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How do you know a good bale of hay??

LainiT

Warren Scout
As above really...I've always bought bagged shop hay, various types and prices and quite often struggle to get Ellie to eat enough.

A work friend has horses and she's brought me 2 different 'slices' from her farmer's bales to try my buns with, but is hay hay?? Is it just a case of seeing what they like? Are there things in certain types of hay that rabbits can't eat? Sorry to be a bit thick but I'm a bale novice :oops: !

Any advice muchly appreciated Thankyou :D
 
I've only ever had one duff bale, it had so much vetch in it was more vetch than hay. It should smell nice, sweet but not musty. Should be golden or green and not brown and preferably with long strands (most pet shop hay is chopped to get it in the bags!). My rabbits prefer it thick rather than thin strands but that's personal bunny preference!
 
thankyou! I don't get how you can buy a mahooooooosive bale for £2.50 and yet a tiny carrier bag in a shop is a fiver! I'm of the opinion if it sounds too good to be true it normally is...thats why I'm questioning it...so thanks!
 
thankyou! I don't get how you can buy a mahooooooosive bale for £2.50 and yet a tiny carrier bag in a shop is a fiver! I'm of the opinion if it sounds too good to be true it normally is...thats why I'm questioning it...so thanks!

In this case it is true! Baled hay is brilliant. I worked out that the same amount in pet shop hay from where I was buying before would costs me about £100! And they much, much prefer it. The only downside is storing it as if you're in a flat or small house it can be a bit difficult.
 
Yeah was wondering about the storage thing... not quite figured that one out yet...but for £2.50 a shot I'll make a feature of it in the front room!! put a throw over it and have another seat....!!!:lol: Thanks again, still can't believe I'm onto a good thing - if they eat it :roll:
 
I'm sure if it's a good bale they will. Like I say, mine prefer it and go crazy when I get the hay tub out! I spent £35 and got a box for storing garden cushions outdoors. Can't say if it's fully waterproof as we keep it in the garage but that with a tarp over to keep the worse off would probably keep it dry.
 
I'm thinking the same! We're going to buy a couple of bales from a local farm place tomorrow, it's a fiver for a bale of hay.... much cheaper than the £16 we pay from hay for pets - so if they eat it, great news.
 
I bought a bale of hay last week for the first time, I was worried too about the bunnies not liking it (they can be hay snobs, they like most fancy brands, hate pets at home own brand, LOVE tesco value hay, they also HATE one type of excel hay :roll:) but at £4.50 a bale I decided it was worth gambling the £4.50 because if they liked it it would be so much cheaper in the long run!

Turns out they loved it! They went crazy for it :shock: Lilly seemed possessed :shock:
 
Yeah was wondering about the storage thing... not quite figured that one out yet...but for £2.50 a shot I'll make a feature of it in the front room!! put a throw over it and have another seat....!!!:lol: Thanks again, still can't believe I'm onto a good thing - if they eat it :roll:

:lol::lol:
 
Bales of hay are awesome.
I still fondly remember the day webble brought me my first bale of hay. I could not believe the size of it for such a cheap price :eek: it actually got wrapped in a duvet cover and sat in my living room. It was used as both a table and a seat :lol:
(That day was awesome, we had a forum meet up and I have ended up with friends for life!!! Chul and webble are awesome)
Ooooops went off on a tanent there. Anyhoo my bunnies went mad for it :D

I also found I was able to use more - no worry about wastage because it's just so cheap that it doesn't really bother you if a load of it goes uneaten :)
 
Didn't realise until after I posted how many times I said awesome :oops: can't edit from my phone either as my phone is poop. Sorry :oops:
 
I bought a bale of hay last week for the first time, I was worried too about the bunnies not liking it (they can be hay snobs, they like most fancy brands, hate pets at home own brand, LOVE tesco value hay, they also HATE one type of excel hay :roll:) but at £4.50 a bale I decided it was worth gambling the £4.50 because if they liked it it would be so much cheaper in the long run!

Turns out they loved it! They went crazy for it :shock: Lilly seemed possessed :shock:

:thumb:

I remember my dad saying before I got my first bale (thanks to recommendation on here!) that horse owners are choosy about hay, I guess because of colic, so that it'll probably be good stuff.
 
I'm thinking the same! We're going to buy a couple of bales from a local farm place tomorrow, it's a fiver for a bale of hay.... much cheaper than the £16 we pay from hay for pets - so if they eat it, great news.

How have we not done this before?? I can't believe the price difference..and both bunnies are tucking into the same pile too, result! My friend said to throw the hay away if they didn't like it, but its half a bin bag of each which is mega bucks in shop bought stuff...its a whole new world of hay I'm discovering!!
 
How have we not done this before?? I can't believe the price difference..and both bunnies are tucking into the same pile too, result! My friend said to throw the hay away if they didn't like it, but its half a bin bag of each which is mega bucks in shop bought stuff...its a whole new world of hay I'm discovering!!

:lol::thumb:

You know those tubs you get for gardening and stuff. They go through one of those full of hay every two to three days and a bale still lasts me a month :thumb:
 
How have we not done this before?? I can't believe the price difference..and both bunnies are tucking into the same pile too, result! My friend said to throw the hay away if they didn't like it, but its half a bin bag of each which is mega bucks in shop bought stuff...its a whole new world of hay I'm discovering!!

I don't know! Well, actually, it was because I couldn't find anyone locally - but then I saw an ad in the paper for a local place and decided to email them about it :thumb: it will save us a fortune, still don't know how big the bales are but for a fiver I can't complain!
 
Bales of hay are awesome.
I still fondly remember the day webble brought me my first bale of hay. I could not believe the size of it for such a cheap price :eek: it actually got wrapped in a duvet cover and sat in my living room. It was used as both a table and a seat :lol:
(That day was awesome, we had a forum meet up and I have ended up with friends for life!!! Chul and webble are awesome)
Ooooops went off on a tanent there. Anyhoo my bunnies went mad for it :D

Hahaha!!! Forget the bunnies I'm using this idea for a living room make-over...who needs SCS when you have a local hay making farm!!
 
:lol::thumb:

You know those tubs you get for gardening and stuff. They go through one of those full of hay every two to three days and a bale still lasts me a month :thumb:

I've got a long garden box sounds similar to yours, I know its not water (or snail) proof! But I'll put a tarp on like you said and bingo, a month's hay! Loving my tonight's discovery!
 
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