Chinchillas, like many small rodent pets, need a steady supply of hay to help keep their teeth in check and to help balance their digestive tract. Up to 75% of a chinchilla’s diet can be hay, so it’s essential to choose a high-quality brand that’s free of harmful pesticides and preservatives. There are also several types of hay, and you may have questions about whether it’s safe to feed them to your pet.
We have chosen 10 different brands to review with you so you can see how much one brand can differ from the next, as well as some of the things we like and don’t like about each one. We’ve also included a short buyer’s guide, where we will discuss the different types of hay as well as what the dietary requirements are for your pet chinchilla.
Keep reading while we discuss hay type, length, cut, and more to help you make an educated purchase.
A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2024
Image | Product | Details | ||
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Best Overall | Field + Forest by Katee Timothy Hay |
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Best Value | Frisco Small Pet Timothy Hay |
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Rabbit Hole Hay Ultra Premium Timothy Hay |
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Kaytee Natural Timothy Hay Small Animal Food |
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Hall's Hay Timothy Hay 2nd Cut |
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The 5 Best Hays for Chinchillas
1. Field + Forest by Katee 1st Cut Timothy Small Pet Hay – Best Overall
Field + Forest by Katee 1st Cut Timothy Small Pet Hay is the best overall hay for chinchillas. This hay is cut from the first harvest at the peak of freshness for a hearty, crisp, and nutritious meal. There’s a healthy mix of first-cut hay and long, fibrous stems for extra roughage.
It comes in convenient stay-fresh packs that are carefully boxed to protect against light, air, and moisture. All hay is grown without pesticides. Some reviewers said that the hay was dusty, however.
2. Frisco Small Pet Timothy Hay – Best Value
Frisco Small Pet Timothy Hay is the best hay for chinchillas for the money. It’s exclusively timothy hay that’s naturally grown, free of pesticides, and produced specifically for small pets in the US. The boxes come in 6 pounds, 9 pounds, and 50 pounds, so you can choose the best option for your pet’s appetite and your budget.
Several reviewers said that this hay is very dusty and comes with weeds, rocks, and other products of harvest. Some had to mix it with higher-quality hay to ensure their pets got what they needed.
3. Rabbit Hole Hay Ultra-Premium Hand-Packed Coarse Timothy Hay Small Animal Food
Rabbit Hole Hay Ultra-Premium Hand-Packed Coarse Timothy Hay Small Animal Food is the premium choice for chinchilla food. It contains a mix of long seed heads, short leaves, and coarse stems that support your pet’s diet, as well as vitamins and minerals. The coarse strands encourage your chinchilla to chew and keep their molars worn down.
All Rabbit Hole hay is hand-packed to promote green hay instead of dusty, dried hay. It comes in a range of sizes, including 4 ounces, 1.5 pounds, 5 pounds, 10 pounds, 20 pounds, and 40 pounds. Despite the hand packing, some reviewers had issues with dust or old hay.
4. Kaytee Natural Timothy Hay Small Animal Food
Kaytee Natural Timothy Hay Small Animal Food is 100% timothy hay for chinchillas and other small animals. It’s fresh, natural, and hand-selected to ensure a mix of leaves and fibrous strands for optimal health. All Kaytee hay is grown on Columbia River Basin farmland without the use of pesticides or GMOs.
Though some reviewers were happy, many complained about having a lot of dust and minimal usable hay. It’s also messy to have hay in a bag, which makes it difficult to portion out properly without getting dust all over.
5.  Hall’s Hay Timothy Hay 2nd Cut Mini-Bale Small Pet Food
Hall’s Hay Timothy Hay 2nd Cut Mini-Bale Small Pet Food features all-natural sun-cured western timothy hay that’s cut from premium field bales. There are no added preservatives and minimal chaff and dust due to the mini baling process that conserves leaves and seed heads.
All Hall’s hay is grown and packaged in the US. Reviewers are pleased with the hay, but some noticed moths and other insects in the hay from the baling process. Some said it was hard and dry, so their chinchillas wouldn’t eat much.
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Hays for Chinchillas
Let’s take a look at some of the most important things to consider when choosing hay for chinchillas.
Hay Types
Hay is critical to your chinchilla’s health, and you will need to provide unlimited quantities for the lifetime of your pet. Hay helps with digestion, and it also helps grind down the continuously growing teeth of your pet. Without hay, your pet can quickly run into health problems. There are several types available, including timothy, alfalfa, and orchard.
Timothy
Timothy hay is the most common hay to feed chinchillas, and it’s the type we recommend. This type of hay is high in fiber and low in protein and calcium.
Orchard Grass
Orchard grass is a type of grass that is a little higher in calories than timothy grass due to the higher level of digestible fiber it contains. It also has a higher level of protein. Orchard grass does not have a high level of calcium. This grass tends to be sweeter than timothy grass and is a good substitute from time to time.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a sweet hay that chinchillas enjoy, but it contains a higher level of calcium than the other two brands, so you should only give it as an occasional treat.
Fiber
Hay contains fiber that is essential to your chinchilla’s digestive tract. Your pet has a difficult time extracting nutrition from fiber and requires two types of fiber working together in its gut at all times. These two types of fiber are digestible and ingestible. Hay is responsible for the indigestible fiber that keeps your pet healthy.
Calcium
Too much calcium in your pet’s diet can lead to the formation of bladder stones, which can be a painful and life-threatening danger to your pet. High calcium levels are the reason we avoid alfalfa and recommend timothy hay.
Conclusion
Field + Forest by Katee 1st Cut Timothy Small Pet Hay is the best overall hay for chinchillas because of its freshness and mix of stems and first-cut hay. If you want value, Frisco Small Pet Timothy Hay is naturally grown, free of pesticides, and produced specifically for small pets in the US. The premium choice is Rabbit Hole Hay Ultra-Premium Hand Packed Coarse Timothy Hay Small Animal Food, which has a mix of leaves, seed heads, and stems fortified with vitamins and minerals.
Featured Image Credit: WronaART, Shutterstock