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Hay and stuff

CwningenBach

Warren Scout
Hello!

Sherlock and Navi are hooked on Pets at Home Timothy Hay. They love it so naturally I keep buying it for them. Sometimes it is really quite nice and green and other times decidedly colourless. They aren't too bothered, they love it either way. But still. I'd like to get them eating some greener hay, even if its just a complement to their Pets at Home hay.

I've tried Oxbow Timothy before and they quite liked it, but it's not the easiest to get hold of in a pinch. So we tried them with Alfalfa King Timothy Hay, which they loved at first but now don't like very much. Must admit, Alfalfa King's hay looks and feels a bit... synthetic. Where Pets at Home's Timothy Hay, though not green seems more... toasty. I don't know :p

In writing this I have answered my own question - get some Oxbow via the Internet. Is there anything else they might like? I have read about Readigrass - is that instead of hay, alongside it or just a treat? Should it be unlimited?

I know the issues with Pets at Home but living in the city centre of Manchester gives us little choice with this stuff. Not only that, the buns love their hay and who am I to say they can't have it? :)

Thank you,
Stuart (&Amy)
 
The Hay Experts are a good website to get rabbit stuff from, although they have reduced their range a bit recently.

Some of the Excel hays are Timothy, you could try those. My two arent that fussed with them, but then they turn their noses up at the P@H hays too, although they'll eat the Woodlands Timothy if mixed with readigrass. You probably want a longer stranded hay if you are using P@H hays as your main hay, as the short-chopped hays arent quite as good for tooth wear. P@H hays are short chopped, Excel short-medium depending on the bag.

Readigrass is dried grass, and buns tend to love it! You'll see some people say about the slightly higher calcium content compared to other hays, but its not as high as many greens and pellets. Both the RWAF and my vets say it is fine to feed it unlimited if bunny is healthy. It is short-chopped though, so you wouldnt use it as bedding or as a main hay. I just fill a big dog bowl once or twice a hay with it :)

If they like stalky hay, you could also try Oat hay - there are two brands available on The Hay Experts, I go for Burns just because its cheaper and they love it so why change!

You could also try Hay for Pets' Timothy and Rye hay - it is not like normal timothy hay, mind, but is very stalky, really long-stranded and fantastic quality and lots of people on here buy it because their buns love it. If you buy the biggest bags then it also works out much cheaper than buying pet shop hay, works out £1.68 per kg, as you get a minimum of 9.5kg for £16. Some people's buns prefer the Ings hay from them, which is greener.

eta- Have you tried good old baled meadow hay? You may be able to get some from farm shops or stables.
 
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If you are looking for a greenish hay that isn't too synthetic, Oxbow orchard grass is worth a try. It is one of the few hays Spenser has shown any interest in. :roll:
 
im guessing fresh hay is ok? my bf is a farmers son with an un-limited supply of dry hay and straw
 
Farm hay is the best in my opinion, as it is long and stalky.

Some bunnies only eat "posh" hay, mine dont get the choice, they have farm hay and thats that, though they get a handful of redigrass mixed in in winter because they get less grass time :D.
 
Farm hay is the best in my opinion, as it is long and stalky.

Some bunnies only eat "posh" hay, mine dont get the choice, they have farm hay and thats that, though they get a handful of redigrass mixed in in winter because they get less grass time :D.

I was thinking of your bunnies in my above post! ;):wave:
 
Thanks very much for your suggestions guys. In light of Navi's most recent escapade (eating chocolate cornflake cakes by means 007 himself would be proud of) she'll be stuffed and stuffed some more with plenty of hay and bloody well like it!

Thanks Nessar and Susie Bun. I'll check out the products you suggested. :thumb:
 
I've tried most of the hays you can buy online and in the shops.
My two really do prefer farm bales. They find it much more interesting to eat, and it's better for their teeth.
In fact, I got them some alfalfa king Timothy for the first time in about two years the other day when I was running low on baled stuff, they like it but for £8 a bag I can get two months worth of bale hay for that!
 
I've tried most of the hays you can buy online and in the shops.
My two really do prefer farm bales. They find it much more interesting to eat, and it's better for their teeth.
In fact, I got them some alfalfa king Timothy for the first time in about two years the other day when I was running low on baled stuff, they like it but for £8 a bag I can get two months worth of bale hay for that!

I don't think we'd have anywhere to store so much hay at once :oops:

Though yeah, the cost of the Alfalfa King is heartbreaking. Then again, the Oxbow stuff was too. Pah!
 
I don't think we'd have anywhere to store so much hay at once :oops:

Though yeah, the cost of the Alfalfa King is heartbreaking. Then again, the Oxbow stuff was too. Pah!

I'm lucky I can store a lot of bales. Does anyone close to you own small animals who you could share a bale with?
Before I could store proper farm bales I used to use dust free hay. Their large bale isn't really that large, and it's still cheaper than pet shop stuff. Just another option for you!
 
I'm lucky I can store a lot of bales. Does anyone close to you own small animals who you could share a bale with?
Before I could store proper farm bales I used to use dust free hay. Their large bale isn't really that large, and it's still cheaper than pet shop stuff. Just another option for you!

A ridiculous question... but how big is a bale? :oops: A meter squared-ish? I'm completely useless at measurements. I have no idea if a metre squared makes barely any sense!
 
A ridiculous question... but how big is a bale? :oops: A meter squared-ish? I'm completely useless at measurements. I have no idea if a metre squared makes barely any sense!

It really depends! The ones I get are about 4ft tall and a foot or two wide? I'm rubbish at measurements too!
 
I've tried most of the hays you can buy online and in the shops.
My two really do prefer farm bales. They find it much more interesting to eat, and it's better for their teeth.
In fact, I got them some alfalfa king Timothy for the first time in about two years the other day when I was running low on baled stuff, they like it but for £8 a bag I can get two months worth of bale hay for that!

I've heard a lot of people say they buy baled hay as it is cheaper/their rabbits prefer it - but why do you say it is better for their teeth?
 
I've heard a lot of people say they buy baled hay as it is cheaper/their rabbits prefer it - but why do you say it is better for their teeth?

Oh didn't explain myself well, it's just because they eat more of it and its in longer strands than a lot of pet shop hays I've tried so they take more effort chewing it up.
 
Iv tried most hays that I can buy online and all my buns prefer farm baled hay...closely followed by meadow hay from H4P's :thumb:
 
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