Carefully bred and raised pet guinea pigs
02/18/2025
The type and quality of hay you buy makes a difference. I buy second or third cut organic hay for my rabbits and guinea pigs. This picture shows the visible difference between first cut and second cut.
First cut hay includes a lot of stems that don’t have much nutrition. There are some grass leaves in it but the ratio of stems to leaves is higher than in second or third cut. This is because it’s the first grass that’s cut after winter. Due to spring rains, the hay can’t be cut until the grass has matured beyond its ideal nutritional value. When the grass has been cut once, it resets the cycle and you end up with younger growth. Younger grass has more sugars and less fiber. Second and third cut hay is this younger grass.
Animals can smell and taste the difference. I have almost no hay waste with good quality hay. It may be more expensive to buy the better quality but it saves money in the long run because the animals eat all of it instead of picking through it for the leafy goodness.
