Hay Questions

[BrittsBunny]

One of these questions may be repetitive, so I'm sorry about that...but I just want to clarify:

- Today I got free hay from two different feed stores. They gave me the extra hay that was just laying around on the ground. This is sanitary for my rabbits correct?

- The other question I have is if it is okay to give my rabbits both timothy and alfalfa. One of the feed stores I went to had mixed in timothy and some alfalfa (since it was all piled together on the floor). Is this mixture okay to give to my rabbits?

- OH and one more question...there were a couple of feed stores that do not carry straight timothy...I guess this question would go with the above question: can you give your rabbits TNA *Timothy & Alfalfa*? That's usually what I give to my horse -

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

As long as the floor is clean, it should be good. If you didn't notice lots of dirt or bugs or anything, I wouldn't worry about it.

If your rabbits are OK with alfalfa, it should be OK. Some rabbits don't do well with alfalfa, so they should not have it. It really depends on what the mixture is. A 50/50 mix would be too much for most adults. I would try to keep the alfalfa to 15% or less if you can. Generally, horse hay is suitable for rabbits as they have a similar digestive tract as horses.
If you are buying a full bale, you should be able to get the % of both timothy and alfalfa. It would be better to have more timothy than alfalfa. It can be worth it to find a couple bales of what you want even if it means going further. With only a few rabbits, you would only be buying a couple bales a year and you can fit a couple in some small cars.

 

[Haley]

I agree. I dont usually feed hay that is more than like 20% alfalfa and even that is high for mature rabbits. If it's in a pinch you can feed more alfalfa but I wouldn't do it long term. Try to find out how much alfalfa is in there. You can usually tell by looking at it because they don't look that much alike.

As for hay on the floor, just be careful it's not wet at all. I assume most hay has been on the floor at some point but you want to be sure you're not getting any that has been walked on, moldy etc.

 

[missyscove]

I'd say the hay they're giving you is probably okay.

How old are your rabbits?

 

[BrittsBunny]

I would get a bale of hay if I didn't live in an apartment...a bale of hay would be way too messy.

But I hope to be out of my apartment and living in a house on property this August!

I took a peek into the bag and most of the hay looks like timothy...I didn't get to see the inside of the trailer, so I'm hoping the hay is somewhat clean. The place kind of smelled, though the hay smells good. I wish my boyfriend's family's hay and feed store carried timothy cause I would buy from them in a heartbeat!

And the ages of my rabbits is about 2 and a half (Wrangler) and 5 months (Aura).

 

[Haley]

Do you know any other rabbit owners near you? What we do sometimes is split a bale between a bunch of rabbit people so that its cheaper and we're not wasting hay.

Shipping is expensive, but you can also get amazing hay from www.kmshayloft.com

 

[missyscove]

BrittsBunny wrote:

I would get a bale of hay if I didn't live in an apartment...a bale of hay would be way too messy.

But I hope to be out of my apartment and living in a house on property this August!

I took a peek into the bag and most of the hay looks like timothy...I didn't get to see the inside of the trailer, so I'm hoping the hay is somewhat clean. The place kind of smelled, though the hay smells good. I wish my boyfriend's family's hay and feed store carried timothy cause I would buy from them in a heartbeat!

And the ages of my rabbits is about 2 and a half (Wrangler) and 5 months (Aura).

I know Timothy isn't that common in florida, but do they (your boyfriend's family) carry any other grass hays (orchard grass, bermuda, etc.)?
Legumes (like alfalfa) are a lot higher in protein, too high for mature buns, but most grass hays provide similar nutrition to Timothy and providing a variety really is ideal.

 

[BrittsBunny]

Haley wrote:

Do you know any other rabbit owners near you? What we do sometimes is split a bale between a bunch of rabbit people so that its cheaper and we're not wasting hay.

Shipping is expensive, but you can also get amazing hay from www.kmshayloft.com

Yes I do know the people from the rabbit rescue; might contact them and see if they want to work anything out.

Thanks for the reference, but I really don't want to pay shipping for hay.

 

[BrittsBunny]

missyscove wrote:

BrittsBunny wrote:

I would get a bale of hay if I didn't live in an apartment...a bale of hay would be way too messy.

But I hope to be out of my apartment and living in a house on property this August!

I took a peek into the bag and most of the hay looks like timothy...I didn't get to see the inside of the trailer, so I'm hoping the hay is somewhat clean. The place kind of smelled, though the hay smells good. I wish my boyfriend's family's hay and feed store carried timothy cause I would buy from them in a heartbeat!

And the ages of my rabbits is about 2 and a half (Wrangler) and 5 months (Aura).

I know Timothy isn't that common in florida, but do they (your boyfriend's family) carry any other grass hays (orchard grass, bermuda, etc.)?
Legumes (like alfalfa) are a lot higher in protein, too high for mature buns, but most grass hays provide similar nutrition to Timothy and providing a variety really is ideal. 

Thanks for the info...might look into the orchard grass again...it wasn't Wrangler's favorite, but it's worth trying again. Orchard grass might be easier to get; that has been fed to my horse before as well.

 

[slavetoabunny]

BrittsBunny wrote:

Yes I do know the people from the rabbit rescue; might contact them and see if they want to work anything out.

I know that Kathy buys several bales at a time. She would probably sell you a partial bale.

 

[ra7751]

When you have a rabbit, you have a miniature horse. Any hay that is safe for a horse is safe for a rabbit. I am now buying high quality hay mixes from a local horse facility. The benefits of hay are the same for both rabbits and horses....the high fiber keeps the gut in order and different types and cuts of hay will help keep the teeth worn down to a proper length. Most people still hold the long held belief that adult rabbits should not have any alfalfa and that just isn't true. The major issue with alfalfa is the calories....it adds weight. It also contains more calcium than other hays. So as far as hay, if you would feed it to your horse, you can feed it to your rabbit.

Randy