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Hay Shouldn't Be the Boring Part of a Guinea Pig's Diet

Hay Shouldn't Be the Boring Part of a Guinea Pig's Diet

Hay makes up the overwhelming majority of a guinea pig's daily diet — commonly cited at 85-90% — yet it's often treated as the plain, unglamorous staple compared to treats and nuggets. Burgess Excel's Build Your Own Bale was created specifically to change that, turning the single biggest part of a guinea pig's diet into something customisable rather than a one-size-fits-all bag of hay.

A genuinely two-step customisation process

Rather than a fixed product, Build Your Own Bale lets owners pick their preferred hay size first, then choose an optional second forage addition from a range of floral extras — cornflower hearts, marigold hearts, rose bud hearts, or rose hearts. That two-stage choice means the bale can be tailored specifically to what a particular guinea pig actually enjoys, rather than hoping a fixed, pre-made bag happens to match their preferences.

Natural extras chosen for more than just looks

The floral additions aren't purely decorative — they're specifically included to encourage foraging behaviour, adding both visual and aromatic variety that gives guinea pigs a reason to actively search through their hay rather than eating it passively. That foraging encouragement matters for genuine behavioural enrichment, replicating some of the natural food-searching instincts guinea pigs would otherwise have limited opportunity to express.

British-grown hay as the foundational ingredient

All of Burgess Excel's feeding hay is grown on British farms, cut from high-quality grasses and dried using a process the company has refined specifically for small animal nutrition — rather than being a secondary byproduct of other agricultural activity repurposed for pet food.

A brand with genuine category longevity

Burgess Excel has been established for more than 25 years, among the first premium small animal food brands in its category — a track record built specifically around rabbit, guinea pig, and chinchilla nutrition, rather than being a general pet food brand extending into small animals as an afterthought.

Hay that does double duty for dental health

Beyond basic nutrition, Burgess is explicit that feeding hay plays a genuinely important role in wearing down guinea pigs' continuously growing teeth — meaning the Build Your Own Bale isn't simply a treat-adjacent product, but a core contributor to ongoing dental health alongside its nutritional role.

Backed by in-house veterinary expertise

Burgess Pet Care works with an in-house veterinary advisor specifically focused on small animal health — a detail that lends genuine credibility to the brand's feeding guidance, rather than relying purely on marketing claims without any underlying veterinary input.

At a glance

Who it suits

This product suits owners of rabbits, guinea pigs, or chinchillas wanting to add genuine variety and foraging enrichment to their pet's daily hay, rather than feeding the same unvaried bag week after week. Anyone simply needing a large, straightforward bulk hay supply without customisation should consider Burgess Excel's standard Meadow Hay Box instead, which offers a bigger pack size without the build-your-own selection process. Shop Burgess Excel Build Your Own Bale — **

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