To maintain a healthy digestive system, rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas need a constant supply of high fiber grass hay as the majority of their diet. Grass hays have a high fiber content and low protein and calcium contents and should be available to your pet at all times.

1st cut timothy contains lots of long stems and seed heads, and is a greener, coarser cut of hay. The 1st cutting has more fiber content than the 2nd cutting.

Timothy hay is the most commonly used variety of hay. It is a grass hay with a high fiber, low calcium, and low protein content. The stems of the plant contain the highest amount of fiber and the least amount of protein, (perfect nutrition for hay eating critters). The soft leaves and delicious seed heads have less fiber and more protein than the stems. Just like a child leaving the veggies on the dinner plate, critters often choose the seeds and leaves first, but they really need the high fiber content of the stems too. Make sure you leave the uneaten, unsoiled portion of hay with your critter for a couple days so they don’t learn to just wait for a fresh helping of their favorites.