How Much Rest Does a Baby Guinea Pig Need

Guinea pigs don't require many things to be happy and healthy. This is why they are perfect pets for people of all ages.

When we talk about republic of guinea pigs, one of the always mentioned foods is hay. Only, is this particular food pregnant to their nutrition?

Do guinea pigs actually need hay?Guinea pigs demand hay because it's high in cobweb needed for healthy digestion. It also serves as their teeth abrasives, as their teeth keep on growing.

Non just that the quality nutrition produces a healthier lifestyle, just it also gives your guinea sus scrofa more energy and makes it happier. In this commodity, we're going to talk well-nigh types of hay, if it should exist role of your guinea pig's diet, as well as hay in general.

What Is Hay?

Essentially, hay is grass or legumes that have been cut, stale, and stored equally food for non-carnivorous animals. These animals include livestock such as goats, sheep, horses, cattle, and similar. Simply, since nosotros're talking nearly guinea pigs, hay is vastly used as food for them and other pocket-sized animals such as rabbits.

Not every institute tin be used for hay, and some plants produce expert quality, while others produce lesser quality hay. Commonly used plants are brome, fescue, Bermuda grass, Timothy grass, alfalfa, clovers, legumes, etc.

Of all these, the most popular plants are Timothy, meadow, and alfalfa, which we're going to talk almost later.

Some plants similar barley, oat, and wheat are also used for hay but in the form of harbinger. Straw is perfect for creature bedding, especially for large animals, since they can't injure themselves when lying downwards on it. On the other mitt, Guinea pigs won't benefit so much from straw.

Producing hay isn't an easy job to do. Since hay is very sensitive to weather atmospheric condition, producing quality hay tin be quite a challenge. If the conditions are drought, seed and leaf product diminishes, making the hay rough and less nutritious.

On the other mitt, moist atmospheric condition produce adequately quality hay, merely this type of hay is hands spoiled earlier information technology tin can exist bailed. That's why it'due south better to buy hay from professional and verified retailers, especially when we talk almost guinea pigs. They need a lot of quality hay.

Is Hay Proficient for Guinea Pigs?

Hay is proficient for republic of guinea pigs, and here are some of its benefits:

Mostly, hay contains high cobweb, contributing to republic of guinea pigs' healthy digestion.

Hay can also assist command their teeth from growing, as information technology can habiliment downward from munching on this food.

It likewise contains vitamin C; although information technology is not enough, you can add other vitamin C-rich foods.

There are different types of hay, and some of them incorporate calcium, protein, and other nutrients that tin benefit the specific needs of certain guinea pigs.

Types of Hay for Guinea Pigs

Hither are the nigh pop types of hay for your guinea pigs:

Alfalfa Hay

Alfalfa hay is not only fed for rabbits only also for republic of guinea pigs. This type of hay produces excellent results in baby republic of guinea pigs, containing lots of calcium and protein, supporting healthy development.

Calcium is essential for making basic harder and denser, while poly peptide is essential for adding musculus mass and making muscles stronger.

Given that alfalfa hay has more than calcium and poly peptide, it'due south not exactly the best type of hay for all guinea pigs. Other republic of guinea pigs don't need as much calcium and protein, but they demand vitamin C and fibers. That's why rabbits are unlike and a lot bigger than guinea pigs.

However, young, significant, and nursing guinea pigs will benefit a lot from alfalfa hay as information technology contains a large portion of the nutrients needed during these specific periods of their life.

Timothy Hay

Timothy hay is used to feed large animals such as horses, cows, and other livestock. This is because this livestock needs a lot of fiber in their nutrition, like to guinea pigs. Thankfully, timothy hay has a lot of fibers and a chip smaller amount of poly peptide and calcium, making it platonic for republic of guinea pigs.

The benefits of hay for guinea pigs are numerous – improves digestion, shiny glaze, healthy weight, and bowel regularity.

Moreover, fibers in timothy hay can be fermented in the bowel, giving a abiding energy flow throughout the day. Guinea pigs can get abroad with this type of hay, but larger animals are often fed with a combination of Timothy and alfalfa hay, especially horses.

Meadow Hay

Meadow hay is fantabulous for guinea pigs since information technology has less poly peptide and more than fibers. But, the corporeality of fibers in this hay is slightly lower than in Timothy hay, making it a fleck less nutritious.

How Much Hay Do Guinea Pigs Should Eat?

eighty% of guinea pig's diet needs to exist hay, and knowing the best blazon of hay for your guinea pig is essential. They can eat an unlimited corporeality of high-quality hay, equally they tin can stop eating if they feel total.

Of course, it should always be accompanied past unlimited admission to fresh and make clean water, the required amount of vitamin C-rich foods, and other nutrients essential to their everyday nutrition.

How to Store Hay?

Yous demand to have the correct type of hay, but more than important is keeping information technology free from mold.The all-time style to store your hay is to keep information technology in a dry out and cool place.

Additional wet will make it spoil fast, while a dry identify will prevent mold from developing. As well, don't store your hay for too long as it tin lose its nutritional value over time. Be sure to always give your guinea pig a fresh batch of hay.

Other Essential Foods for Guinea Pigs

Most of guinea pig's nutrition needs to consist of hay. Nonetheless, despite their need for hay, republic of guinea pigs can consume other foods in the right amount without any bug. Food diets rich in fiber and Vitamin C are crucial to their overall healthy body.

Here are some of the essential foods needed by guinea pigs:

Fruits and Vegetables

Herbivorous animals such as guinea pigs take many vegetables and fruits bachelor. Your republic of guinea squealer can and should eat those every 24-hour interval. Normally, the well-nigh recommended vegetables and fruits are those with high fiber, such as lettuce, carrots, and sometimes cabbage.

Fruits skillful for guinea pigs include strawberries, melons, apples, oranges, and pears. Yous tin combine various fruits and vegetables every mean solar day and meet what your guinea pig enjoys the well-nigh.

Pellets

Pellets come in various sizes, types, brands, and prices, which is a commercial food for republic of guinea pigs. Some popular brands that specialize in this expanse include KMS Hayloft and Oxbow Cavy Cuisine.

While they aren't the most affordable, y'all can find their products online much cheaper than you would find them in the store. These are proven to positively impact guinea pigs in terms of nutritional balance and evolution.

On the other hand, most low-quality pellets have artificial sweeteners and preservatives such as corn syrup, propyl gallate, ethoxyquin, HFCS, which need to be avoided. If you encounter some of these, you should definitely skip that pellet.

Nutrient Supplements

Despite the fact that hay plays a huge office in guinea pig's nutrition, information technology'south still unable to requite the required amount of vitamin C.

The vitamin C can be added either via supplements that you can buy in any pet shop or simply by introducing food that has a lot of vitamin C in information technology.

Vitamin C supplements are usually non that expensive, and they are the easy way to give your guinea pig a required amount. You can combine hay or other meals with this supplement to accomplish the desired issue.

Some vegetables and fruits also have a substantial amount of vitamin C in them. Celery, beets, apples, and kale have a squeamish amount of this vitamin. Fruits should be given to guinea pigs occasionally, as they contain a higher amount of sugar.

Summary

In general, hay plays an of import function in the diet of herbivorous animals, including republic of guinea pig'southward nutrition. Since producing high-quality hay is a fleck of a challenge, almost guinea sus scrofa owners should buy hay from verified sellers and have it bachelor for their guinea pigs at all times.

Guinea pigs need hay 24/7, and although information technology plays an important role, exist sure to mix things up with different foods.

Your guinea hog volition be healthiest when its nutrition consists of at least 80% hay, and so don't try to save money by buying depression-quality hay.

Related: Tin Republic of guinea Pigs Eat Hay?

List of Sources

Guidance for the Welfare of Pet Republic of guinea Pigs – Made Nether Department 13(6) Of the Brute Welfare (Guernsey) Ordinance, 2012: Guidance – Food and Water

Oregon Forages: Hay

Moldy Hay

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Source: https://www.guineapigtube.com/do-guinea-pigs-need-hay/