A Hay question

[TinysMom]

Here is the email from the hay supplier I contacted...Is the mixed hay (boldfaced) ok? Its only $3.50 per bale....

Peg,

Sorry I'm taking so long to get back to you.

Yes, we sell to individuals, and I sometimes stay in Del Rio when I come down to cut/rake/bale.

We have Jiggs bermuda hay (horse quality) and mixed grass (bermuda/bluestem w/ some Johnson grass) hay. We irrigate, fertilize, and bale every 4 - 5 weeks during the season (May - early Nov).

We usually don't bale more small squares than we have ordered, because we don't have storage facilities for them yet. However, I do have some extra mixed grass hay bales (under tarps) right now that I can sell for $3.50 per bale.

One of us will likely be coming to Del Rio within the next week and could throw a few bales in the back of the pickup.

Give me a call (leave a message and I'll get back with you) if you want to discuss.
​

 

[slavetoabunny]

I had never heard of Johnson grass. I found this reference and it looks a little concerning to me:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_grass

 

[Gordon]

slavetoabunny wrote:

I had never heard of Johnson grass. I found this reference and it looks a little concerning to me:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_grass

I've heard of Johnson grass, and it's a notorious weed.

I'd steer clear of it, especially based on the concerns expressed in that link.

 

[TinysMom]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Hazel-Mom]

slavetoabunny wrote:

I had never heard of Johnson grass. I found this reference and it looks a little concerning to me:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_grass

It is only poisonous when grazed or harvested under drought conditions, or after first frost. I doubt the hay supplier will sell hay harvested under such conditions.
If you want to be sure, I'd ask him.

I doubt the little Johnson grass in the bales of mixed grass will be much of a problem.

Incidentally, since Johnson grass has become such a "pest" , how do you know it isn't in your bales of Timothy hay, as well?

 

[TinysMom]

Thought I'd update everyone on this thread - I finally got a chance to meet with the guy last night and he brought me two bales - he refused to charge me for them and wanted me to try them on the rabbits.

The hay is more yellow than what I'm used to - but it smells SOOOO good and so fresh. So far the bunnies I've tried it on - like it. It is more "chewy" or "strandy" maybe than others - but that doesn't seem to bother them. What I couldn't get over is how fresh it smells...I almost was tempted to make a form of hay tea or something!

I thought this was very interesting - on the invoice he gave me - he even notes not only which field it came from - but what end of the field too.

The other thing that really impressed me is that after we talked and he found out the hay was for rabbits - he went online and started searching to make sure they could eat this hay and find out their nutritional requirements. This hay is from a field he's been using for the first time this year...and we were talking about how he had the State people out to test the hay and analyze it for what is in it, etc.

I'm highly impressed. I'm thinking I may order five more bales of this and keep them in the garage - plus I'd like to order five bales of his next cutting of the Bermuda hay too....he will be cutting that in 3-4 weeks - I think he said the small bales would be $4 or $5 - I forget...and he'll deliver right to the house when he's in town.

So now my bunnies have Alfalfa hay (which they only get a bit of), Coastal hay and this hay...should be something for everybun.

 

[ra7751]

General rule of thumb is that if it's safe for a horse, it's safe for a rabbit. Most of my hay comes from horse people. I get hay from show horse people....there is no way they are going to risk a horse worth thousands of dollars on a four dollar bale of hay. So I can always count on clean and nutritional hay. And keep in mind that color has absolutely no bearing on the nutritional quality of hay. I was fortunate in that a major supplier of east coast hay donated me a large amount of alfalfa hay since he has complaints that it was brown and not green. Good for my rabbit. Growing conditions and baling processes are the key to safe and nutritional hay. Right now I have some mixed hay that is bright yellow....but my rabbits are eating it like crazy.

Randy