We have a "hay patch", which the OH cuts and dries each year. This will be done in the next day or two. None of my rabbits will touch it :lol: We use it as litter for the chicken enclosure and it is perfect for that. We get enough to last the year. I suspect the reason why the rabbits don't like it is because it is pale brown by comparison with the commercial hay which is green. The fields opposite the house are used for hay production and interestingly his hay also looks the same colour. I think the commercial hay is quick-dried in a barn.
If you want to make hay it needs to be laid out in rows and turned regularly.
I did a bit last year and it went down well.
I wonder why your buns don't like it .. I am guessing they like the same grass before it's been dried?
Yes I have as an experiment a couple of weeks ago. I put it on top of my runaround run with a white tarp underneath and it took about a day and a half to dry with no turning. The hooligans really liked it as well but they're aren't getting what little is left to eat until Xmas
Was it a thick layer? Can I get away with drying a lot at once just like farmers must do?
Think the biggest batch I tried got up to about an inch thick in places and I turned that once because of how much there was. That took 2 days some weeks ago when it was around 20 degrees.
Would have thought you could copy the farmer's method, I just used the top of my run as it's in the back garden and was easier to keep an eye on the experiment. Plus it's south facing.
The top of a run is a good idea as air will circulate all round.
I might put some grass on top of a boarding run and get it dried in the sunshine
Please let us know how it goes. I'd be interested in finding out whether there's a difference in drying time between just air dry or air dry plus white sheet/tarp ready for next time when my grass has grown a bit.