Is feeding hay a MUST??

[babygirllllll]

I have 2 chinchillas. They eat their food fine (I feed them both Mazuri pellets if that matters), but anytime I put a bowl of hay in, all they do is flip the bowl, and throw it around the cage and make a total mess of the place. No matter how much I use, what bowl I put it in, or the time of day I attempt to feed, it has the same end result. I recently got the little 'hay cubes' thinking maybe that would solve the problem, but all they do is take a few nibbles and just throw it on the floor. So my question is, do they absolutely NEED hay as a part of their diets? Or are they fine with just the Mazuri pellets? Also, I do have a spare empty cage I could use for hay feeding, if its a must. But they seem to play with it more than they eat it. So should I try the hay in a spare cage? And how do I get them to actually EAT it? Thanks in advance.

 

[Tagna]

Yes, the really do need hay. They need to have hay for their teeth. What type are you giving? You can try different brands. My chins love Oxbow timothy hay. Just keep trying different brands and even different hay holders.

 

[RDZCRanch]

You can also try different types of hay. Timothy is the most popular, but you can also give oat hay or orchard grass. Some chinchillas are picky and prefer different kinds. Mine never eat ALL of it, but they eat the majority of it and toss the rest around their cage.

 

[jamanalo]

You can try hay cubes, Its a lot neater and cleaner. If they do get it all over the floor its not really a big issue because if they feel like eating it, they will. Just dont put access so that the floor of the cage is covered. Also if it is all over the floor, wet hay tends to mold fast, so keep an eye for that.
Buy those variety packs at the pet store that has an assortment of hay. Hay is essential for the chinchillas health, so I definitely would not cut that out.

 

[ticklechin]

American Pet Diner hay seems to be a hit with most chins, try the sample pack they have and see if they like it.

 

[Tanya]

Chins fed mainly on non-abrasive commercial pelleted diet don't wear their teeth down properly. Unlike leaves and stalks that require lots of chewing, pellets are just crushed. This can result in overgrown teeth (teeth also grow faster on high energy diets), in consequence they may also become misaligned. Another possible problem is the development of sharp spurs when the back teeth do not wear each other down any more.
Try offering various types of hay. If you'd like to get a sample of organic hay delight http://www.fuzzieskingdom.com/herbs/treats/hay-chinchilla-rabbit-guineapig.html (2010 cut, flavorful with enticing variety of textures) please let me know )
You can try giving only hay till 11 pm or limit the amount of pellets.

 

[starleomach]

They do need hay. I rotate I use haycube for a while then use loose hay changing it up seems to help

 

[fanofdmb84]

I rotate types of hay almost every day (timothy, orchard, oat, & alfalfa) and I also give them hay cubes, but these I drill holes through and hang from the cage like toys. That way if they don't feel like chewing them one day, at least they don't get covered in pee, but they are always available. My chins seem to go in spurts of eating hay. Lately they haven't been eating much, but a few weeks ago they were chowing down on it.

 

[LilanChilla]

What type of hay are you feeding? With mine they wont touch it if I get it at a petstore. I buy mine the local feed store. It is usually quite a bit cheaper as well. Like said above switch it up, try different things and see what works. Usually I put mine in a kleenx box, they love to chew it apart. You can also put it in a paper bag and fold the end over so they have to forrage for it, mine love this. You can hide it in little cardboard boxes, etc. Lots of options, I would definatly limit the amount of pellets they get until you can get them on a steady hay diet. Best of luck!

 

[mishellyshel]

and I also give them hay cubes, but these I drill holes through and hang from the cage like toys. That way if they don't feel like chewing them one day, at least they don't get covered in pee

that is a GREAT idea!

i agree. hay is a must. try different brands & varieties.

 

[CTChin]

I tried to use hay bowls at one time. It looked wonderful and clean in the cage.....for about 10 minutes! LOL Often the chins ended up using the bowl as a potty and threw their hay out anyway.

Chins NEED hay and chins make a mess. That's just the way it is. I think my guys look the happiest when they dive into a big pile so I tend to overfeed when I can get my hands on a nice green, fresh smelling bale of hay. I just pull the leftovers out the next feeding.

 

[ann1]

They sell different types of hay hanger too. You might want to look for one that attaches to their cage. It may help a little but their still gonna pick through it and half of it is gonna end up on the cage floor. Like others have suggested you can try different types of hay but it is essential they have it. Hay makes up the majority of their diet. I know some have had luck with the cubes but mine personally dont like them. They end up taking a few nibbles then tossing it.

 

[babygirllllll]

I've recently converted the spare cage into the 'hay cage'. my male seems to be nibbling it a bit more, but my female just runs around the cage and spazzes out. I'll put one in the cage for about 30mins and then rotate but my female still wont eat it :/ I've tried a few different brands/types and shes still not interested. now I'm really really worried about her teeth

 

[babygirllllll]

I've now found she will eat it if I hand it to her piece by piece, and hand feed her like a baby. Now if I put a tiny bit on the top ledge she'll pick through and eat what she wants, which is an improvement. And I have noticed shes been chewing on the wooden hidey house quiet a bit lately. so I'm assuming this is her way of grinding down her teeth? should I add more wood play things for her to nibble on?

 

[seachin]

Not trying to hijack this thread....but I have a variation on this question.

I have a boy who chews lots of sticks and is addicted to chewing pumice, but doesn't eat much hay. His weight is fine as he eats lots of pellets...Since he chews all that other stuff, should I worry about him not eating as much hay as the other chins (I'm talking about him eating maybe 20% volume-wise of hay compared to my other chins)? I guess my thinking is that the pumice and wood would serve the same purpose as the hay in grinding down teeth :hmm:

 

[ticklechin]

Pumice and wood grind down the incisors, they do not do a good job on the cheek teeth, that is what hay is for-hay is also needed for good digestion.

 

[KristinC1983]

Sunny's picky so I am too

My chin, Sunny, eats Timothy Hay (I believe Kaytee) and he likes certain peices of his hay better than the rest. He likes the leaves (I believe they're leaves), not the stalks, and the darkest peices are his most favorite. The stalks end up being thrown away a lot of the time. The rest he devours. So, I now all the hay in a plastic storage tub and its so easy to see. I pick and choose peices for him. It takes a little longer than just grabbing a handleful and throwing it in his cage, but it is saving a lot of hay. I also only give a handful a night and if he's a little low during the day, I put a little more in his cage. It's by his hidey house on his top shelf and he rarely throws it around because on top of the stalks is the peices he loves. I check every night which kind and how much needs to be refilled and refill it as needed. He's also a big fan of the tiny little bits (basically the scraps that are with the hay dust) so I have a tiny dish where I put those peices and he eats them.

Hay is important for their diet and teeth. Mazuri is alfalfa-based food and they need other hay in their diet to be healthy. Yes, it is messy, but its a must. I'm going to make mine a hay dispenser thing (lol) out of wire cloth to hang on his cage to hopefully reduce some waste, or he'll have lots of fun tearing it out and I'll stick with the way I do it now If you can figure out the peices they like best and be pickier about what peices you put in their cage, it'll help save some hay from being wasted.

 

[KristinC1983]

Seachin, Again, if you know which peices of hay he likes more, maybe try being pickier yourself so he'll eat more and waste less. It really works for Sunny, and he's also addicted to pumice and wood! Especially his lava ledge-he chews, scratches, rolls in the dust and crumbs he breaks off, then repeats the process a bunch of time throuughout the day, lol.


Baby Girl, yeah, wood is fantastic for their teeth, but like ticklechin said, hay grinds down their back teeth where the wood can't get. So be picky with hay and add some more wood chews. I LOVE ebay-there's more than just applewood on there-there's all kinds of wood and differents toys. I am an ebay fanatic now when it comes to chin supplies

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

They sell different types of hay hanger too. You might want to look for one that attaches to their cage. It may help a little but their still gonna pick through it and half of it is gonna end up on the cage floor. Like others have suggested you can try different types of hay but it is essential they have it. Hay makes up the majority of their diet. I know some have had luck with the cubes but mine personally dont like them. They end up taking a few nibbles then tossing it.

Just be careful with some of them..chins have been known to get their heads and feet caught, which leads to serious injuries! I, personally, use one of those ceramic chinchilla dusters from PetSmart. It is too small for them to dust in but perfect for hay. I also bought some pine blocks from Susan ( AZChins ) and the wooden holders they came in work wonderfully for hay; as do the wooden hidey houses from the pet stores.

 

[KristinC1983]

Yes, it is messy, but its a must. I'm going to make mine a hay dispenser thing (lol) out of wire cloth to hang on his cage to hopefully reduce some waste, or he'll have lots of fun tearing it out...

I just realized my mistake with my idea when I answered another question and read something on a website I love about chins that could make my idea dangerous! www.petchinchillas.info


"Don't waste your money on the hay racks sold in pet stores. The plastic ones that clip onto the outside of your cage will guarantee that hay ends up all over your floor. The wire ones can cause a broken leg from the chinchillas climbing into or over them. You can use a ceramic dish, a wooden box, or even a terra cotta flower pot! The flower pot is the cheapest and also the cutest solution; just make sure it's unpainted. Be sure to place the hay on the bottom level of your cage, since all chinchillas LOVE to shove things off their shelves."

A wire cloth hayrack could cause a broken leg, so anyone who read my first comment, I pray you read this, too and know that I made a BIG MISTAKE saying that and even thinking to do it! I've looked at that website a 100 times, recommended it even more probably, and never read that part of it, so seriously, my BIG MISTAKE, and I'm sorry for posting it and honestly even thinking it! My brain must've been tired when I thought of that idea! Serioussly, I'm very, very, very sorry!