Blended Hay Question

[Leaf]

I regularly buy 2nd cut Timothy Hay, but when I adopted Holiday & Fiesta some Alfalfa hay was sent along with them.

I've seen blended hay being offered for sale, and I'm curious as to what is the best for rabbit overall, and why. My rabbits range in age from 6yrs to 3 months so I'm hoping to make the best choice for them and my pocketbook.

Any suggestions?

 

[aurora369]

At the moment I have a second cut timothy hay and a 90/10 blend of blue grass and alfafa. At other times I've gotten an nice local grass hay to suppliment the timother too.

I think a little bit of alfafa should be fine in any bunnies' diet as a treat hay. A blended grass is an excellet choice for adding variety to a bunny diet. Ever since this past summer I've been trying to buy at least two different types of hay when I get new bales.

--Dawn

 

[Haley]

I agree with Dawn in that a little alfalfa is fine for adult bunnies. I think the benefits of having different blends of hay (for teeth grinding) far outweigh the the negative.

My Timothy that I get from a local farmer has a little alfalfa in it and we havent had any problems. I also feed some 3rd cut Timothy from Kleenmama and a nice bluegrass hay that has a broader stem.

Mixing in different kinds of hay is a good idea.

 

[ra7751]

Hi,

Rabbits should be offered a "buffet" of hay...and I do include alfalfa in our rabbit's diets...depending on the individual rabbit. I think everyone understands the value of hay to the digestive tract....but hay is the primary method of keeping those teeth worn down. Each variety or even cut of hay requires a different chewing mechanics and that works those teeth in different ways. Long, stemmy hay is the best overall for the teeth. And an additional benefit in offering mixed hays....they can forage much like in the wild...it gives them something to do. And it is fun to watch when they find that one particular strand of hay they want and see how hard they work to get it.

Randy