Hay Question

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Dakotakelm

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So I buy my Theo's food and bedding from Tractor Supply like the person I got him from told me she did. I get the compressed straw bale from the horse aisle for his bedding and as I was looking I noticed bales of alfalfa\grass and Timothy hay. I didn't get it because I didn't know if this would be good for him I mean this is in the horse aisle.

Can I give Theo this hay or not?
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/produc ... tely-50-lb

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/produc ... 50-lb-bale

It's a lot cheaper then the small 3 pound bags I get him and he and his sister eat alot
And if I can is he to young to switch hay right now he is now 7 weeks old.

Thanks for the help!
 
There is no wrong age for hay, and you don't have to transition rabbits to it or from it or between one kind and another. :)

Any good quality horse hay is good for rabbits. Hay for rabbits must not have been kept out in the weather, and should not have a lot of weeds in it.

Bermuda, Bahia, Timothy, etc... all good grass hays. Timothy is expensive most places.

Alfalfa is a legume and is the primary ingredient in most good-quality rabbit pellets. If you're feeding pellets, there's no need to give alfalfa hay.

Hay is definitely cheaper at TSC than in little pet store bags! But... it's cheaper at feed stores than it is at TSC. :)
 
You're welcome! :)

Forgot to mention a few ways to check hay quality: color, smell, and dust.

Rabbits will munch hay even if it's brown, but the greener it is, the more they like it -- and the more nutrients it still has in it.

If you put your nose up to the hay and smell it, it should not smell musty. If it does, don't buy it, as it might be moldy. It should smell somewhat green and sweet. Some find it pleasant, and others don't... I like it.

If you take a handful (which you probably can't do before buying it) and shake it in the air, it should not produce a lot of dust. Hay is a bit dusty, but if it's moldy, it is extremely dusty.
 
The compressed bales at stores are generally high quality. The only thing I would be concerned about is if they left too much moisture in it because the tight baling will seal it into the center where you can't tell. The system to chop the hay smaller and bale it tighter is more advanced than your typical farm hay but it's not without faults. Keep your receipt and when you get the bale home go to the center of it immediately and see that it's dry and the same color and smell as the rest of the hay. Some species of grass do brown easier than others while still remaining acceptable hay but timothy should be mostly green and alfalfa is much better green. I actually bought separate hay for even my pet guinea pigs when we had horses because my mom and grandpa had control of the hay field and did not do things to my satisfaction. Our alfalfa was always sunbleached full brown within weeks of baling and the weed level was unacceptable. Luckily we had great pasture for the horses at least 2/3rds of the year.

If you go looking for farm hay which is much cheaper still you will need to check it more carefully for content than the standlee company hay but when you finally find a good source you can get amazing quality hay. We get organic grass/alfalfa mix for $10/50+lb bale from an organic beef farmer who also treats his hay pastures with trace minerals to balance them out better and has people picking harmful weeds from it by hand several times a year. All regions of the US have some excesses and deficiencies unique to the area but most don't counter them in hay here. Hay is actually pretty bad quality on average in Iowa compared to some other areas.

Another option that kind of goes the other way for cost but is still far cheaper than little pet store bags is bulk hay bought online in up to 50lb quantities. kmshayloft.com has bluegrass, alfalfa, and timothy if you want to get them a treat of something different or specific cuttings of timothy. Some animals prefer one cutting over another. Oxbow hay company sells some bags in pet stores these days but online you can find a full range of their products in different quantities from their online vendors list. Aside from bulk hay they have some small bag hay that is unique and appreciated by rabbits or guinea pigs. There are other companies that come up in pet rabbit and other small herbivore discussions.
 
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