Bluegrass hay...

[undergunfire]

Is it okay to feed only Bluegrass hay? Will my rabbits benefit from this or do they NEED Timothy hay as well?

 

[Alexah]

My friend swears by bluegrass hay and feeds it as her rabbits' primary hay. But I know she also feeds a complete variety of hays. And I also believe that the more variety, the better. I think feeding a multitude of hays is beneficial to a rabbit's digestive system as they seem to eat more hay when there's variety as well as their teeth since different hays cause the teeth to be worn down in different hays.

Hmm...I think I totally didn't answer your question there. What I would do is feed bluegrass primarily and then "supplement" with other grass hays. The more the better is my motto.

Is there a reason you're wanting to switch to bluegrass from timothy? I'm just curious as I seem to be hearing more and more about this type of hay. I'd love to know more about it (but don't want to hijack your thread).

 

[Haley]

Bluegrass is a fine substitute for Timothy. Essentially, any of the "grass" hays will do for bunnies. I feed mine primarily Bluegrass from Kleenmama since its so wonderful.

I forgot to mention that there is a benefit to mixing in different hays- it will help grind down the teeth a lot better. I usually try to mix in a few different types/cuts of hay. But as far as what your "primary" hay will be, Bluegrass is fine.

 

[undergunfire]

I was going to order from Kleenmama's because their hay really is so wonderful, but I think I may go take a look at the feed store to see if their hay looks any better this time around before I pay $50 for 45lbs of hay from KM. I think I can get 80lbs from my feed store for about $30. We'll see.


Thanks guys .

 

[maisy126]

Haley wrote:

Essentially, any of the "grass" hays will do for bunnies.

When I went to Texas, I bought Batty some brome grass, he really likes it, but I don't think as much as timothy hay

 

[Haley]

What Ive been doing this year is buying cheap bales from local farmers for $5 for a 50# bale, then I buy Kleenmama bluegrass and mix it in with the local stuff. It saves me money, the buns are getting some really great hay mixed in, and the differing hay types helps their teeth.

 

[undergunfire]

Haley wrote:

What Ive been doing this year is buying cheap bales from local farmers for $5 for a 50# bale, then I buy Kleenmama bluegrass and mix it in with the local stuff. It saves me money, the buns are getting some really great hay mixed in, and the differing hay types helps their teeth.

GREAT idea! I never thought of that :biggrin2:. We'll see what Olsen's hay looks like this time around and if it is even worth the money. Hay is expensive out here. In NY we used to get great hay from farmers for only $3 a bale. It's about $30 or more here.

 

[maisy126]

Haley wrote:

What Ive been doing this year is buying cheap bales from local farmers for $5 for a 50# bale, then I buy Kleenmama bluegrass and mix it in with the local stuff. It saves me money, the buns are getting some really great hay mixed in, and the differing hay types helps their teeth.

How do you find farmers? we may not have any up here in MN, but it's worth a try.

 

[Haley]

The best way is through your yellow pages. I look under "horse stalls' or "horse barns" etc and start calling around. Anyone who has horses must have hay...so I call and ask if they sell timothy hay or if they know anyone who does. I also keep an eye on my local "farm" section on craigslist, as well as the local paper's classifieds.

Also, sites like www.hayexchange.com will let you see if anyone is selling in your area.

One more idea if you have a rabbit rescue (like HRS or an independent one) call them and ask where they get their hay, since Im sure they use a lot of it!

 

[maisy126]

Haley wrote:

The best way is through your yellow pages. I look under "horse stalls' or "horse barns" etc and start calling around. Anyone who has horses must have hay...so I call and ask if they sell timothy hay or if they know anyone who does. I also keep an eye on my local "farm" section on craigslist, as well as the local paper's classifieds.

Also, sites like http://www.hayexchange.com will let you see if anyone is selling in your area.

One more idea if you have a rabbit rescue (like HRS or an independent one) call them and ask where they get their hay, since Im sure they use a lot of it!

Thanks Haley!