Second Cut Hay?

I have been reading that sometimes, rabbits will have an issue accepting first cut hay but will readily accept second cut hay. I've been trying to force Oxbow hays and varieties on Phoenix but she just doesn't take to any of it.

What companies sell second cut hay? Would Kaytee be one of those brands?
I want to get something I can just buy at the store so that way I can see if she will eat it first, I would prefer not to order if I can avoid it.

Thanks All

most companys sell all cuts.
Have you tried buying a bale or partial bale? That way you can at least guarantee if its 1st 2nd or 3rd + cut?

Is all Oxbow first-cut hay? I always got 2nd cut hay for my horse and it looked and felt the same way as Oxbow.

I think all oxbow is first cut :/

I would honestly try to get a bale but I live in a high rise downtown so I don't really have the storage space... Plus I still cannot guarantee that Phoenix will eat it... She will try everything once and like it for the first few hours thenits back to square one

I have been fortunate in that I have always access to horse hay (my mom's) and now have horses again. I was mortified the few times I did buy hay at the Pet Store...1) quality of the hay and 2) the RIDICULOUS cost! In the 3 years that I have had horses again...the most I have paid for a bale average about 40 POUND bale) is $6.50!!! I would highly recommend connecting with horse people! I would gladly help bunny people access good hay at much better prices!!!

Important to note that some rabbits just don't like hay. You may have to look at other fiber/gut motility/tooth maintenance thingies (that's the technical term).

Is it posible to share a bale with someone? Also you could ask at feed stores if you can buy some of their loos hay that they will throw away. I know that whenever I get hay there is a ton of good stuff on the ground that has fallen off of the bale. You could probably get a big trash bag full for cheap. If you want you could try to buy the trow away bits from a few different kinds. I have never done this but I have herd of people that do it.

most feed stores will let you grab samples of their hays free of charge so you can have your bunny taste-test them.

I've tried EVERY kind of grass hay that oxbow sells as well as kaytee timothy and feed store coastal and mine HATE everything except oxbow oat (which they don't love, but will at least eat some of... too bad *I* hate it 'cause it's overpriced and half oats, which I have to pick out).

I dunno if they'd ship to canada, but I just ordered hay from http://www.sierravalleyhay.com/Orders.html ... I got the oat, since I know they eat that, and some 80% orchard/20% alfalfa that I thought there was a SLIM chance they might actually eat, which would allow me to feed hay without picking out oats 3x a day every day for the next 10 years. I assumed they wouldn't actually like it because they HATED oxbow orchard grass. well, the bunnies LOVE the hay. it's SO green and fresh and they dove right into both varieties in a way I've NEVER seen them do with grass hay before.

based on my experiences and my months-long search for a grass hay the girls would actually eat, I've come to the conclusion that oxbow hay is ridiculously overrated (in addition to being totally overpriced) - there are MUCH better hays out there! I would keep looking into feed stores until you find one that's got hay she'll eat. at feed store prices, you could ask them to cut the bale in half and leave half of it at the store and *still* come out miles ahead of buying oxbow hay price-wise.

before you decide for sure that a bale is out of the question, you might look into half-bale bags. I bought two from http://www.tackwholesale.com/half-b...-p-347.html?osCsid=c86fohhchkhett3p4mo5kai5f0 - they're 22''x22''x18'' and the feed store cut the bale of coastal in half for me free of charge and put it in the bags. with half-bale bags, you can stack them to take up less space and they're easier to haul around - all you'd need is a 2 square foot corner or closet to stick the bags in.

I have gotten 2nd cut hay online from several sources & they have been quite different. I wish there were some other grading system available. 2nd cut may be factual, but not sufficiently descriptive.

I do well with pet store bought oxbow hay. The pet store I buy from has a high turnover rate for hay. It smells fantastic, is super green, is very long fiber, and my bunnies love it. I feed mostly Timothy and orchard because they are sold in the largest amounts (9 lb boxes), but I get some others too that I use for treats. I haven't had luck locally with premium horse hay. It's yellow-green, and smells like a horse barn (but is cheap for a bale-$8.50). I find my buns don't eat nearly as much as I would like of it. I'm sticking to oxbow, or I may buy a bale of crazy tasty hay, we'll see. Good luck! :dutch

Btw I picked up a bale bag a few weeks ago from tack following the link Jennifer provided and am very happy with it! Thanks Jennifer! Nice product!

Being a horse owner as well, I just want to say again, anyone who is looking for good hay for a lot less money, connect with horse people in your area!!! It is amazing to me the prices that are charged for bags of hay in the pet stores...highway robbery! I am so grateful I have horses and even if I didn't I have lots of horse people in my neighborhood! Good luck everyone!!!

Petstore hay IS highway robbery!!!