Rules on feeding hay: query

Hi, I have searched the forums for this but couldn't find it.

What are the rules on feeding hay? I remember reading somewhere that you shouldn't feed freshly cut hay to rabbits (I would assume that this goes for horses too?) because it can cause GS or something... not entirely sure of reason. I think it said, wherever I read it (can't remember where probably in a book but not sure) that hay should be at least 3 months old - did I completely make this up???

The reason I ask is because I just bought, through a pet shop, a bale of hay, which when I broke it open seemed very freshly cut. I have in the past bought hay from local stables, but all of my local stables have stopped selling their hay so I had to get from a petshop instead (it is a small independent and they seem pretty good).

Anyway, both Tilly and Humphrey have been eating a lot of this new hay, (although they also have access to lots of Timothy hay from Bunny Basics too which is really good stuff), and lately Tilly in particular seems quite under the weather (see other post, 'Tilly not eating'). Could it be the hay? It's the only thing I can think is affecting them as I haven't fed them anything unusual of late. Can anyone help!! Thanks, b-m

Hello.

I know for horses the hay has to be properly dried out (not green), otherwise it can cause colic. I always use the same hay for my bunnies though I'm not sure if the same rules apply

first I've heard of it - hope it's not true or that's something else to worry about :?

most hay is cut as near to midsummer as possible so you shouldnt have to worry about it being too new at this time of year.
the only thing i worry about this time of year is making sure the bake/bag isnt musty. this can happen if the hay wasnt dry whe it was baled, or if it was allowed to get rained on after baling.
my hay was made in august last year because of the wet weather around midsummer, but it still has a green colour to it as it was cut before it went to seed.
hope this helps a bit

I've never heard specifics about hay for rabbits, but I do know that, for horses, hay must be properly dried otherwise it can become moldy. Moldy hay is a common source of colic which can become very serious. Many horses die each year from severe bouts of colic, and it's a shame because simply paying more attention to the quality of the hay they are fed can make all the difference in the world.

Break the bale open into thirds and take a good smell of each section. The hay should smell slightly sweet and fresh. I personally love the smell of good quality hay, but even if it's not your thing, it should still have a pleasant smell. It should not smell musty or moldy in the slightest. If it has a smell that reminds you of an old, damp basement, err on the side of caution and don't feed that hay!

The hay also shouldn't be overly dusty. For my horses, I'll feed hay if it's slightly more dusty than I prefer, but I make a point to dampen it with some water from a watering can so that my horses don't inhale all of the dust while eating.

Hope that helps!

colliewoman said:

most hay is cut as near to midsummer as possible so you shouldnt have to worry about it being too new at this time of year.
the only thing i worry about this time of year is making sure the bake/bag isnt musty. this can happen if the hay wasnt dry whe it was baled, or if it was allowed to get rained on after baling.
my hay was made in august last year because of the wet weather around midsummer, but it still has a green colour to it as it was cut before it went to seed.
hope this helps a bit

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I was going to say the same