can guinea pigs eat horse hay

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Horse Hay?

If you happen to have both guinea pigs and horses then it may well be tempting to double up and feed your guinea pigs hay that your horses have been eating.

This is all well and good, but there are some important variables to consider.

It is worth looking at the different ways that horses eat to consider which would be best Guinea pigs to eat as well.

Can guinea pigs eat horse hay?

Guinea pigs should eat hay as 75% of their diet so it is definitely worth looking at especially if you can save on expense.

image wikipedia

Let’s look at some different ways that horses eat and see if guinea pigs could eat them as well.

Alfalfa Hay

Alfalfa Hay which is also called Lucerne is a perennial flowering plant and is an important forage crop found around the world

It is a great favorite of horses and has been used as such since Roman times.

This hay is great for very young piggies as it is high in calcium.

However, it is not so good for adult guinea pigs and they should only be given a little bit of it.

It is not a hay that should be fed regularly to adult guinea pigs.

Red Clover

Another favorite with horses.

Red Clover is a species of clover found in Europe, Western Asia, and north-west Asia.

It is a herbaceous, short-lived perennial plant that can grow up to 80cm tall.

However, the bad thing about it is that this hay is also high in calcium and should be avoided for adult guinea pigs if possible.

Orchardgrass

Orchardgrass, also known as orchard grasses and Dactylis, are perennial grasses that can grow up to 140cm tall with leaves that can span up to 50 cm

It is fine for piggies to eat as it contains low amounts of calcium and phosphorus. 

Timothy Hay

A piggie favorite.

Timothy Hay is a perennial hay grown in most of Europe and the Mediterranean.

It always goes down well with guinea pigs.

Probably your best option, but go for Timothy Hay that is green and not stalky and dusty.

 Bermudagrass

Bermudagrass is hay that has blades that are a grey-green color that is short and with rough edges.

The great thing about Bermudagrass is that it low in calcium and phosphorus, so is fine for guinea pigs to eat. 

Tall Fescue

Tall Fescue is a bunchgrass from Europe and is an important forage grass used in agriculture.

It is another one that guinea pigs can eat as it is low in calcium. 

As you can see, it does depend on what hay it is as to whether guinea pigs can eat it or not.

So don’t take it for granted that they can eat it, as not all hays are equal.

 

For more foods that guinea pigs can and can’t eat, check out our guinea pig food list

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