Cutting off hay supply.....?

[Bunnykinz]

Now that the weather is warm my buns are able to be in a grassy run for 8-12 hours a day. They always get unlimited timothy hay but now that they have access to grasswould it be ok ifItook them off hay for the summer to save money or not? (They 31/2 month old holland and netherland)

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

Bunnykinz wrote:

Now that the weather is warm my buns are able to be in a grassy run for 8-12 hours a day. They always get unlimited timothy hay but now that they have access to grasswould it be ok ifItook them off hay for the summer to save money or not? (They 31/2 month old holland and netherland)

do you know what kind of grass is in the run.??-did you plant it.??-on the surface yes,i do cut alot of grasses daily--not really trying to save money,but i go for the non-fiber percentages-some plants are higher(better) than others,,but yes it sounds like a great idea,,caution though for toxic,plants.here is a link to a safe and toxic plant list http://www.medirabbit.com ,,james:big wink:

 

[tamsin]

Because rabbit's need constant access to grass or hay I would leave hay in with them when they are not in the run, but obviously you're going to use much less. Cutting a couple of handfuls of grass to leave in with the hay would also cut down on hay eating as they'll eat the grass first. If you use a rack to keep the hay off the floor where it can't be soiled that will cut down on the amount too.

I've been doing the same thing. I usually use a bag every 10 days but cutting grass each day means I've only gone through half a bag of hay in 4 weeks!

 

[Bunnykinz]

It's just regular lawn grass but yes i think I will do that tamsin.

 

[CiaraPatricia]

Someone told me that for guinea pigs (dunno if it's the same with buns) that they need some hay aswell as the grass, because too much grass is too rich and can upset their tummies. I give mine hay at night and put them on the grass in the day.

 

[Bunnykinz]

Yeah that's exactly what I am going to do!

 

[akane]

I fed my guinea pigs on forages only and raise my horses on grass 24/7 during most of the year. Grass is only too rich when an animal is not used to it or has a health problem. I had one horse with a metabolic disorder that would founder on new spring grass, after a drought (grass grows faster then), clover, and other situations. If done smartly though the more greens the better for most grazing herbivores.

Grazing animals also evolved to have a constant supply of food. I was told if a guinea pig goes more than 4hrs or a horse more than 6hrs without food their digestive tract can begin to shut down. Such animals also don't sleep all night but take naps between eating. Unless they are on or given enough grass and forages for the entire night they need hay. With guinea pigs being so small I could just keep a grocery bag of forages in the fridge and dump the whole thing in the cage in the evening. It would be completely gone by morning and then I'd put them out in the double fenced herb garden all day where they would keep the plants weeded and trimmed.