I am hoping get some advice from animal nutritionists out there, or at least vets or techs with some kind of background in animal nutrition.
I run a rescue for small exotic pets out of my home, and naturally it has become my job to educate people on proper husbandry when it comes to the animal they are looking to adopt. We frequently have hay-eaters here, like chinchillas, degus, cavies, rabbits, and more recently a prairie dog! These animals eat large amounts of roughage and everywhere I turn there is contradicting information about which types of grass are okay, and which are not.
Not to be argumentative, but when we were kids, there was no such thing as “timothy hay”. Hay was just hay, and it was usually alfalfa. That’s what we fed our rabbits, and despite alfalfa’s bad reputation these days, our animals still lived to be about 8 years old.
And after doing some research into alfalfa, it appears that it would function very well as a food, or at least a supplement. It obviously offers a lot of fiber, and it contains vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, C, D, E, K AND U, plus beta-carotene, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, protein, amino acids, and trace elements. Even humans take alfalfa supplements.
So why is alfalfa bad for rodents? When I have asked this question in the past, I have been met with vague answers such as “it’s too rich” or “it causes diarrhea”. I have combed through dozens of rabbit, chinchilla, and guinea pig books and sites and haven’t come up with anything concrete. And to make matters worse, the same sites that discourage the feeding of dried alfalfa grasses actually recommend alfalfa sprouts! Aside from more moisture, what’s the difference?!!
The best thing I can find is that alfalfa is higher in calcium and protein than other hays. But why is this bad? It doesn’t seem like a good reason to eliminate it from the diet all-together, especially with all the vitamins and other nutrients it offers.
Is alfalfa really just one of those things that’s good in moderation? (I’m feeling a bit defensive because when I joined a prairie dog group recently to learn more about our new girl, the first thing everyone said was “OMG DONT GIVE HER ALFALFA” without bothering to explain why.)
And a bonus question: lately I have seen other types of grasses available as foods for rodents such as Bermuda Grass, Orchard Grass, etc. Are these beneficial or harmful, and for which species?
THANKS!