Type of hay

[Barbara]

My bun turns 6 months old this week so I will be transitioning him over to Timothy hay. What is the difference between 1st cut, 2nd cut and 3rd cut? Where do I start him? He is a little picky when it comes to hay. It took three types of alphalfa hay to find one he liked. Would I be better off trying him on Orchard hay? What is the difference? Sorry for all the "hay" questions, but its really confusing. Thank you for any info you can provide.

 

[John Wick]

Timothy or orchard are both fine to replace alfalfa hay. Orchard tends to be popular for rabbits who are not super enthused by Timothy, so you can start with whichever one you'd like. Personally, I enjoy buying Orchard more because it is softer and is honestly less painful on the hands to grab and manage, haha.

Timothy cuts will be different textures/content, with 3rd cut being the softest and 1st cut being the 'stalkiest'. SPS actually has a nice table to give an overview of the characteristics for each type you've asked about: Types of Hay, Explained ... The gourmet has a lot of things sprinkled in, so not needed/necessary. You can stick to the Timothy/Orchards.

 

[Barbara]

Ok. Thank you so much!

 

[odyssey~]

.

I just wanted to add that Orchard isn't always softer- 2nd and 3rd cut timothy is easily much more soft than 1st cut orchard.
Timothy also has that "barn" smell that some don't like.

 

[Barbara]

I just wanted to add that Orchard isn't always softer- 2nd and 3rd cut timothy is easily much more soft than 1st cut orchard.
Timothy also has that "barn" smell that some don't like.

So is orchard more like alphalfa as opposed to Timothy?

 

[JBun]

Alfalfa is a legume hay, high in protein and calcium, which is why it's not recommended for mature pet rabbits(non breeding/nursing/growing rabbits), because the excess calcium and protein can lead to certain health issues. Even then I don't really agree with the recommendations it be fed to baby rabbits. It just can create all sorts of issues as they mature.

Orchard and timothy are grass hays, which are lower in protein and calcium.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Hay