New hay and treat

[Nova]

Hello! So today is cleaning day and I realized the hay wasn't looking very good. So I decided to head to the vet (where I get oxbow brand food) and decided that I would get oxbow brand loose hay so I wouldn't have to drive to the other store. But of course, they only had the giant bag of loose Timothy hay. So I grabbed the compacted Timothy and the orchard grass. I also bought Timothy treats so she could have some variety of treats. Anyway, I've given her a little of the grass to Mabel and she loves it. I was wondering if she should have both types of hay at the same time, or if I should switch it each week? (Have Timothy and orchard then just Timothy). Or do chinchillas enjoy both? Thanks xoxo

 

[Amethyst]

I give my guys a variety, it's actually good for their teeth since each hay wears their teeth differently. They always have timothy, but each time I get new hay I switch it up between what I can get (oat, orchard, meadow, or mountain), for the second type at the same time.

 

[Smidgeyy]

Timothy should be available at all times, but orchard is a good snack to give them. Just make sure she's eating enough Timothy. :]

Along with timothy, I give mine a handful of botanical hay maybe 2-3 times a week. I haven't tried orchard yet but that's on my list of things to do.

 

[Nova]

Well she really loves the orchard grass, thank goodness, so is it alright in unlimited amounts? Or only as a 2-3 days per week type of hay? (Is it healthy for her to have it all the time? She loves timothy so I know she will eat her timothy hay no matter what, plus she loves making the compacted hay become loose.)
Thanks xoxo

 

[Smidgeyy]

I wouldn't give it to her all the time, just because she could slack off on her timothy hay. You want her diet to be mostly pellets and timothy hay... So if you feed orchard unlimited, her diet won't be primarily timothy and pellets.

I'd give small handfuls throughout the week of orchard instead of keeping it unlimited.

 

[Amethyst]

I guess I wasn't completely clear, I give both timothy and another kind unlimited, the timothy always but the second kind changes from bag to bag. The only kind you might want to restrict to just a few time a week would be alfalfa since you are already feeding an alfalfa based pellet food.

 

[Smidgeyy]

^What's the difference between those hays? I've haven't gotten any of those yet.

I gave a very small amount of alfalfa once a week and one of mine get soft poo XD
That's why I'm weary about giving other types of hay in an unlimited quantity. Botanical doesn't seem to do any harm, but that's just timothy + other things. The only alfalfa that doesn't cause an issue are the cubes, as he doesn't go through that as quickly as he would the loose hay.

Just make sure her poos are the same and that the amount of timothy she eats doesn't change much. I don't know how good orchard is at wearing down teeth, since some hays do a better job at that than others.

I know one of mine doesn't chew wood much, so I make sure he's eating a lot of hay to help with his teeth.

 

[Nova]

Thank you! I think I will leave it unlimited but will watch her timothy consumption. If it decreases I will just use the orchard as a small snack a few times a week.

 

[Amethyst]

^What's the difference between those hays? I've haven't gotten any of those yet.

I gave a very small amount of alfalfa once a week and one of mine get soft poo XD
That's why I'm weary about giving other types of hay in an unlimited quantity. Botanical doesn't seem to do any harm, but that's just timothy + other things. The only alfalfa that doesn't cause an issue are the cubes, as he doesn't go through that as quickly as he would the loose hay.

Just make sure her poos are the same and that the amount of timothy she eats doesn't change much. I don't know how good orchard is at wearing down teeth, since some hays do a better job at that than others.

I know one of mine doesn't chew wood much, so I make sure he's eating a lot of hay to help with his teeth.

Timothy and orchard are almost identical (along with most long strand hays), I think the orchard grass is a bit sweeter tasting and a softer hay, they are both long strand fiber, low protein grass hays, so will wear down the teeth and help with digestion pretty much the same. Alfalfa is actually a legume (like peas) not a true grass, it has a much higher protein level as well as calcium, good for growing chins, some sick/old chins, and mothers, not so good all the time once the chin is a healthy adult. If you already feed alfalfa pellets they can end up with too much protein, and more importantly calcium, in their diet which can cause digestive upset or even bladder stones.

 

[ticklechin]

Alfalfa hay can be given along grass hays, it just needs to be introduced slowly since most chins will gorge on it and it can cause loose poo at the beginning. I have fed loose alfalfa to all of the chins I have had for 14 years with no issues, I know of ranchers who have fed only loose alfalfa, pellet hog chins who won't eat hay are on a all alfalfa diet and there are also ranchers and large hobby breeders who have fed a pellet only diet-all alfalfa. So alfalfa gets a bad rap but in reality its not the devil hay.