Readigrass changed?

[MoonHare]

My two usually love their Readigrass, and get some in the morning then more in the evening (with unlimited access to hay at all times too, of course!)

However, the past couple of packs I’ve got have seen their twitchy noses turned up! Even my inferior human eye can tell it’s less green and stalkier. They will eat it but much more reluctantly and less of it. Anyone had the same? Is it just the time of year? I don’t remember this in previous years!

 

[Shimmer]

A lot of cereal crops and grasses were adversely affected by the hot, dry weather last year, plus the general shortages from Russia & the Ukraine - so it may have been a poor harvest or from longer storage than usual. It should be OK. I can never tell when the rabbits will really go for a particular bale of hay or not - they seem to have their own criteria.

 

[SarahP]

I've noticed it is a lot dustier and a bit stalky too.

 

[MoonHare]

A lot of cereal crops and grasses were adversely affected by the hot, dry weather last year, plus the general shortages from Russia & the Ukraine - so it may have been a poor harvest or from longer storage than usual. It should be OK. I can never tell when the rabbits will really go for a particular bale of hay or not - they seem to have their own criteria.

Ahh yes, thanks - good points about the weather as well as Russia/Ukraine. Agree that they seem to have their own criteria which could never be listed in a way us humans would understand

I've noticed it is a lot dustier and a bit stalky too.

Thank you, glad it’s not just me!

 

[tonibun]

My Readigrass has been good but don't overfeed it as it is higher in Calcium, so 1 small portion per day should be ok.

 

[MoonHare]

Thanks tonibun! Didn’t realise about calcium. At the risk of asking a silly question, how can calcium be higher in Readigrass than hay when they are both dried grass? Does this mean fresh grass is higher in calcium than hay too?

 

[Orenoko]

I'm about halfway through a pack that I bought late last year but mine only get it as a treat once a week and they definitely don't show any signs of not liking it! Maybe I'll notice the difference next time I buy. I definitely agree with others that the heatwave last year won't have helped, hopefully this year we will get a good hay crop!

 

[MoonHare]

Thanks Orenoko

Can anyone help with the calcium question please?

 

[MoonHare]

Duplicate post deleted

 

[Omi]

Thanks Orenoko

Can anyone help with the calcium question please?

I haven't heard that before about Readigrass and Calcium. I too would have thought that hay and grass would be about the same level and FHB seems to confirm that in this article. I can't imagine that there is anything special about Readigrass, which would mean it had a higher level of Calcium.

https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/articles/free-food-for-rabbits/calcium-and-rabbit-food

 

[MoonHare]

Thank you very much, Omi

 

[Zoobec]

You would need to know the variety of grass to be able to check the calcium levels in it. The standard Readigrass used to be alfalfa but I don’t know what it is now.

 

[SarahP]

I've seen some different amounts of calcium quoted before, but it's hard to know how accurate any of them would be, given that the calcium content would vary hugely depending on where hay and grass is grown. I think that it could be very slightly higher in calcium, but nothing significant.

 

[SarahP]

You would need to know the variety of grass to be able to check the calcium levels in it. The standard Readigrass used to be alfalfa but I don’t know what it is now.

Friendship estates quote this:

Protein 15%
Crude fibre 21%
Oil 3%
Calcium 0.55%
Phosphorus 0.27%
Total sugar 10-12%
Starch < 0.1%
Equine Digestible Energy 10MJ/kg
https://www.friendshipestates.co.uk/horses/readigrass/readigrass

If it were to be alfalfa, it would be higher in calcium than that.

 

[Omi]

You would need to know the variety of grass to be able to check the calcium levels in it. The standard Readigrass used to be alfalfa but I don’t know what it is now.

I've checked the website and I can't see that it specifies which species of grass is used. The nutritional information supplied though quotes the calcium content as 0.55%, which almost equates to the 0.54% given for grass on the FHB info. If they do sometimes change the grass species to Alfalfa, FHB give this as 0.5%, which although higher, would still allow a large handful to be given daily without worrying.

Moon Hare, I would just check on each new bag to see what they give as the current calcium content or if they give the actual grass species.

ETA Sorry Sarah, I hadn't noticed your update on this

 

[SarahP]

If you look at the page on the Hay Experts with the various different Readigrass types you can buy, there is actually a separate alfalfa one, which is very high in calcium and a darker green (as high calcium things tend to be). The green pack is the standard one.

I feed my guinea pigs a little of the green, pink and blue ones each day, just sprinkled over their hay (I nearly wrote sprinkled over their hair then, which is about right when they start charging about and getting in my way :lol: )

https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/fri...&query=readigrass&query_name=match_and&rpp=20

 

[Omi]

If you look at the page on the Hay Experts with the various different Readigrass types you can buy, there is actually a separate alfalfa one, which is very high in calcium and a darker green (as high calcium things tend to be). The green pack is the standard one.

I feed my guinea pigs a little of the green, pink and blue ones each day, just sprinkled over their hay (I nearly wrote sprinkled over their hair then, which is about right when they start charging about and getting in my way :lol: )

https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/fri...&query=readigrass&query_name=match_and&rpp=20

Thanks, that makes it clearer I haven't bought Readigrass for years and so assumed that it meant the grass for the standard one could be different species. Having separate ones is much more sensible and allows people to choose which is the best for them.

 

[MoonHare]

Thanks all