Buying timothy hay by the bail?

We just got a 2nd rabbit to bond with B and have been going through a crazy amount of hay since he is a huge hay & greens eater & seems to go easy on the pellets. So I'm looking to buy a bail of timothy hay locally. How should I store it? And how long will it keep? And is it a good idea to do this or should I stick with the store bought stuff?

I get the 50 pound box from Oxbow...it comes in a big cardboard box with a plastic bag inside. My local pet store carries it, which is nice. Maybe there's someplace nearby that either has it or can order it in for you.

If you can get bales of timothy hay where you live then that would be cheaper than buying anything from a pet store or online. Is there any other type of hay mixed in with the timothy? To keep hay for any length of time you need to keep it ventilated and dry, and store it off the ground. I wish we could get bales of timothy around here but our choices are coastal and alfalfa.

I too just got the 50lbs from oxbow for $64. It's huge! But it's better than anything we have locally bc you don't find Timothy hay just horse quality hay and I don't think its the best. :/ I hate buying KAYTEE hay too. It always stabs me and gives me paper cuts! Not nice!

majorv said:

If you can get bales of timothy hay where you live then that would be cheaper than buying anything from a pet store or online. Is there any other type of hay mixed in with the timothy? To keep hay for any length of time you need to keep it ventilated and dry, and store it off the ground. I wish we could get bales of timothy around here but our choices are coastal and alfalfa.

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I'll have to ask the farmer that posted the ad if it is straight timothy hay. It's posted as such, but that is a good question and something I wouldn't have thought to ask.

I was thinking a large Rubbermaid tote to store it in, but that wouldn't keep it ventilated, just dry. No shed here to store it in either, but that would be ideal.

The thing I like about the Oxbow box is it is already pre-dried and I am reasonably confident there are no other hay/grass types mixed in. Oxbow does say that any size 90 oz and below (I think!) is hand-selected, which isn't the case with the big box, but I still feel better than I would with an unknown source. I feel like it is a good quality product at a good price ($50.00 at my local store).

ps - I keep my big box in the garage, but rather than going out there every day, I have a large plastic container (Rubbermaid maybe?) that I fill up once a week. Its good because all the stray strands stay in the garage and it allows me to separate the hay (it's quite compressed) without making a mess in the house.

Katielovesleo3 said:

I too just got the 50lbs from oxbow for $64. It's huge! But it's better than anything we have locally bc you don't find Timothy hay just horse quality hay and I don't think its the best. :/ I hate buying KAYTEE hay too. It always stabs me and gives me paper cuts! Not nice!

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I'll look into ordering online as well. I'm not sure of the quality of the local hay here as I haven't seen it. That is a concern of mine though.

If you can find good quality timothy or other grass hay, locally, it will be tons cheaper than ordering it. You can always compare it to what you are used to buying in the store, to make sure it is the quality that you want. You basically want a good quality horse hay, that is green and has never been wet and doesn't have weeds. A rubbermaid bin would be fine to store it in, but you will either want to store it with the lid off, or cut several ventilation holes in it. If you are in a humid area, a carboard box may be a better option for storage.

JBun said:

If you can find good quality timothy or other grass hay, locally, it will be tons cheaper than ordering it. You can always compare it to what you are used to buying in the store, to make sure it is the quality that you want. You basically want a good quality horse hay, that is green and has never been wet and doesn't have weeds. A rubbermaid bin would be fine to store it in, but you will either want to store it with the lid off, or cut several ventilation holes in it. If you are in a humid area, a carboard box may be a better option for storage.

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I'm seeing prices around $3 -$4 a bail. If the quality is good, then awesome. If not, then it's not worth my time. Good idea comparing it to what I have now. And good call on the cardboard box, it gets pretty humid in the summer here. Thank you!

We have humid weather because we live along the Gulf Coast. We have no problem keeping our hay dry and we store it in a big patio bin in the backyard. If cost is not a big concern then go with what works best for you. We can get a bale of horse quality coastal hay (50lb) for $8.50, and it's fine for rabbits. We have to watch costs since we have quite a few rabbits though.

Check around locally at feed stores or horse farms, and see if anyone has the smaller square bales (about 30-50 lbs). You want dry, green Timothy hay without any weeds.

How to store: Ventilated in a dry area. NOT the basement. I keep mine in a closet in my rabbit room. A plastic tub is okay if you leave the lid off. I usually leave half in a cardboard box and half in a plastic tub. Hay can keep for about a year in good conditions. If you can't avoid humidity, you will want to frequently inspect the hay VERY closely for mold spores. If you see any, throw all the hay out.


I couldn't find good hay locally (cow-quality or full of weeds), so I started buying 50-lb bales of Oxbow Timothy hay through Dr Foster and Smith. I've been through 5 bales over the past 3 years, and it is EXCELLENT hay. The only thing I found in it that wasn't Timothy hay was 2 dried-up grasshoppers. So that's an option if you can't find anything locally.

Majorv, where do you get your hay at? I know you live in Texas near me but I'm just wondering since you found good hay!