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Post by birchmoon on Sept 11, 2004 18:39:32 GMT -8
I've read everything under the sun about timothy hay. I've read it's good for gerbs, bad for gerbs and everything in between. I've heard it can get fungus also, how long would it take to get fungus in their cage? I give mine a handful every other night or so and they chew it up overnight and mix it with their bedding. The bedding gets changed once a week. Does this sound alright?
heather
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RW
Member
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Puppy 6/6/07
Posts: 530
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Post by RW on Sept 11, 2004 18:47:56 GMT -8
I give my gerbils Timothy hay, too, a small handful every day, except Ratzilla, who's allergic to it.
I've never heard about Timothy hay having fungus, but I have heard that it can be infested with mites. I freeze mine for a week before opening it.
RW
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Post by birchmoon on Sept 11, 2004 18:59:27 GMT -8
OK....I have a totally ridiculous question...I don't have room in my tiny freezer to do that. Could I microwave the hay to kill the bugs? OK....go ahead and laugh. Yes, I asked it!
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Post by andrea on Sept 12, 2004 6:50:30 GMT -8
personally, I do not use hay at all. The gerbs do not seem to want it in anyway and I cannot have it as it makes me wheezy, hense the g-pigs now live in the shed If you do not have space to freeze hay to be honest i would not bother getting it as gerbils do not need it. Toilet roll is a far better bedding Andrea
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RW
Member
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Puppy 6/6/07
Posts: 530
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Post by RW on Sept 12, 2004 12:09:14 GMT -8
No, I don't think that gerbils need hay, but mine all enjoy it. They don't eat it (or not much) and they don't use it in their nests, but they love to chew the stems and fiddle with it. It's more like a toy. They have plenty of toilet paper that they use to build big, fluffy nests. The hay is just an added bonus because they're such good little critters. RW
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Post by r8ch on Sept 12, 2004 14:16:54 GMT -8
Hi
Generally all hay will run the risk of containing fungal spores and mites unless its heat treated by the manufacturers. I live in the UK and use a product known as Redigrass. This is free from contaminants and retains a lot more nutrients than hay. You may want to try something like that if you are worried about hay
R8ch
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Post by andrea on Sept 12, 2004 23:28:01 GMT -8
Hi R8ch, ;D that Readigrass is good. I don't know how available it is in other countries tho maybe like the megazorb. I have noticed the Readigrass is a lot less dusty and doesn't affect my chest at all. But I belive it maybe expensive?? we only have a bag cos we won it on a raffle Does teh readigrass come from the stables like the megazorb R8ch?. Andrea
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Post by Ritzie/Admin on Sept 13, 2004 3:04:10 GMT -8
Hay is good for gerbils! They need the fibers that it contains. These fibers will make the intestins to work correctly and good. All rodents and rabbits need it. It is my personal opinion and I have learned it as well during my study Animal Care & Veterinary Nursing, and also on my current study Animal Management. Most pet shops sell good and clean bags of hay! When you purchase your hay from a farmer or somewhere else it may contain indeed some things like fungus or diseases. I give my gerbils always hay, and they like it very much. They eat it, and thet use it as a nesting material. They can make with their teeth and front paws very soft material from it! I give them also hay in wire bolls that contain hay that I hang on the lid of their tank. This way they have to work to get hay. A good thing to prevent boredom too! ;D
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Post by r8ch on Sept 14, 2004 2:33:05 GMT -8
Hi
Yes I agree, fibre is very important for animals, I too learnt about this at university. Rabbits and horses particularly need high fibre diets due to their hind gut fermentation.
However, in the UK, although it is unlikely, all hay carries the risk of fungal spores and mites unless treated. Thats why I like this Reddigrass stuff. It has all the fibre that hay has and often retains much more of the nutrients. Hay is left to dry out on the field in the UK and often nutrients are lost from rain if the farmer doesn't catch the weather right! (quite often in the UK!). I agree that buying from farms may increase the likelyhood of it containing other items such as thistles, weeds and foreign objects picked up in the field as they are not so carefully produced as those for small animals.
All my animals get hay or Redigrass, depending on their requirements. I agree, its a great way to starve off boredom and most rodents will rush to it when I put in a handful! If you are worried, freeze it before use.
Also good quality foods should contain decent levels of fibre too.
Andrea - I buy my Reddigrass in small manageable quatities from Jolleys. As you know it can last quite a while. I think only the big bales for horses are available at my feed wholesalers.
R8ch
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Post by andrea on Sept 14, 2004 3:58:40 GMT -8
Jollyes aye.. thought you didn't go there out of principal ;D - just messing with you LOL.. TO be honest I have never noticed it in there, but we don't go there often as we have to drive all the way to waterlooville or Hatfield is the nearest Jollyes!! We have just found a pet shop near reading thats going to supply us with 15KG bags of gerri gerbil.. i getting well peed off with the pethetic 1kg a time bags ... they said they do foods by weight like jollyes so I may ask if they do reddigrass. Hay really does make me cough a lot and gives me a sore chest I have noticed the g-pigs eat the reddigras more than the hay, they tend to just use the hay as bedding, but they eat the readdigrass with relish, which is great when the weather bad and I haven't been able to get them out in there pen on the grass. I may try a tiny bit of the readigrass on the gerbs, to be honest i have tried hay on them but they don't seem bothered by it.. Andrea
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Post by andrea on Sept 14, 2004 4:19:11 GMT -8
Oh BTW R8ch,
Have you ever tried Graze - on ?. its advertised on the megazorb site, do you know if its like the reddigrass?.
I may ask the stables about it when we next get our supply of megazorb..
Andrea
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Post by lizzy on Sept 14, 2004 10:36:04 GMT -8
gerbils should have hay - they like to chew/eat it and it helps prevent diarrhoea. i never knew they should have hay until i got my girlies, lol.
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Post by r8ch on Sept 14, 2004 14:16:44 GMT -8
Hi Andrea,
Yes I have looked at graze-on. Nutrionally its only slightly different (I believe readigrass has slightly higher oil and protein content), but they only supply it in large bales as far as I can find it so its no good for me really. I'd try it if I could get smaller bags *thinks about hanging out at my local yard* lol
R8ch
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