Tia is a picky girl.

[CJR]

My two chins have timothy hay five days a week. The other two days, they have the "hay of the moment" as I call it (whatever different hay I have at the time). For awhile, it was alfalfa. A few weeks ago, I got some oat hay instead.

Guess what finicky little princess won't eat timothy hay now? Yeah, it's Tia. I can give her timothy, but she just pulls it out of the holder and spreads it on the floor. She loveslovesLOVES oat hay though, it is her favorite thing ever.

So my question is - can I just give her straight up oat hay or does she need timmy hay?

(I did read some old posts and I did see someone who also had a similar problem, but I just wanted to make sure...)

 

[AZChins]

What I do when that happens is not give those chins any timothy hay. After a few days they are happy to see it again. Sometimes they just get so spoiled that they forget they like something! Just like with toys, take out the toys they have tired of and give them back a week later - they'll like them again.

 

[greychins]

I agree with Susan, but I think your chin would be fine on just the oat hay, if that's what she likes. Oat hay is a coarser hay than timothy, and as the purpose of hay is to grind down the teeth, it would appear that a coarser hay would be fine to feed all the time rather than a softer hay. I have a chin that once got teeth spurs, and the advice of the vet was to feed him oat hay in addition to his timothy hay, because it would require more chewing. So I would imagine it's fine.

 

[Essentia]

I wouldn't do total oat hay. The phosphorous in anything grain can rob the chin of calcium. For this reason I have stopped giving as many shreddies, cheerios or rolled oats. I do give some oat hay, but pretty rarely. Here is some more information on what I am referring to.

Phosphorus can occur in excess of the requirement when chinchillas are given grains (barley, wheat germ, bran, oats, wheat, etc. in the form of grain hays, supplemental grain mixes, grain treats, cereal or uncooked pasta, etc.) or fruit as treats, popular practices not entirely reprehensible when done seldom or in strict moderation. Grains are very high in phosphorus, as are many fruits (see Ca charts), and either is very likely to have an inverse Ca ratio (P greater than Ca, which constitutes a Ca imbalance), as in the case of raisins, whose Ca ratio is 0.5:1 (.doc). If fed in substantial enough amounts, the excess phosphorus from these dietary extras can adversely affect a chin's Ca ratio and result in calcium deficiency (a cause of environmental malocclusion) and critical bone conditions caused by low bone density. The ill effects of a diet too high in phosphorus have long been scientifically established for both animals and man (.doc and Journal of Nutrition, .pdf).


"Grains have the inverse relationship and contain more phosphorus than calcium. Research has proven that diets that contain an inverse ratio of calcium and phosphorus can cause stones and soft tissue calcifications."
(ref- Pet Care Veterinary Hospital)

 

[ticklechin]

Orchard grass and oat hay have just about the same percent of calcium and phosphorus ratio, oat hay is what is left after the oats are removed so it does not have the oat issue.

 

[ticklechin]

From UC Davis, a excerpt from this article:

Promoting Good Health and Production Through Good Husbandry Practices


Heartland Conference and Fair
Double T Acres Ranch
June 11, 2000



"Minerals are needed for bones and teeth and constituents of almost all other tissues, organs, enzymes and hormones. They are needed to maintain proper body acid-base balance and for nerve function. There are many essential minerals of which calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc and selenium are often deficient or inappropriate amounts in livestock rations. Selenium is essential for immune function and prevention of white muscle disease.


Cracked corn is a good source of phosphorus and zinc but low in calcium and copper.

Alfalfa hay is very rich in calcium and copper, adequate in zinc but low in phosphorus.

Oat hay is a good source of copper, however it is lower in calcium, phosphorus and zinc.

Plants grown on selenium deficient soils will also be deficient in selenium.

 

[Essentia]

Ah, didn't realize. Thanks for that. My guys really like oat hay as well, so it's good to know I can feed it to them more often.

 

[AZChins]

Yeah, the oat hay shouldn't be too much of a problem. I get a alfy/oat hay cube that the chins just love. Finding oat hay in another form here is difficult.

Ash - maybe you should just rotate out different types of hay because Tia is such a spoiled brat! They really do like variety in their hays...unless you give them burmuda grass in the rotation. At that point they will look at you like you have something wrong with you for giving it. I don't know why. I sneak it in every now and then and they'll eat it, but if I give it two days in a row, they act like they will revolt.

 

[CJR]

Hmm... thanks for the information and advice everyone. I'm going to just give her oat hay only for a few days, then give her some timmy and see if she "likes it again". If that doesn't work, I'll try the rotation thing that Susan suggested.

Or maybe I'll just beat her!!!!! Little spoiled brat!

 

[ticklechin]

I had to do lots of hay homework when I was feeding a hay only diet to a wheat intolerant chin, getting the balance right was hard!

 

[Laurie]

My only words of wisdom are: Like Father, like daughter lol! Too bad we can't get Tia some chicken-n-dumplin's from you know where???!!!

FYI, Pash, Leonard is also not a big fan of the hay

 

[StevieP]

I gave a pinch of oat hay to the gang on Saturday... Everyone was begging at the cage bars for more!!! I was going to ask how much they can have, but you beat me to it Pash! Thanks!

 

[ticklechin]

Oat hay is basically busy food, it does not have alot of nutritional value but TONS of long fiber, so its really good for the digestive tract and chins like to shred it. Good for the teeth too!

 

[StevieP]

Dawn, what do you think about these oats that are in the hay? There are clumps like in this picture. Would you give it to 'em or trash it?

 

[Essentia]

Yeah, there are a ton in my bag as well.

 

[StevieP]

I did give a clump to Momma & Clarice and they devoured it in 1 minute flat. I figured, "what the hay"





(pun intended)

 

[ticklechin]

Those are oat husks-they contain no oats but smell like oats so chins dig them, full of fiber too!