Does Orchard grass have any alfalfa?

[yenniandbambi]

Hi I recently was giving my bunny bambi meadow hay from oxbow mixing it with Timothy but I’ve read reviews that their meadow hay has some alfalfa. Is it safe? I was thinking on switching to orchard grass doe it have alfalfa too? Thank you!

 

[Niomi]

I buy Oxbow Meadow Grass Hay for my rabbits and I have never found alfalfa in it. I have found alfalfa in grass hay that I bought at a farm supply store. A little alfalfa should not be a problem. When alfalfa is added to hay, my rabbits would put on too much weight. When I have an elderly rabbit that can't keep weight on, I buy alfalfa pellets for them. Alfalfa is high in calcium and some rabbits have a hard time digesting it. If your rabbit has a problem with alfalfa, you will see white/gray sludge in the poop. Alfalfa is given to bunnies to help them grow. You don't say how old your bunny is, and I know very little about raising bunnies. Perhaps someone here can give you a better answer.

 

[JBun]

Alfalfa is high in calcium and some rabbits have a hard time digesting it. If your rabbit has a problem with alfalfa, you will see white/gray sludge in the poop. Alfalfa is given to bunnies to help them grow. You don't say how old your bunny is, and I know very little about raising bunnies. Perhaps someone here can give you a better answer.

That would be sludgy urine, not the poop. Too much calcium can also tax the kidneys. But a little bit excess calcium in the diet isn't usually a problem for most rabbits, and it will just be excreted in the urine. It's only an issue if it's causing thickened urine and/or calcium build up in the bladder.

Hi I recently was giving my bunny bambi meadow hay from oxbow mixing it with Timothy but I’ve read reviews that their meadow hay has some alfalfa. Is it safe? I was thinking on switching to orchard grass doe it have alfalfa too? Thank you!

It just depends on the crop that the hay came from, whether or not you might find some alfalfa in the grass hay. Usually no, you won't find any or maybe just a tiny bit. Unless the farmer is specifically growing a grass alfalfa hay mix, which is a common thing for some horse hay bales that are sold. Crops are growing plants, so you will sometimes get a batch of grass hay with a few weeds, or maybe that little bit of alfalfa. As long as there isn't a lot, it won't normally be a problem. If there is a lot of alfalfa in it, then you can always exchange it, and/or contact the company for help with the issue.

 

[yenniandbambi]

I buy Oxbow Meadow Grass Hay for my rabbits and I have never found alfalfa in it. I have found alfalfa in grass hay that I bought at a farm supply store. A little alfalfa should not be a problem. When alfalfa is added to hay, my rabbits would put on too much weight. When I have an elderly rabbit that can't keep weight on, I buy alfalfa pellets for them. Alfalfa is high in calcium and some rabbits have a hard time digesting it. If your rabbit has a problem with alfalfa, you will see white/gray sludge in the poop. Alfalfa is given to bunnies to help them grow. You don't say how old your bunny is, and I know very little about raising bunnies. Perhaps someone here can give you a better answer.

Thank you for replying! My bunny is 3 years old. I recently been checking on his poop and I been seeing some calcium nothing like white sludge just just some white chalky on some poops so I been trying to see what exactly has been causing it! I think it was the parsley so I started to give him low calcium greens such as cilantro and romaine lettuce so hopefully that helps.

 

[yenniandbambi]

That would be sludgy urine, not the poop. Too much calcium can also tax the kidneys. But a little bit excess calcium in the diet isn't usually a problem for most rabbits, and it will just be excreted in the urine. It's only an issue if it's causing thickened urine and/or calcium build up in the bladder.



It just depends on the crop that the hay came from, whether or not you might find some alfalfa in the grass hay. Usually no, you won't find any or maybe just a tiny bit. Unless the farmer is specifically growing a grass alfalfa hay mix, which is a common thing for some horse hay bales that are sold. Crops are growing plants, so you will sometimes get a batch of grass hay with a few weeds, or maybe that little bit of alfalfa. As long as there isn't a lot, it won't normally be a problem. If there is a lot of alfalfa in it, then you can always exchange it, and/or contact the company for help with the issue.

Thank you for replying! My bunny is 3 years old. I recently been checking on his poop and I been seeing some calcium nothing like white sludge just just some white chalky on some poops so I been trying to see what exactly has been causing it! I think it was the parsley so I started to give him low calcium greens such as cilantro and romaine lettuce so hopefully that helps.

 

[Niomi]

Thank you for replying! My bunny is 3 years old. I recently been checking on his poop and I been seeing some calcium nothing like white sludge just just some white chalky on some poops so I been trying to see what exactly has been causing it! I think it was the parsley so I started to give him low calcium greens such as cilantro and romaine lettuce so hopefully that helps.

It has been so long since I had a rabbit with calcium problems, I forgot that the sludge was in the urine, not the poop. Pee normally has some calcium in it, so if your rabbit urinates on his poop and it dries, it is possible to see a little white chalk. If the white is like mucous, check for parasites.