Hay Price

[BinkyBunny]

I called a local horse stable about their grass hay bales assuming that if anyone would have hay around, it would be a horse stable. I got two quotes. One had bales of 100% grass hay a blend of timothy and orchard, and they asked $6 for the 50-60# bales. This particular place usually has very nice hay. I have seen it in person before. The second place had a blend of alfalfa and grass hay. They wanted $6.50 for the same size bale. What should I be paying for a 50-60# bale? I'm going to go pick up tomorrow, so let me know

 

[ldoerr]

I know that I have paid as much as $30 for a bale of Timothy (was over 100lbs). I have also bought a bale of costal for $16 (that bale weighed 50-60lbs). I think that any hay bale that you can get for under $15 is a great deal.

 

[Imbrium]

that sounds like normal prices. I forget, how old is your bunny? alfalfa/grass mix is nice if under 7 mos, otherwise you should stick with the timothy/orchard blend.

 

[ldoerr]

Baby bunnies do not HAVE to have alfalfa. I raised many litters on timothy and all did great. Never lost a baby because of diet (unless you count mothers not nursing).

 

[JBun]

That's a decent price. I paid $13 for a 50 lb bale of timothy and paid $5 for a bale of alfalfa, but I got that in the summer from a farmer that had just baled it. The problems I've found with feeding alfalfa hay is that some bunnies can get really picky about their grass hay after having alfalfa, but it may not be a problem if it's a grass alfalfa mix.

 

[BinkyBunny]

I got my all grass hay bale today for $6! It's 55# of hay and the best part yet? Charlie bunny likes it better than oxbow, kaytee, or sunaturals hay Thank heavens this bunny thinks I did something right!!! This brought my price per lb from $6/lb to $0.12/lb :agree WOOOHOOO!!!

 

[missyscove]

The price of hay will vary with your location and time of year, but that sounds like a great price to me!

 

[Imbrium]

ewww, $6 a lb??

 

[whitelop]

Gah, what were you feeding that was $6 a lb? That seems ridiculous! I got a 50 lb bale for $6.75, it was coastal. So you're doing great price-wise!

 

[BinkyBunny]

It's the price for the bagged stuff at a pet store. I knew it was overpriced but needed something until I could get my bale!

 

[Imbrium]

that's crazy! the overpriced pet store hay here is like $3 a lb.

 

[ldoerr]

That is CHEAP pet store hay!! I remember when I got my first rabbits (and when I had hamsters) that 8oz of hay at Petco was $6-$8. I quickly learned to buy by the bale.

 

[BinkyBunny]

That is what my experience was as well!

That is CHEAP pet store hay!! I remember when I got my first rabbits (and when I had hamsters) that 8oz of hay at Petco was $6-$8. I quickly learned to buy by the bale.

 

[LakeCondo]

If you're no where near a feed store, or for whatever reason want to have hay delivered, I recommend sweetmeadowfarm.com if you're east of the Mississippi. You can get 35 lbs for $50 or less. This isn;t cheap, but better than any shipped that I know of.

 

[mochajoe]

I have horses as well....and I have paid 4.00-6.50 for bales of mixed grasses hay. My vet has a LOT of experience with bunnies and recommends horse quality hay....just make sure it lacks the alfalfa. I have fed bunnies horse quality hay since I got my first bunny in 1992 and I have never had a problem. The ONLY time I have had a problem is when I ran out and bought a bag at a pet store....the dustiest, crappiest hay for the most ridiculous price EVER!!! I highly recommend going to your local feed store or following up with the horse people that you connected with....if I didn't have horses, that is exactly what I would do! I will NEVER buy hay from a pet store again!!! Good luck!

 

[BinkyBunny]

When people say their rabbits won't eat baled horse hay, is there a reason some rabbits will reject it?

 

[mochajoe]

I have never had a problem with my bunnies eating the horse hay. Being a horse owner as well....horse hay HAS to be the best quality or you run the risk of all kinds of problems....some of which are very life threatening. So in my mind, it doesn't get much better than horse quality hay. So honestly, other than being picky, I don't know why a bunny would refuse horse quality hay!

 

[Imbrium]

When people say their rabbits won't eat baled horse hay, is there a reason some rabbits will reject it?

I've never heard of a rabbit who wouldn't eat baled horse hay but would eat the same type of hay from a different source (ie pet store timothy vs feed store timothy), so it's most likely that they don't like the particular type of hay that the feed store offers and/or they don't like that particular cut of hay (there are multiple cuttings per season and which cut the hay is affects flavor, texture, softness, etc.).

 

[BinkyBunny]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-lbs-Prem...785?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27ce97af09

If you had a bunny who wouldn't eat bale hay and was picky....is this a good deal? Weigh in lagomorph lovers!

 

[BinkyBunny]

NEVERMIND I JUST SAW THE $15 shipping!!!