Orchard or Meadow Hay?

[Country-Girl]

What's the difference?
What does your bunny prefer?
Timothy Hay isn't sold in bails around here. They only sell it at petsmart & it's EXPENSIVE!

I heard meadow hay can be "dirtier" ? Is that true ?

 

[Bville]

I have found some clumps of dirt in the meadow hay that I've gotten, but I think the rabbits are good at just picking though it to get the choice pieces of hay that they want. If that's what is available to you and it's at a price that fits your budget, I don't think the dirt issue should stop you. Have you priced the online hay companies? There is that Sierra Valley hay company in California.

 

[Country-Girl]

I heard some great reviews from Sierra Valley Hay but man, those prices are steep. Idk the overall quality of my hay distributor which doesn't help Hahaa. But 1 whole horse size bail is $18.20 for orchard. Which is a good price. I'm just worried it would spoil before I get a good use of it !

 

[MustNotBuyMore]

We get livestock quality and the rabbits like it just as much as any other hay (except for alfalfa, and that stuff is expensive!).

 

[Tauntz]

If stored properly a bale of hay can last. Locally I can't find any hay besides Bermuda which my bunny girls don't care for. So I do order their favorite Orchard grass from Sierra Valley. It is expensive but compared to what I spent buying the little pet store bags of hay every couple of days, it is worth it to pay more up front for a large quantity of lush, beautiful hay that my girls come running for!

 

[BlueMoods]

Here is Bermuda or as the locals call it Bahia grass mostly with various wild grasses mixed in. My rabbits eat it just fine and, at 6.00 a bale it's a good thing, that's what they are going to get. (that a 70 lb bale) I feed alfalfa pellets so, don't need the high protein hay. I'd hate to have to use alfalfa hay, that stuff is 20.00 or more a bale.

 

[MustNotBuyMore]

I can get nice quality hay bales (yes, big square 70+ bales) for 4-5.00.

 

[Bville]

But 1 whole horse size bail is $18.20 for orchard. Which is a good price. I'm just worried it would spoil before I get a good use of it !

Someone posted that they store their hay in cardboard boxes in their garage. I think if you're careful to store it where it won't get wet, but also not it an airtight container so it can "breathe," then it will last.

 

[MustNotBuyMore]

We also raise goats so we need a ton of hay! The hay I have sitting in the barn at the moment is 4+months old and is just as good as it was when we got it. All you have to do is set a bale of hay where it won't get rained or infested with anything. .. and it should be fine for many many months.

 

[missyscove]

Hay is typically only harvested once a year (although there may be several cuttings) so you should expect your hay to be good for at least that long. As for which is better, whichever one your rabbits will eat!
If you have any bunny-owning friends, maybe you can offer to share a bale with them?

 

[Azerane]

Someone posted that they store their hay in cardboard boxes in their garage. I think if you're careful to store it where it won't get wet, but also not it an airtight container so it can "breathe," then it will last.

I keep mine in those woven plastic bags, they do breathe, but it also keeps the bugs out. I then raise the bags up off the cement in the shed with some planks of wood to keep the moisture etc off the bottom. Stays good for as long as it takes Bandit to eat it

 

[BlueMoods]

Hay is not hard to store and, will be good for at least 2 years. Just keep it 100% dry and out of sunlight. Sun will bleach it, dry it more and destroy some of the nutrients on the outside of the bale (the center is still good and somewhat green though, even if it does get sun bleached.) The biggest thing is keeping it dry so it does not mold or worse, start to compost, build up heat and catch fire. (Yes wet hay can ignite with no outside source of heat when the center is wet but the outside is dry. It happens more often with those huge round bales but any baled or a large stack - like a barn full - of hay can ignite that way.)

 

[Country-Girl]

Wow! I'm so amazed that hay lasts that long ha and good to know! I also had no idea that it could catch on fire like if it's moist in the middle but dry on the outside! Thanks everyone who responded. I know hay will last a great amount of time, now it's just where am I going to find a place to put it with out the critters getting into it. haha!

 

[TheNaturalBunny]

I feed Timothy Grass hay, from Tractor Supply. The bunnies love it and it's probably the freshest hay available in my area, plus it's certified weed free and fairly inexpensive. Pet stores in my area always seem to have old hay (unless it's Oxbow), and it's so expensive!

 

[bellaterra214]

Country-Girl

where in california are you located?

 

[HiddlesKenway]

Most people here use Oaten but I personally dislike it and hate giving it to my rabbits, guinea pig and horse it's not as good for them and they get stuck in the long haired buns and pigs coats and I actually have to buy it and it costs a ton and it has almost killed my horse before I prefer getting my hay from paddocks I've known since I was a kid, it's safer that way I know what goes through the paddocks regularly and what they are generally used for and it comes from my granddad whom I trust. He even built me a stainless steel cage and that stuff is expensive! Plus meadow hay is just essentially grass it has the same nutrition but the living ones. Plus I feed a mix of pellets with chaff which is just hay bits, I think it's Timothy, alfalfa, and lucerne chaff.

 

[Country-Girl]

Central Cal! & thanks guys I got a bail of orchard. And she eats it constantly!

 

[bellaterra214]

here's a website for feed mills in California. Midway through the page, there is a section for Central California. See if any those are in your area. They usually will have fresh hay and pellets in bulk. Hope this helps.

http://www.associatedfeed.com/index.cfm?show=10&mid=8#Central_Valley