Pet Habitat South Africa

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21 May 2014

Is It Worth Buying Timothy Hay

Posted By : Guest

Rabbits, chinchillas, and guinea pigs should be offered free access to large quantities of fresh Timothy Hay daily. As with most foods, different types of hay are not identical in structure and nutrient content. This is especially true for timothy hay, teff/eragrostis hay and alfalfa hay. Although all these types of hay are now available in South Africa, each has its place in your pet's dietary needs and should not be substituted for one or another.

Teff and eragrostis are perhaps two of the more widely used hay varieties in South Africa. They are often very palatable and provide a good amount of fibre without providing too high an energy value. The major disadvantage of these hays is that the nutritional value can range hugely from good to extremely poor quality. These hays are almost brown looking (a little green but not much), and it is soft to the touch. The quality will ultimately depend upon stage of growth when cut, fertilization, and environmental factors. Always select these types of hay carefully, looking for optimum harvesting stage, colour and leaf to stem ratio. Teff and eragrostis hay has a lower protein and nutrient content than timothy hay, depending on the growth stage or maturity and is also high in calcium as well as phosphorus and sugars. Because it is readily available in South Africa and is really affordable, it is the most common hay sold in local pet stores. There is no information available on amount or quality of digestible fibre, but most likely less than timothy hay and alfafa hay because it is derived from a finer grass with no long stalks.

Alfalfa hay also known as lucerne has the highest protein content, but too rich in calories and calcium, while timothy hay is less-fattening and has much less calcium.

Timothy hay is a lot greener in colour and is very rich in protein, vitamins and minerals when compared to our local teff hay, and the reason why it is slowly gaining popularity in South Africa. Timothy hay is an ideal food for rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas because of its abrasive, long strands which help to keep the animal’s teeth worn down and because it is high in digestible fibre, it meets the nutritional demands of these small animals perfectly.

Therefore, during the developmental stages of your rabbit's life or during her pregnancy, for example, alfalfa hay can be offered. But once a young animal reaches young adulthood (about 7 months of age in a rabbit), she should be switched to an almost strictly Timothy Hay diet, unless otherwise recommended by your veterinarian due to low body weight.

The Importance of Digestibility Factor

The reason why imported Newhay timothy hay is so popular is because it has a high 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 or 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 levels for your pet.

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.

Feeding Hay

Timothy hay 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. Notice all Newhay feeding hay products display the amount of digestible fibre (%) on packaging. When you open the packs 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 Newhay timothy hay including dandelions, marigolds and chamomile.

Is it worth spending the extra money to buy imported timothy hay? The answer, most definately, "YES." In the long run, it is more cost effective because feeding timothy hay to your rabbit, guinea pig or chinchilla requires less feeding because the protein, vitamin, mineral and digestibility levels are much higher. Even though good quality, Newhay timothy hay may cost more than regular hay, it is well worth it for the health and happiness of your pet.