Poor hay quality

[Lilsakli]

I’ve purchased small pet select (10 lb) and standlee hay (25 lb) for my rabbits, and I noticed that over the past few months I’ve been receiving yellow straw like hay with no sweet fragrance from both companies - which my rabbits are eating less of and wasting. Is there a drought problem that I am unaware of? What other hay companies do you guy recommmend? I would like my rabbits to eat more hay…

 

[Lilsakli]

I forgot to add: Timothy hay to be more specific

 

[Moonshadow]

I live in NH and go to a Blue Seal near me to get hay, usually get sweet meadow Timothy hay. Every once in a while I give my bunny a small amount of alfalfa hay as a treat on top of his regular
hay. Then he devours both
.

 

[Catlyn]

I live in NH and go to a Blue Seal near me to get hay, usually get sweet meadow Timothy hay. Every once in a while I give my bunny a small amount of alfalfa hay as a treat on top of his regular
hay. Then he devours both
.View attachment 58587

Is the price sticker saying 9.99$ for that bag? Oof.

I’ve purchased small pet select (10 lb) and standlee hay (25 lb) for my rabbits, and I noticed that over the past few months I’ve been receiving yellow straw like hay with no sweet fragrance from both companies - which my rabbits are eating less of and wasting. Is there a drought problem that I am unaware of? What other hay companies do you guy recommmend? I would like my rabbits to eat more hay…

Have you looked for farm stores like the tractor supply or something? I've read from other members that some will go there and buy hay in bales, much cheaper and they can pick the bale themselves?

 

[Mac189]

I traditionally buy two big bales in the early fall at ten dollars apiece from a local feed store that tend to last me to mid-summer with two ~7 lbs rabbits. It's the best deal for the best quality I've found. Unfortunately, my region had a drought this year and thus a hay shortage, so the store was out of pure grass bales and only had the alfalfa mix which I'm not comfortable feeding, so I'm going to have to get creative once my current bale starts getting low. A lot of hay is grown out west and we had a pretty bad drought this year, so I'm not surprised the hay is lower quality, although Massachusetts feels like a long way to ship hay from the Northwest

If bales aren't available, the bags of Oxbow hay tend to be of great quality, although very expensive comparatively

 

[Moonshadow]

Is the price sticker saying 9.99$ for that bag? Oof.

Have you looked for farm stores like the tractor supply or something? I've read from other members that some will go there and buy hay in bales, much cheaper and they can pick the bale themselves?

Yep, it’s $10 for the hay but we don’t have sales tax here. It take my bunny 2-3 weeks to go through it. Also, I have another reason to go to that store…

A photo of my cousin from Chicago petting the Blue Seal bunny this week. The owner lets it free roam the store!

 

[ArtistChibi]

I've bought 110-150 lbs from Standlee store directly at fairly cheap. But in a pinch, I use Tractor Supply for Oxbow and Durmar(spelling?) brand hay. Durmar is cheaper and pretty decent quality.

 

[NYAngela]

I order from SPS, my most recent order came in November I didn’t notice that. I would call!

 

[John Wick]

I would contact SPS and see if they can send you a new box or just... give you points or something, haha. Hay quality will naturally vary, but if you are getting consistent shipments of hay that is significantly poor quality, that is a valid concern.

 

[Catlyn]

Yep, it’s $10 for the hay but we don’t have sales tax here.

Sales tax? Pardon me for asking such a silly question, but what does the "sales tax" entail? Does the price on the bag not match the price that one would pay at the register?

 

[Mac189]

Sales tax? Pardon me for asking such a silly question, but what does the "sales tax" entail? Does the price on the bag not match the price that one would pay at the register?

Exactly that, it's a terrible system where you get to guess when you get to the register! I live in a state without sales tax as well, but it's always a surprise when I leave the state

 

[Bunnyman61]

I reside in the Sierra foothills in Northern California, and I sometimes obtain large bags of locally sourced hay for a huge discount, but the quality and variety (grass vs. straw) of hay varies wildly. Most of the hay I feed my two lovelies is from the Oxbow 96 oz. bags. They are a bit pricey, but I've found that the quality is more consistent than other brands.

 

[Moonshadow]

Sales tax? Pardon me for asking such a silly question, but what does the "sales tax" entail? Does the price on the bag not match the price that one would pay at the register?

Yes, a lot of states in the US have ‘sales tax’ like @Mac189 mentioned. It gets really annoying when you leave your state and go to another, have enough money for the ‘sticker price’ on the package, then get charged around 2.9% to 7.25% (California is pricey) more. Just looked it up but apparently only five states don’t have sales tax.

 

[Catlyn]

Yes, a lot of states in the US have ‘sales tax’ like @Mac189 mentioned. It gets really annoying when you leave your state and go to another, have enough money for the ‘sticker price’ on the package, then get charged around 2.9% to 7.25% (California is pricey) more. Just looked it up but apparently only five states don’t have sales tax.

Oh dear. Sales tax sucks just by the sound of things. Oh am i blessed to live in a country that does no such thing. When i think of it, most of Europe doesn't have it. The price on the tag is the price i pay.

 

[DelawareRunner]

My bunny and guinea pig love Small Pet Select second cut timothy and it's always been green and pleasant smelling, but my last shipment looked like yellow beach grass. They are not interested in it. I have ordered another shipment, but I bought some Oxbow in the meantime.

 

[dogwoodblossoms]

Interesting, I get Standlee and I always have great quality hay. It might have just been a bad bale

 

[Hazelbun]

The only one I haven’t tried is Standlee…Will keep in mind! I am noticing more brown thin, short hay pieces in “first cut” hay too. All other brands. Our bunny won’t eat hay at all that contains this. Will just quit eating. Even if we pick through it. I had a bad box of Small Pet Select delivered a month ago, emailed pictures, and warehouse sent free replacement box that was much better. We started last fall having to bounce around different brands that normally don’t disappoint (Rabbit Hole & Oxbow Hay). I think it’s a universal issue but hopefully not for too long. Chewy tried to make it right and refunded, replaced multiple oxbow, but I couldn’t get anything that didn’t resemble 80% old brown grass clippings. We have perpetually high humidity and don’t have a lot of storage space so can’t keep more than a few months’ worth of good hay. Right now we are counting on making the small pet select last

 

[Barbara]

I’ve purchased small pet select (10 lb) and standlee hay (25 lb) for my rabbits, and I noticed that over the past few months I’ve been receiving yellow straw like hay with no sweet fragrance from both companies - which my rabbits are eating less of and wasting. Is there a drought problem that I am unaware of? What other hay companies do you guy recommmend? I would like my rabbits to eat more hay…

I've noticed the same thing. Thought it was just me.

 

[dogwoodblossoms]

I haven’t noticed any differences, but it might just be where I am located

 

[kksdad]

We also haven't noticed any difference in Small Pet Select's hay.