What Hay for a Guinea Pig or a Chinchilla? The Buying Guide
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
For a guinea pig as for a chinchilla, hay is no mere accessory: it is the main food, roughly 80% of the ration. It wears down continuously growing teeth, keeps the gut moving and occupies the animal for much of the day. But you still need to pick a quality hay — and that isn’t decided by the packaging.
Contents · 4 sections
Recognising good hay
- Colour: light to rich green; hay that has turned yellow or brown has lost its nutrients.
- Smell: pleasant and grassy; any hint of mould or dust disqualifies the bag.
- Texture: long, varied strands with a scattering of flowers and leaves.
- Dust: as little as possible, especially for the chinchilla and its fragile airways.
Meadow hay, Crau hay, second cut: what’s the difference?
Classic first-cut meadow hay is the ideal everyday choice: high in fibre, varied and economical (3 to 6 € per kilo in pet shops, markedly less bought direct from farms). Crau hay, a French PDO renowned for its botanical diversity, is excellent but pricier, around 5 to 9 € per kilo. Second-cut hay, softer and richer, suits convalescing or fussy animals — as a complement rather than the staple. Avoid pure alfalfa for adults: too high in calcium, it promotes urinary stones, a frequent reason for exotics vet visits.
How should hay be offered?
Hay must be available free-choice, around the clock. A hay rack or feeder limits waste, but leave some on the floor or inside foraging toys too: searching for food is valuable enrichment. Avoid enclosed hanging hay balls, in which a head can get stuck. Replace soiled hay daily, particularly any used as bedding.
Storing it well, buying it well
Store hay somewhere dry, away from light, in a ventilated container: an airtight bag encourages mould. An animal that snubs its hay, loses its appetite or drools should be seen promptly by a vet: dental problems are the leading cause of hay refusal. To compare brands and pack sizes, browse our rodent food section and our guide to vitamin C for guinea pigs, on Planète Pets.
In our shop, for this use: Wooden hay rack with tray for rabbit, guinea pig and chinchilla (€21.90) · the whole shop
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Rodents universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.
