Is it ok to reduce pellets to encourage them to eat more hay?

[Gumby and Elmo]

I have noticed my girls not eating a lot of hay, they've only come home for a little more then a month, so i'm still trying to figure out their pattern.
So their hay is changed 3 times a day, before work, after work and before bed.
The hay I put in before I go to work, which is at about 8-9 in the morning, I get back home from work at about 8-9 at night. The hay is either only eaten a little bit if not untouched, I know they sleep thru the afternoon, but my boys do come snack a few times when I give them fresh hay.

However, they are devouring allll the pellets, I put in 4 tablespoons of pellets, and by next feeding time, not even one is left.

What can I do to encourage them to eat more hay? Can I reduce the pellets to 3 tbls?

I feed APD first cut, and it smells nice and fresh so I know the hay isn't the problem.

 

[Encantadora]

They all eat hay in different amounts so I wouldn't worry. Some love it, some pick at it,and some like only certain types. As for pellets, just free feed them all they want. Definitely don't limit it.

And is there a reason you switch hay three times?? Normally you pit in a handful or two and let them eat it as they wish and nit replace it until it's low or gone. Otherwise it wastes a lot of it.

 

[Gumby and Elmo]

But they need the hay to get those teeth down, and its more important for them to have hay than pellets.

Yes, I use a ceramic bowl, any left overs I throw out and replace 3 times a day, my boys loves the smell of fresh hay, that's why I do it for my girls too.

I was thinking to either reduce the amount of pellets given to them, or pull the pellets out altogether in the morning and just give them hay to snack on.

But since they are only 8 months old, I was wondering if it was ok for them to eat less since they're still growing.

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[Spoof]

But they need the hay to get those teeth down, and its more important for them to have hay than pellets.

This is not true. They do not need hay though it is a great thing to keep them occupied. There are ranches that have never fed hay.

Chins eat what they need. Likely they are eating the pellets because they need the minerals out of them - I would not limit the pellets at all and give them as much as they can eat. If you think about it, they have to eat a much higher quantity of hay to get a small amount of nutrition and their stomachs are just not that big. Also, while your hay smells good there may be something about it they just don't feel like eating.

If you are really worried about them wearing down their teeth, get them some wood or pumice to chew on.

 

[Claire D]

Hay does help with the grinding action of the teeth - I'd keep trying different hays until you find one the chins like.

 

[Cuddlebug]

I would not cut back on the pellets, in fact, I would free feed the pellets and hay both. If they are devouring the pellets and not eating the hay, they just don't like the hay you are giving them. I suggest that you try different hays and find something they like to eat. Yes, hay does help wear the teeth down, but the pellets have more nutrients in them. Also, some chins eat more hay than others. The girls may be eating just the amount that they like. Try leaving the hay in a little longer so that you can get a better idea of how much they are eating.

 

[Encantadora]

Doing what you suggest could cause you problems-- low weights, weightless, digestive upset if they stop eating waiting for pellets.

As Spoof stated, hay is not essential. Put in some wood or pumice for teeth wear. Then free feed hay and pellets as we suggested. Adjust the amount of hay to a smaller portion if they don't eat it all so it's not wasted.

And yes, large ranchers can't afford to feed hay (at least some ) and it doesn't cause problems. Pellets have hay in them to! Just a processed form

 

[Stackie]

I agree with Claire, hay does help with grinding action of the teeth, specifically molars. Chewing wood and pumice generally employs the incisors more and minimal use of the molars. As someone with a few chins who can afford to feed their chins hay, I'd rather give it on the chance that it does help than not. Hay also provides much more fiber than pellets do.

A highly recommended exotics vet in Arizona also highly recommends hay:

Dental problems are very common in pet chinchillas if they do not get proper diets. A chinchilla should always have available a large amount of high quality timothy hay, such as the Oxbow Timothy Hay, which helps wear the teeth and provides enough fiber to promote their gastrointestinal health. If a chinchilla does not get enough timothy grass hay, the teeth may grow in unusual shapes due to a lack of tough material to physically grind the biting surface of the teeth. Pelleted food, alfalfa hay, and leafy greens and other produce are soft and do not cause the chinchillas to chew vigorously side to side as timothy hay does.

http://www.azeah.com/Care-Sheets.asp?id=211

I can dig in my school books and find my dental book sometime this weekend and see what it says about this issue, if anything.

As others have suggested, try switching hay. Many chins for some reason just do not eat the 1st cut hay well- I know mine absolutely hate it. They did however seem to like the APD 2nd cut. Orchard and bermuda grass are big hits here, too.

 

[Spoof]

This isn't about the need for hay, the answer is that you shouldn't reduce pellets to force a chin to eat other things.

I'm sure hay does cause more molar chewing. I'm also sure I have 10+ year old chins and have known many far older that have never had hay and their teeth are fine. If you can feed hay definitely do so as they really like it. As everyone has said you should try other brands/types to find one they might like better.

 

[Claire D]

There are two clear issues in the OP's first post and both of those have been addressed subsequently:

1. the chins are not eating much hay - hay does promote good dental wear and fibre for gut function so the general advice is not to stop giving hay but to find a hay that the chins like.


As an aside, if the argument about ranchers not feeding hay is mainly based on economics (as Encantadora has suggested) then it's not really applicable to pet owners who only have a few chins and can afford to feed hay. (Please note I said if very clearly!). It's just not a compelling argument.


2. Cutting down on pellets in order to encourage hay eating - I don't think anyone who has posted so far on the thread has suggested that is necessary.

In the UK many breeders/pet owners will restrict pellets to 2 tablespoons per chin per day which does encourage hay eating. There are also those who free feed pellets. Broadly speaking, as long as the chins are in overall good condition (fur, teeth, general body) and are maintaining weight, (in the case of breeders) carry kits to term and then rear them successfully then whatever nutritional/dietary regimen is being used is effective (I would suggest).


Looks like we do all agree on one thing though.
OP I would find some hay the chins do like and just put it in the cage once a day rather than swapping it out 3x per day so that the chins have a chance to play with the hay and eat what they want from it. As long as they are not peeing on it or stomping it into the floor then you can leave it for a day or two if you like.
Please let us know how you get on.

 

[Gumby and Elmo]

K, I'll try switching to some other hay and find one they like, I usually give them mountain grass and 1st cut, I'll go get some 2nd cut tmr and see how it goes.
Didn't mean to create an argument of any kind, my vet keeps telling me they need more hay than pellets and if they fill themselves up with pellets, they will be lazy on eating hay.
And hay is crucial for their back teeth was what I was told.
That's why I was considering reducing the amount of pellets given to them to encourage them to eat more hay vs pellets.

So I will start my mission on finding a hay these two picky eaters will like, thank you for the replies

 

[GorillaJTA]

Didn't mean to create an argument of any kind, my vet keeps telling me they need more hay than pellets and if they fill themselves up with pellets, they will be lazy on eating hay.

Among my friends and I, the only chins that did not pick hay first (if it was a hay they liked) were chins on a crappy treat-laden food. I feed a lot of orchard grass because Flea is not a huge fan of timothy. I will mix some timothy in there for variety but it is always the last thing he eats. My friend's chin loves timothy. Another friend cannot find a hay variety that his chin will eat consistently and that chin pigs out on pellets. Chins are pretty good about regulating their own diet when they have access to quality food. I free-feed about 1/4 cup pellets about every other day (so roughly 2-3 tablespoons a day). When I fill his hay, he always runs down and tries it but may leave it be for several hours or a day.