i got a rabbit book off amazon, why would they say we cant give rabbits hay that is under 6 months old, i thought that the fresher the better.... doent really concern me cus i buy the prepackaged stuff anyhows but i wonder if theres some sort of medical reason theyd say it???
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Rabbit book
- Thread starter donnamt
- Start date
maybe they are thinking it takes that long to dry out properly. for example hay is dried grass.but you cant give a rabbit grass which has been cut then left as it will me mankey. i think that is what its implying the wording sounds bad. mind you it might just be rubbish advice!!!
abbymarysmokey
Wise Old Thumper
Yeah, you're supposed to use the previous years hay really. Same as with horses. I think the issue must be that any remaining mosture can cause fermentation in the gut, but I'm not totally sure.
Amy
Amy
Thea & Bobbin
Warren Veteran
Which book is it?
its called by rabbitlopedia and the one burd has so many letters after her name she must be a vet..
a nice big section on rabbit diseases which i hope will help me spot any problems..
the space required surprised me tho - 6 sqft
Alvin has 4 times that when locked up and i still feel gulity
ohhhhh theres pics of the different breeds - hadnt seen them before.....
a nice big section on rabbit diseases which i hope will help me spot any problems..
the space required surprised me tho - 6 sqft
Alvin has 4 times that when locked up and i still feel gulityohhhhh theres pics of the different breeds - hadnt seen them before.....
Thea & Bobbin
Warren Veteran
its called by rabbitlopedia and the one burd has so many letters after her name she must be a vet..
a nice big section on rabbit diseases which i hope will help me spot any problems..
the space required surprised me tho - 6 sqft
ohhhhh theres pics of the different breeds - hadnt seen them before.....
Rabbitlopedia, one word, terrible!
There is of course some good advice in it, but when mixed with rubbish (and a large section on the fur trade :? ) I found it completely useless, and confusing for new owners.
I love Rabbits for dummies, and the House Rabbit Handbook.
clutterydrawer
Wise Old Thumper
i got rabbits for dummies and found some bits quite alarming - it seemed to say that you dont need an entire roof over a hutch and that a 3ft hutch is big enough :shock: there were a couple of other bits aswell which i forget...overall it was pretty good though
Thea & Bobbin
Warren Veteran
clutterydrawer
Wise Old Thumper
i used to think that but the forum is down so often that I can't rely on it being there when I need it :? I bought lots of books though!
cute_fuzzies
Warren Scout
It's a shame that there are still so many books out there spreading mis-information... especially the ones that recommend pet shops as the best places to get your pet from...
abbymarysmokey
Wise Old Thumper
The original point wasn't misinformation tho'...you should really feed hay that's at least 6 months old. You can feed newer hay, but there's the slight chance that it could cause problems, especially if you don't store it well.
clutterydrawer
Wise Old Thumper
how do you know how old it is?
abbymarysmokey
Wise Old Thumper
Just googled about hay, and new hay should be fine as long as it's dried properly and not stored in plastic bags.
The main issue is apparently that new hay has a lot more sugar content than old hay, but on the other hand new hay contains more nutrients. So its swings and roundabouts :?
The main issue is apparently that new hay has a lot more sugar content than old hay, but on the other hand new hay contains more nutrients. So its swings and roundabouts :?
Just googled about hay, and new hay should be fine as long as it's dried properly and not stored in plastic bags.
The main issue is apparently that new hay has a lot more sugar content than old hay, but on the other hand new hay contains more nutrients. So its swings and roundabouts :?
lolol and there was me thinking it would hurt them in someway... would have been nice for them to explain why not to give young hay... guess they needed the word count to be saved for the breeding section :lol::lol::lol::lol:
the book is right. There is a chance that if the hay is less than 6 months it may not be properly dried and therefore could ferment when consumed by your rabbit leading to bloat and other nasties.
Nutritional content has very little to do with how long it is stored and is to do with when the hay is cut and how it is dried (i.e is it more like dried grass which is cut in the spring/early summer and dried very quickly quickly or is it cut later, possibly gone to seed and is dried slowly in bales in the normal way)
Nutritional content has very little to do with how long it is stored and is to do with when the hay is cut and how it is dried (i.e is it more like dried grass which is cut in the spring/early summer and dried very quickly quickly or is it cut later, possibly gone to seed and is dried slowly in bales in the normal way)
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bunnylicious
Warren Scout
I have a book bought recently that says that rabbit mix should be the mainstay of the rabbits diet! The only mention of hay was for beding, it also said that rabbits should be given fresh food in moderation. This book is not much more than a pamphlet but also goes on to give advice about breeding!
I dont like throwing books out but this one is for the bin!
I dont like throwing books out but this one is for the bin!
