buying hay bales

[erinmoveit]

I live in the country so there are a lot of feed stores that I can choose from to get some hay outside of a pet store (and for a better price). What should I look for when I purchase it? I know most horse hays are alfalfa, but if they say they carry alfalfa and grass hay, is grass hay what i'm looking for?

 

[fuzz16]

Brome is a popular wiyh horses.
I get a bale from a farmer friend so its always green and fresh.

You want hay thats in a barn not exposed to elements. Shiny bits means its bad, like the hay will sheen. Dont want brittle either. Good hay will have a really good strong scent.

 

[LakeCondo]

also uniformly green & very little hay dust.

 

[erinmoveit]

Thank you both. So even though it's not identified as timothy/oat/orchard... grass hay fulfills my rabbits nutritional needs?

 

[Watermelons]

It depends, you are better off buying something that is specific in what is it, as alot of hay has alfalfa mixed into it. You want a bale that is 100% timothy, or 100% orchard grass, etc.

 

[erinmoveit]

Wow, glad I asked before I went hunting. All the grass hay DID have alfalfa mixed in. I don't think I'll be able find any without around all these cattle and horse farms.

 

[LakeCondo]

How much alfalfa does it contain? If it's only 5-10%, I'd go ahead & get it. After all, hay is mainly fiber & used to push the real food along, so giving timothy pellets is a lot more important than what hay., isn't it?

 

[majorv]

Yes, before you write it off check to see what % is alfalfa. Grass, orchard, coastal, timothy is all okay, alone or as a mix. Make sure it's horse quality.

 

[erinmoveit]

Ok good to know. The local bales are brohm, clover, timothy and alfalfa. I looked into the percentage and found alfalfa to be pretty insignificant. I got a whole bale for $5!! I have no idea to what to do with it all now. But Buck and Molly really seem to enjoy it. Seems pike there will be a lot of hay toys being made!