Grass vs Hay

[Nitis3334]

So I ran out of hay yesterday and can't get to the store till Thursday. I went out to the field today and cut some grass for the bunny boys and it got me to thinking. Is there a difference between grass from the yard and timothy hay? Is grass outside a suitable substitute? I was thinking of starting a grass patch in the yard just for the rabbits so I can cut them fresh grass everyday. Should I pick up timothy seed and grow that?

 

[Acacia-Berry]

I ran out of hay during our ridiculous 4 month bus strike! lol It began in late fall and I went up to Signal Hill off the beaten track and picked 2 bags of hay for Acacia. Problem was, it did not have the same consistancy to work out bunny molars like timothy stalks. It's okay to help keep the gut moving but as for trimming teeth I did not find it helped. Also, Acacia was fussy as heck over it!!! lol She really preferred grass to be plucked, dried and shipped across the country before she eats it, but hey- I have a Material Girl :rollseyes

On the other hand, I am part of another forum in which a lady feeds her own grass to her cats and bunnies. If you can ensure homegrown timothy keeps free of chems and etc. then I don't see a problem as long as you can supplement for their teeth. The hay really helps to keep their mouths and teeth in check

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Hay is just dried grass. The different species (timothy, orchard grass etc) are what can make a difference. Meadow hay is really just some wild grasses and such rather than a specific grass.

Fresh grass can be good, but might not work long term. You would need a lot of grass to really replace hay. I know I am going through 5-6 bales a hay with 4 rabbits and there is no way I would be able to replace that with grass without a lot of work. Most of the grass where I live is sprayed with pesticides and is mowed. The longer stuff would be near the highway so would have the exhaust and stuff. I am not competent enough to be able to tell what is safe with really wild stuff. I do have a small patch of grass the grows tall so I will cut that and dry it out a bit as a treat.

 

[tamsin]

There seems to be a bit of a timothy hay obsession (I mean that in a nice way ) in the US. Over here, most of the hay you pick up is meadow hay, eg the same sort of stuff you get in lawns and fields - what wild bunnies eat! It's perfectly fine to feed your bun on, fresh grass from your garden is even better! In summer when the grass is growing fast I need to buy very little hay. Do introduce grass slowly though and build up gradually - don't replace hay all in one go.

Timothy is great for teeth wear, so if your bun has dental issues or doesn't eat much hay that maximises wear, but normal grass should be perfectly adequate as long as the diet you feed is mainly hay/grass based.

 

[Acacia-Berry]

I also read somewhere that the amount of grass needed to be eaten would be almost double the dry hay version to equal the same benefits!! Wow!! That's a lot of grass!! lol

 

[Nitis3334]

The boys seem pretty good with the grass I gave them today, I guess I will feed them a mixture of grass and hay. The boys go through 2 bags of hay a week, we usually get that bagged Kaytee hay, I can only find it in the 24 oz bags, I live in a small town so there isn't many choices. The boys are also still growing so they will probably be eating more as they grow.

I have an acre and a half property so I can probably set up a nice area for growing some grass for them. We have a small area behind the shed where we had fenced in where I use to use for the dogs. Do you think the dogs using that area for a potty about a year ago will make a difference? The grass in the fence is getting a bit high, I was going to take down the fence and mow it but if I can I might use that for the rabbits instead. I would love to be able to let the rabbits outside in the fence for like an hour or so in the morning, but we have a lot of hawks around here (even though I doubt they could lift up a fully grown Flemish giant), and I also don't want them digging out.

 

[tamsin]

Acacia-Berry wrote:

I also read somewhere that the amount of grass needed to be eaten would be almost double the dry hay version to equal the same benefits!! Wow!! That's a lot of grass!! lol

I'm not sure how they calculate that, it sounds a little OTT. Grass weighs more than hay because it contains water still (which makes it better for bunnies tummies). So a single strand of grass would weigh much less once it had dried into hay. So although they'd eat more in weight, the volume would be the same.

I would love to be able to let the rabbits outside in the fence for like an hour or so in the morning, but we have a lot of hawks around here (even though I doubt they could lift up a fully grown Flemish giant), and I also don't want them digging out.

If it's securely fenced, then you could bunny proof it by mowing the grass short, laying down mesh (just peg it down and roll up the edges or place bricks around) the grass will grow up through it so they can graze but not dig out. I would then net over to protect from hawks, just in case they try anything. Doesn't need to be anything heavy duty to deter them. If it's a big area you could always just bunny proof a section. A year since your dogs have been near it should be fine.

 

[Acacia-Berry]

Hmm, interesting! Thanks for claryfing!!

 

[Bunnykinz]

I feed my buns mostly grass in the summer. All other times it's just hay.:nod

 

[petalfuzz]

I give her fresh grass in the spring/summer/fall as part of her salad but still give her dried hay. The consistencies are different. Grass is soft leaves, while the hay has thick stalks for teeth and digestion health.

I did dry some grass for her, about half a mini bale. This was organic grass that was about 2' tall when I cut it. I liked it because I wasn't allergic to it like I am to timothy hay, but Chessie didn't like it as well.

 

[Acacia-Berry]

Dried it how?? Last summer after cutting the lawn I took some and spread it on the deck then gave it to them for a week or so, they didn;t seem to like it as much. Plus I like to hear them crunching on it and grinding it in their teeth so I know its working

 

[tamsin]

Although grass feels soft - in that it bends and is comfy to sit on, it's actually the abrasiveness surface that causes the wear. A bit like sandpaper, it's flexible but rub your hand over it (even if wet) and ouch!

 

[petalfuzz]

Re: drying grass

I took bunches of it about 1 inch in diameter and tied them up with twist ties. Then I draped them on my wooden drying rack in the garage until they were dry. Then I removed the twist ties and bagged it up.