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Barley straw

youngbunny2

Mama Doe
We have just had an email from our bunnies breeder saying we should stop using hay and use barley straw instead as it has the same nutritional values? she has heard that where the weather has been so wet the hay is too damp for buns to eat and will make them ill?:?
 
We have just had an email from our bunnies breeder saying we should stop using hay and use barley straw instead as it has the same nutritional values? she has heard that where the weather has been so wet the hay is too damp for buns to eat and will make them ill?:?

I was under the impression straw has absolutley no nutrional value :shock:
Id sooner find another supplier.xxxx
 
straw doesn't have any nutritional value - otherwise I'd be feeding it to my horse instead of letting him poop on it :D
damp hay (or straw) will go mouldy and you'd be able to see and/or smell it so you wouldn't use it, would you :)
I'm sure there will be other suppliers, just check the quality of each bale.
 
Straw is awful for bunnies for bunnies teeth - it doesn't have the same grinding motion as hay.Its all Noisette was fed on before she came to me, and my vet said its the worst teeth she has ever seen in a giant rabbit :shock: She is sure its down to having no hay and only getting straw. I think straw is only really used for bedding.
 
I had a bale of new cut hay that had been baled before it was properly dry, so I broke up the bale and fluffed the hay up so that it dried out, and stored it in megazorb bags in the garage.
 
We have just had an email from our bunnies breeder saying we should stop using hay and use barley straw instead as it has the same nutritional values? she has heard that where the weather has been so wet the hay is too damp for buns to eat and will make them ill?:?

Says a lot about breeders.:roll:!!
 
We have just had an email from our bunnies breeder saying we should stop using hay and use barley straw instead as it has the same nutritional values? she has heard that where the weather has been so wet the hay is too damp for buns to eat and will make them ill?:?


A breeder emailed you that?
Wonder how many other people they have mis-informed.:shock:

Id email her back with some info.....Both these links state that straw has low nutritional value & if used as feed should be part of it - NOT the whole feed. Im quite shocked really...:shock:

Check out these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw
 
I use straw in the litter trays and the bunnies sometimes eat some of it, mostly the bits that still have some grains on them. But it's not good as a hay substitute at all. I am sure you can get dry hay, just don't go for the cheap smelly stuff.
 
Last year I went to the Glasgow vet school Rodeo (an open day with stalls, tents, etc, where they invite different animal clubs to bring some of their animals in to let people see them and to give advice about care, etc), I was there with the Scottish rat club.

Beside us was a rabbit breeder with about 10 or so bunnies all in straw. I asked him why they didn't have hay to eat, he said that they eat the straw and he doesn't give them hay at all as the straw was better for them. :?

Funnily enough I wasn't convinced, but who knows how many people he gave that advice to.
 
I havent and won't be changing to straw as i thought she was talking rot.I now feel for her breeding stok if they have had hay taken out of their diets:cry:.Is there anything about it being bad thats not wikpedia that I can send her as alot of people slate stuff from there.
 
My bunnies wouldn't even eat straw. Its one of the reason I love it as bedding because I can relax knowing they have a nice snug bed and aren't cold because they ate half of it.
 
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