue_soda025
Well-known member
I offer both to my chins and they seem to like them equally! They devour one hay cube within about 3 days and eat (or throw away, lol) most of the loose hay I feed them every night.
alli713
..has a fleece addiction
I assume you mean timothy hay. Timothy hay is a grass hay. Alfalfa is a legume hay. Other types of grass hay would be orchard grass, brome, and bermuda grass. These other types of grass hays are also acceptable, just depends on what you can get locally, and what is a good looking hay.
You want to feed a grass type hay provided you're giving an alfalfa based pellet. Few pellets are timothy based in which case you would want to offer some alfalfa hay.
But don't use alfalfa hay exclusively. Alfalfa has a higher calcium content and too much calcium can cause a chinchilla to get stones.
