Best hay recommendation for this particular moment in US ?

[Thumperina]

I know that hay quality depends on the time of the year and many other factors.
I am confused... at this particular moment - what should I try? anybody got their favorite hay just recently and can recommend? I am in US, thanks

PS my rabbits doesn't eat hay well... so we need something yummy

 

[Sophia]

We use timothy now that the bunnies are I've 10 weeks or 6 months not sure

 

[Thumperina]

thank you, a particular brand is what I am asking about.

 

[Blue eyes]

hmmm... I'm guessing you are hoping that something real fresh will entice your rabbits to eat it.

I know you're aware that there are different cuts of hay but I also know that if the grass is allowed to grow for too long, it can be less palatable regardless of the cut (1st, 2nd, or 3rd).

It is also going to vary based on your part of the country, and when your farmers are cutting. The only thing I can suggest is calling some feed stores and asking which of the hays they have is the most recently harvested. Maybe your buns will like the latest? Then again, one rabbit may prefer what another may not.

Some feed stores will allow you to take a handful of hay that has fallen off of a bale so you can test it to see if yours likes it.

 

[samoth]

anybody got their favorite hay just recently and can recommend?

PS my rabbits doesn't eat hay well... so we need something yummy

I picked up 50lbs of orchard medley from Small Pet Select 4-6 weeks ago. It was nice & green, but with more developed clover stems this time of year (like small sticks; my buns love these, and I save them for chew toys over winder).

My doe wasn't a hay fan when I got her, but she loves the clover in this hay. It keeps her snout-deep in hay. Even if she's hunting for clover, she still eats way more hay than she did when I adopted her (enough to wear down two molar spurs the vet found).

 

[Thumperina]

thank you both
NO, what our feed stores have is real bad at the time. Good for maybe bedding.
I am looking to buy online but I don't know what. Some hay real good reviews in general but the latest reviews say they got bad hay, this is why I am in doubt

 

[button+banjo]

Here are a bunch of brands of hay (I have only used Small Pet Select 2nd cut timothy though (which is good hay), and my bunnies went crazy for this hay as a treat (it is only sold at Tractor Supply): https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/oxbow-animal-health-timothy-meadow-hay-84-oz?cm_vc=-10005

http://www.sierravalleyhay.com

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/smal...ss-alfalfa-timothy/ps/c/6067/17311?s=ts&r=484

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16699

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=25093

http://www.americanpetdiner.com/hay/complete-hay/

https://www.sweetmeadowfarm.com/animal-food-and-hay.html

https://shop.smallpetselect.com/collections/hay-for-rabbits

https://www.chewy.com/s?rh=brand_facet:CareFresh,FoodForm:Hay

https://www.farmerdavepetsupply.com/hay

http://www.oneearuphay.com/shop/

https://www.rabbitholehay.com/collections/hay

http://www.alfalfaking.com

https://kmshayloft.com/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A7QG8IU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

You could also just go to your local pet or feed store and sniff the hay to see if it's fresh.

 

[Thumperina]

thank you Button. I am asking for some help to CHOOSE one of those, that people think is good at this time of the year (something that they bought recently and loved)
I have mixed feelings about SPS. I ordered it once (I think it was 2nd cut), my bunnies were not impressed (ok they are not big hay eaters) but most of all - I myself wasn't impressed ! even though I don't eat hay, sometimes I can say - "WOW this hay smells so well" or "it looks so green and yummy" . I wanted to say none of it about box of SPS that we had.

 

[Thumperina]

I just shopped at Tractor Supply
i havent see that Meadow hay. I bought Oxbow Orchard grass small pack, and seen Oxbow [Timothy + meadow]

 

[Thumperina]

any hay affected by RHV?

 

[button+banjo]

thank you Button. I am asking for some help to CHOOSE one of those, that people think is good at this time of the year (something that they bought recently and loved)
I have mixed feelings about SPS. I ordered it once (I think it was 2nd cut), my bunnies were not impressed (ok they are not big hay eaters) but most of all - I myself wasn't impressed ! even though I don't eat hay, sometimes I can say - "WOW this hay smells so well" or "it looks so green and yummy" . I wanted to say none of it about box of SPS that we had.

I just shopped at Tractor Supply
i havent see that Meadow hay. I bought Oxbow Orchard grass small pack, and seen Oxbow [Timothy + meadow]

any hay affected by RHV?

I like the SPS because it has less dust and more seed heads than the previous hay I was buying, but my bunnies like the Oxbow timothy meadow better (I only give it as a treat, it's too expensive to be their only hay). You could get Tractor Supply to ship it to your store for you to pickup if you want to try it, just go here: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/oxbow-animal-health-timothy-meadow-hay-84-oz?cm_vc=-10005 and click Pickup in Store. If they don't do pickup for your store you could always just order it online from their website. FYI, SPS does have other kinds of hay if your buns don't like the 2nd cut. Their gourmet hay is super expensive (I haven't tried it) but looks amazing: https://shop.smallpetselect.com/collections/hay-for-rabbits/products/gourmet-hay

And about the RHD, I actually contacted SPS (since they grow their hay in Washington state near the border with Canada, where RHD has reached) about it, and posted their response on here. Here's the link to the thread: https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/fyi-about-small-pet-select.92191/

You may just have to try a few kinds to see which is best.

 

[lavendertealatte]

My Bun isn't a big hay eater either and I can't figure it out. T_T good luck. I've tried orchard grass and timothy hay and to see if he preferred one over the other maybe.. but no clear conclusion. I use SPS second cut right now and although the hay itself smells nice, Bunster doesn't seem to care.

 

[Sophia]

My Bun isn't a big hay eater either and I can't figure it out. T_T good luck. I've tried orchard grass and timothy hay and to see if he preferred one over the other maybe.. but no clear conclusion. I use SPS second cut right now and although the hay itself smells nice, Bunster doesn't seem to care.

If you feed pellets see what hay they are made of and try that kind of hay

 

[maiyaeh]

my buns eat american pet diner 1st cut well. their hay box always come with some brown hays but i rarely find plants other than timothy hays in it. and their hays are pretty green since last month, always smell good of course. i have 2 buns and they consume at least 25 lbs per month

 

[Sophia]

my buns eat american pet diner 1st cut well. their hay box always come with some brown hays but i rarely find plants other than timothy hays in it. and their hays are pretty green since last month, always smell good of course. i have 2 buns and they consume at least 25 lbs per month

What breed(s)

 

[maiyaeh]

you mean what breeds are my buns? one is mini lop weighs 5.67 lbs and the other is holland lop weighs 3.2 lbs, they consume equal amount of hays everyday. 25 lbs of hays included waste >

 

[Thumperina]

my buns eat american pet diner 1st cut well. their hay box always come with some brown hays but i rarely find plants other than timothy hays in it. and their hays are pretty green since last month, always smell good of course. i have 2 buns and they consume at least 25 lbs per month

when you say American pet dinner 1st cut, do you mean their "High fiber" hay? I was about to order this brand at Foster and Smith but then it looked like all great reviews were the old ones, while the recent reviews were rather bad...

 

[catsandwaffles]

Hey Thumperina!

Waffles here started with Oxbow, but we have him on Small Pet Select 1st cut Timothy now. He LOVES it and it's very high quality. He will still eat Oxbow (and we use their pellets), but he goes for the tops of the 1st cut SPS like they were treats

 

[Mini Rex Rabbiters MN]

I get a giant brick of Timothy hay for $20 from Tractor Supply Co.

 

[doodlebugger]

We buy Oxbow timothy hay and orchard grass. The quality isn't always 100% the best, but they will stand by their product and replace it if you call them to complain. We have bought other brands, but Oxbow has been the most consistent with quality for us. We have tried other brands and our rabbits would not always eat it. But every rabbit is different, so you might have to try a few brands before you find the right one. I do think 1st cut is probably better than other cuts because you get less trash mixed in. But bunny owners should always sift through the hay they get because critters and other stuff can often get mixed in - we recently found a dead mouse carcass in the hay. Oxbow said that it could make a rabbit or people sick, so I was glad we checked the hay!