Pet Habitat South Africa

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26 Apr 2014

Teff, Eragrostis or Timothy Hay

Posted By : Guest

Hay should form the foundation of a rabbit, guinea pig or chinchilla’s diet and you need to make sure you are feeding a plentiful supply each and every day. There are a number of different types of hay available and certain things you should look out for before feeding.

What's the Key to Good Hay?

There are three main factors when it comes to choosing a good quality hay, no matter what variation it may be:

It must be fresh and sweet-smelling with no musty smell.
It must be free from excessive dust.
It must have been stored out of direct sunlight, in a dry location, in a container that is NOT airtight. (Sealing hay in an airtight container encourages the growth of potentially deadly mold toxins).

Know your Hay

In South Africa we have Teff Hay due to our warm climate conditions. It is almost brown looking (a little green but not much), and it is soft to the touch. Teff Hay has a lower protein and nutrient content than Timothy Hay, depending on the growth stage or maturity. Teff hay is also high in calcium as well as phosphorus and sugars. Because it is readily available in South Africa it is really affordable and is the most common hay sold in local pet stores.

Teff grass

Timothy Hay is an ideal food for rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas. Its abrasive, long strands help to keep the animal’s teeth worn down and in good condition and because it is fibre rich it meets the nutritional demands of these small animals. Timothy Hay has a very good protein and nutrient content and the reason why it’s the main type of hay that is used in Burgess Excel foods.

But what exactly is Timothy hay? Timothy hay actually starts life as “Timothy Grass” and is a common sight across much of the UK countryside. Timothy grass grows to in excess of 30 inches tall and flowers with a pink stamen. It is a strong, coarse hay and the long stalks help to keep your pet’s teeth in good condition. It is also packed full of fibre, which is vital to a rabbit, guinea pig or chinchilla as it helps to promote good digestive health. Because it is imported to South Africa, it is much more expensive than Teff Hay.

Timothy grass

Meadow Hay is also imported and can be found in Burgess Excel Fresh Forage Feeding Hay and has a softer texture than Timothy Hay. When you open the pack you will get a wonderful aroma that comes from the dried grasses.

For added variety, taste and texture you may find some delicious extras within your Timothy Hay or Meadow Hay, including birch bark, dandelions, marigolds and chamomile.

Feeding

If you are wondering how much hay to feed to your rabbit, guinea pig or chinchilla then always be on the side of caution and feed a little too much! Your pet will regulate how much he / she wants to eat through the day and will usually have great fun nesting with any leftovers! As a rough guide you should feed your pet his own body size in hay every day.

The only hay that should be limited or even completely eliminated from the diet of an adult rabbit or chinchilla is Alfalfa Hay. Alfalfa is a perennial legume which is high in vitamins and minerals but is also high in calcium and can run as high as 20% protein, which is far too much for a rabbit or chinchilla over a year old.

However, a small amount of alfalfa mixed in with other hay can encourage a fussy eater to eat more.

Hay Cutting Times & What They Mean

First Cutting: The first growth off a field for the year is the "first cutting." Many people erroneously feel that first cutting hay is not to be considered as good feed. We tend to disagree, provided it is of good quality and was cut when relatively immature (pre-bloom stage), before the plant is allowed to mature to the point where the stem becomes larger and coarser. This is when the lignin (an indigestible part of the fiber component associated with cellulose and hemicellulose in the cell wall) content has become sufficiently high so as to make the hay more unpalatable and indigestible and the nutritive value has declined greatly. This can happen with 1st, 2nd, or any cutting of hay if left growing too long.

Second Cutting: Depending upon the temperatures of the days and nights, it typically takes 40-45 days for regrowth of alfalfa, mix hay, and orchard grass , and 55- 60 days for regrowth of timothy. This is termed the "second cutting," which usually has a larger percentage of leaves to stems, has a finer and softer stem, has increased percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and has a lower crude fiber percentage (depending upon the stage of maturity at which it was cut) . More non-structural carbohydrates (starches and sugars) and protein are in the leaves than in the stems. These starches and sugars are very digestible and make the hay higher quality.

Third Cutting: If the growing season is long enough on any given year, it may be possible to secure a third cutting. The third cutting is typically very soft hay that is primarily leaves with very few small stems. While beautiful to look at, it can be "rich" (high in nutrients, having a high Relative Feed Value or RFV, and low in fiber). It is our opinion that third cutting hay does not contain sufficient fiber content to be the only hay in the diet of most rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs. It can, however, be used in conjunction with a higher fiber, good quality, relatively immature 1st or 2nd cutting hay, and creates greater variety and interest in the chewing experience. We suggest that you feed the different hays at different meals so as to eliminate waste.

The Digestibility Factor

Let's say for the sake of comparison, that you are feeding your rabbit, chinchilla or guinea pig a portion of a 2nd cutting hay that was cut when the plant was relatively immature, the nutrition and digestibility are high, and the cellulose content is low. Your rabbit, chinchilla or guinea pig would be able to digest more of the nutrients out of this hay and would achieve maintenance or weight gain depending upon the size of the servings and the dynamics of this particular animal and his environment/ work load. If this same field of hay had been allowed to grow for another week, for example, the indigestible portion of the plant would have increased, making the hay less nutritious and less palatable, and the amount of digestible energy that the animal is able to extract from that hay is decreased. It would now become necessary to feed a larger size portion of this more mature hay to achieve the same maintenance.

This digestibility factor is the determining factor as to how much "good" your rabbit, chinchilla or guinea pig will get out of a particular type of hay. You can feed a large volume of hay that is low on the digestibility scale and keep the rabbit, chinchilla or guinea pig at his ideal body weight, but if feeding a highly digestible hay (hay that has a high RFD and is high in nutrients) one would obviously need to feed a smaller amount to maintain the rabbit, chinchilla or guinea pig at his ideal body weight. Within the confines of each cutting (1st, 2nd, 3rd) it is possible to have varying percentages of "digestibility" depending upon the stage of maturity of the plant at the time of harvesting.

Selecting Hay for your Rabbit, Guinea Pig or Chinchilla

Many pet owners buy hay based on its visual appeal-dark green, leafy, soft. This equates to hay that is very high in nutrients, high in protein, possibly high in fat, high in calories, and definitely low in fiber. The consumer driven hay market has continued to demand ever more "beautiful" premium hay, and it is our belief that we now have on a consistent basis, hay that is almost "too rich" for the normal house pet. In addition to this "premium" hay, many owners feel that more is better and are feeding ever increasing amounts of treats, vitamins, minerals, and supplements, whether the rabbit, guinea pig or chinchilla really needs them or not! In fact, one might say, we are killing them with kindness. If you choose to feed premium hay, then cut down on the treats and supplements.

We recommend that you look at the hay choices available in any given year, buy samples of the types you think are most likely to work, and go feed them out. This ensures a successful outcome in providing a menu that your pet will eat and one that will be good for him. Most importantly, observe your pet's appearance frequently. You can develop an "eye" for the current body condition of your rabbit, guinea pig or chinchilla and adjust the size of your portions as needed.

Tags : Teff or Timothy Hay In South Africa , Timothy Hay South Africa , pet rabbit food , pet guniea pig food , chinchilla food