Hay Cut Preference(s)?

[Jenk]

Which hay cutting do your bunnies prefer: 1st or 2nd? And do you have any preference for feeding the cut that you do?

My guys typically got 1st cut, but I believe that the current bag of Oxbow is actually 2nd cut; and all three buns are showing a preference for it. But I've always read that 1st cut is better for their teeth and digestive systems, due to the higher fiber content.

Thank you,

Jenk

 

[Maureen Las]

My rabbits seem to like almost anything

which includes the farm hay that I feed sparingly because of the clover.
I did ordered Kleenmama's for while and now I also am ordering oxbow again because the last box was good.
I think that you are concerned that the oxbow hay is so soft. ??
Ideally rabbits should have all different types of hay with all different textures. I order oat and timothy from oxbow ( never specified a cut)


If I did get 1st cut from oxbow I didn't know it and always thought I was getting 2nd .

The present oxbow timothy hay is very green and soft and did did cross my mind that maybe its texture was not fibrous enough but I would not worry about this too much.
if you havean opportunity to try other types of hay I would do this also and if you don't I would not be really concerned about it because oxbow hay does seem to vary.
my rabbits like their current oxbow hay a lot. (which is probably 2nd)

 

[Jenk]

angieluv wrote:

My rabbits seem to like almost anything which includes the farm hay that I feed sparingly because of the clover.

Well, farm hay is out ever since my one-and-only bale seemed to bring mites into my home. (That would be my luck, right? )

Idid ordered Kleenmama's for while and now I also am ordering oxbow again because the last box was good.

Oxbow's hay quality is very hit-or-miss for me whenever I buy the 25- or 50-lb. bales. Sometimes it's good and fresh; oftentimes, it contains a lot of brown and dusty hay.

I think that you are concerned that the oxbow hay is so soft. ??

I'm not really concerned. I've just noticed that the last two 9-lb. bags (the only size we could get locally) contain what appears to be 2nd-cut hay (I think). The larger bales usually seem to be 1st-cut hay.

Ideally rabbits should have all different types of hay with all different textures. I order oat and timothy from oxbow (never specified a cut)

I usually buy the small (overpriced) bags of orchard grass and oat hay (Oxbow's), which I then feed with the timothy hay every so many days. (My guys are getting pellets now, so I don't feel the need to mix hays daily; it gets too pricey anyway.)

If I did get 1st cut from oxbow I didn't know it and always thought I was getting 2nd.

It bothers me that the largest hay distributor(at least in the U.S.) doesn't specify their hay cuts, though.It would take the guesswork out, since I can't see the 25- and 50-lb. bales prior to purchase.

 

[Maureen Las]

I don't know why they don't specify the cut either.
One time whenI talked to Ashley (the customer service person) she said they had had to get their hay from outside sources because of the weather affecting their crops. That was probably over a year ago.
I had stopped buying the hay as I ordered 50 lb boxes and there was so much dust it was awful.
Now the hay this late winter -spring looks like it came from another company. I ordered 50 lbs and minimal dust.... so maybe they don't know where their next batch is coming from.

 

[Jenk]

angieluv wrote:

One time whenI talked to Ashley (the customer service person) she said they had had to get their hay from outside sources because of the weather affecting their crops....The hay this late winter-spring looks like it came from another company. I ordered 50 lbs and minimal dust.... so maybe they don't know where their next batch is coming from.

I've long suspected that the company uses multiple hay suppliers (who, of course, allow their product to be sold under the brandname "Oxbow"). I believe that because the hay quality has varied so greatly--even between orders placed only one month's time apart.

At the end of the day, I'd appreciate less dust and more consistency overall, in terms of hay freshness.

I've placed my first Sweet Meadow Farm order and am eager to see if my bunners and I approve of its quality. (It bugs me that shipping charges are $1 more than the hay's cost itself. I must be content, though, since the total charge is still less than buying 50 lbs. of Oxbow from a local distributor.)

 

[JimD]

I got1st cut from Bunnybales. The buns weren't crazy about it. A lot would go to waste (Chippy used to hide it under her blanket).

The only distributor I've found that lets you select the cut is Kleenmamas.

The first shipment I got was 2nd cut and very nice. Good color and a nice mix of stem and leafy stuff. The buns liked it a lot.

The next shipment I got was 3rd cut....very,very nice. Soft & green.....and the buns go absolutely nuts for it!
And I swear they look better than they have in a while....soft and shiny coats.

 

[Jenk]

JimD wrote:

The only distributor I've found that lets you select the cut is Kleenmamas.

Sweet Meadow lets you choose between 1st- and 2nd-cut hay.

The first shipment I got was 2nd cut and very nice. Good color and a nice mix of stem and leafy stuff. The buns liked it a lot.

Yeah, my guys seem to like the 2nd-cut Oxbow that I currently have. (I believe that it's 2nd-cut because it's fairly green, softer than normal, and contains some seed heads.)

The next shipment I got was 3rd cut....very,very nice. Soft & green.....and the buns go absolutely nuts for it! And I swear they look better than they have in a while....soft and shiny coats.

That's where I get confused: Many bun owners--and even hay sellers--recommend 1st-cut hay for buns. Apparently, the fiber content decreases with each successive cutting (2nd and 3rd), and the sugar content of them increases.

Personally, I may try to switch them off/on between 1st- and 2nd-cut hay, since I can order them from Sweet Meadow Farms. But as long as I can get them to still eat 1st-cut hay, I'll always push that whenever they're experiencing a shedding period.

 

[JimD]

Jenk wrote:

That's where I get confused: Many bun owners--and even hay sellers--recommend 1st-cut hay for buns. Apparently, the fiber content decreases with each successive cutting (2nd and 3rd), and the sugar content of them increases.

JMO...

A first cut will show the yield a farmer will get.
Cut at the right time andunder good conditions, it will be a great feed.
And it stores well becauce of the lower moisture content.
A lot of factors apply...going to seed, rainfall, temp, drying, etc.
And it will also show what the second cut will get.

If the first cut is good, then the second cut will likely be good....with proper conditions of course.
A higher moisture content requires a more vigilant storing condition to avoid mold/mildew.

I think third cut is more of a goal that is a work of nurturing the crop...a proper amount of TLC is required.
An early third cut is the best, but offers a lesser yield.
If the first and second cut aren't up to par it could end up being low quality, dried out and dusty.

It makes sense to grow and sell good quality 1st &2nd cut.
3rd cut will sell if good....but not the money maker.

I go with the results I get from feeding my buns.

Chippy, with all of her GI issues (my megacolon posterbun), seems to do much better on the third cut.
She loves it, too.
I still give her some of the first cut, mostly because she likes to use it for bedding and nesting.

Benji is sensitive to dust....gives him runny eyes. The 3rd cut from KM is virtually dust free.
He hasn't had runny eyes since I switched over.

Binkie and Rosie are little hoover vacs and will eat anything, but seem to get more animated when I offer the 3rd.

Even ol' mommybun S'more does half-binkies when I'm handing out the 3rd.

All the buns have shown VERY healthy outpoop, too!

Buns can be different though.