Is all timothy hay ok?

[thetwomuses]

I have fussy chins (I think that's the norm) and I bought some of the science selective timothy hay. My boy loves it. It's way greener than other timothy hay I've seen and smells amazing but different to other browner hays but is sold as being for rabbits. It's 100% timothy hay but is it ok?

Are there types/brands etc. Of chinchilla safe hay like meadow and timothy that we shouldn't be feeding them?

Is the science selective rabbit timothy hay ok? (Link below)
https://supremepetfoods.com/products/science-selective-timothy-hay/

 

[Amethyst]

For the most part timothy hay is timothy hay, it's all safe, it's also just hay so it doesn't vary between species, other then for rabbits (or small animals) it's generally better looked over then say a bale of general livestock hay from a farm that could have random plants, sticks, etc mixed in it. The difference between brands is where it's grown, how it's sorted (if at all), and how it's packaged, so it can vary slightly in nutrients as well as taste depending on where it's grown, as well as if they do specific cuts or just mix it all together, and you can have better luck with some brands being fresher and/or better quality then others. The best timothy hay is whatever brand you chin will eat, some actually prefer the brown pieces, most seem to prefer the greener fresher smelling stuff though.

Any grass hay (timothy, meadow, mountain, orchard, etc) is fine and safe for everyday use, but timothy is be most balanced nutrient wise so it's the preferred feed hay for animals. Grain hay like oat is more a treat hay, it can cause gas for some so it's best to limit it to just like a handful or so worth of it a week. Legume hay like alfalfa is more debated for adults, they do need some, which they get in their pellets, but since it's high in protein and calcium, which can cause urinary tract stones in some chins, it's best to limit it to just a small handful or hay cube a week or two, if you give it at all. It's actually a good idea to mix up what kinds of hay you give though, always give timothy but other kinds of hay are chewed differently so they help more evenly wear down teeth as they chew, which can help prevent issues like tooth spurs.

 

[thetwomuses]

For the most part timothy hay is timothy hay, it's all safe, it's also just hay so it doesn't vary between species, other then for rabbits (or small animals) it's generally better looked over then say a bale of general livestock hay from a farm that could have random plants, sticks, etc mixed in it. The difference between brands is where it's grown, how it's sorted (if at all), and how it's packaged, so it can vary slightly in nutrients as well as taste depending on where it's grown, as well as if they do specific cuts or just mix it all together, and you can have better luck with some brands being fresher and/or better quality then others. The best timothy hay is whatever brand you chin will eat, some actually prefer the brown pieces, most seem to prefer the greener fresher smelling stuff though.

Any grass hay (timothy, meadow, mountain, orchard, etc) is fine and safe for everyday use, but timothy is be most balanced nutrient wise so it's the preferred feed hay for animals. Grain hay like oat is more a treat hay, it can cause gas for some so it's best to limit it to just like a handful or so worth of it a week. Legume hay like alfalfa is more debated for adults, they do need some, which they get in their pellets, but since it's high in protein and calcium, which can cause urinary tract stones in some chins, it's best to limit it to just a small handful or hay cube a week or two, if you give it at all. It's actually a good idea to mix up what kinds of hay you give though, always give timothy but other kinds of hay are chewed differently so they help more evenly wear down teeth as they chew, which can help prevent issues like tooth spurs.

Thank you so much for this reply! It's exactly what I was looking for.

I feed a mix of meadow and timothy hay daily and once a week will give them a little alfalfa and another once a week I give some oat hay.

My girl is still too picky to eat much hay but will nibble on some meadow hay now so some improvement is happening. She definitely prefers the brown hay which is tougher.

But thank you for putting my mind at ease about the timothy hay!