Timothy Hay - Can you feed it fresh or should it be aged?

[jimmywalt]

This is our first year with rabbits. We purchased a bale of timothy hay from a farmer that was from last year. It was dried and no longer green when we got it. Our rabbits love it and are doing great.

It's almost time to buy another bale. I'm wondering if it should be aged like the first bale we have or is it ok to feed fresh from this year?

We have Holland Lops and Lionheads if that makes a difference.

Thank you.

 

[Zass]

Usually, the fresher and greener the hay, the better! Just be sure it was dried properly and doesn't have any mold.

Old brown hay has lost much of it's nutritional value. No one that I've ever talked to intentionally buys last years hay. Most of us are struggling to find suppliers of a fresher product!!!

If your nervous about the change, start by giving small amounts at first and observing how they do.

 

[Marinea]

I find my best results with buying/finding hay is when I ask for "horse quality hay". It tends to have less weeds, it's fresher, and just a better quality.

Take a deep smell of it. You want it to smell...like hay. If it smells off, or is really dusty, I would pass. Take a look at it for weeds or sticks. Open it up when you get it home, get to the middle of the bale, and take a good look for mold. If you're getting hay from a fresh cutting, think about your weather lately. If it has been really wet, I would be even more concerned about the hay possibly being baled somewhat wet, and that can cause mold. I usually ask when mine was baled. I am very picky about my hay.