Serve hay the way guinea pigs actually graze
Guinea pigs are ground grazers, and they eat far more hay when it is presented that way: loose in generous piles on the enclosure floor where they can burrow in, sit in it and pull strands as they wander. A small rack or hay ball asks them to work for individual stems and often halves what they bother with. Keep at least one big fresh pile available at all times, add a second pile at the far end of the enclosure so a bolder pig cannot guard the whole supply, and refresh the lot daily — yesterday's flattened, slept-on hay loses its appeal even to an enthusiastic eater.
Why hay intake deserves the effort
Hay does three jobs for a guinea pig that no other food covers as well. Its fibre keeps the gut moving steadily, its long chewing time wears teeth that never stop growing, and the hours spent grazing fill the day of an animal built to forage. Pigs who fill up mainly on pellets and vegetables tend to produce softer droppings, gain weight in the wrong places, and miss that dental wear. Vitamin C still matters — pigs need their daily vegetables for it, since hay carries very little — but vegetables are the supplement to a hay-based diet, not the base itself.
Adjust the rest of the bowl so hay can compete
Look honestly at what else your pigs are eating. A heaped pellet bowl available all day, or a vegetable serving big enough to be a meal on its own, leaves little appetite for the blander food beside it. Measure pellets to a small daily portion per pig, keep vegetables to roughly a cup per pig with the vitamin C-rich items included, and let hay be the food that is always there when they are still peckish. Make changes gradually over a week, and weigh your pigs weekly while you adjust — steady weight with rising hay piles disappearing is the outcome you want.
Tempting picky pigs back to the pile
Freshness is the strongest lever: hay should smell sweet and look greenish, not dusty or yellowed, and a fresh handful rustled in often triggers grazing on the spot. Offer variety side by side, because pigs have individual tastes — one may prefer a soft meadow hay, another a stalkier timothy, and orchard grass suits many pigs who dislike coarse stems. Tuck a strip of bell pepper or a favourite leaf into the middle of the pile so foraging through hay is rewarded, and put a pile where they nap, since pigs like to wake and graze without crossing the enclosure.
Watching for a pig who cannot eat, not will not
A pig who approaches the pile, tries, and drops strands, or who loses weight while hay stays untouched, may have teeth that make chewing uncomfortable — that pig needs a vet check, not a new hay brand. The same applies if droppings shrink or stop, or a normally vocal pig goes quiet at feeding time. For healthy pigs, consistency at home does the rest of the work, and KinsLe Family Sharing helps by putting the hay, pellet and vegetable routine on the shared profile every family member follows.