Hay question

[Zarcasm]

Pipp wrote:

You'll have to post the story of how you got these rabbits...


sas :bunnydance:

They're just coming from a local feedstore in a pretty awful part of town that's not really the greatest place for animals. They mostly sell animals for meat (Rabbits included), which is also how I ended up with my goat. I couldn't leave her there to be eaten because she was so ridiculously sweet, heh. x)
None of the rabbits or anything look like they're actually sick (though my goat did have a cough and some sort of runny nose for a while after I got her) or really badly treated, but they're not really kept in very large cages and I never see hay around, so I'm assuming they don't get it. The whole reason I got back into wanting rabbits again was after seeing one of them there that I just sort of fell in love with, a relatively large black and white rabbit. I have no idea if he's still there, but if he is I am totally snatching him up (though it's unlikely since it's been a while since).

 

[Pipp]

Please keep us posted!

PS: I'm just reading about another benefit with Timothy Hay, it has high silica content which is great for dental issues. (I'm trying to find a good silica content table for the other varieties, no luck yet).


sas :bunnydance:

 

[Zarcasm]

Pipp wrote:

Please keep us posted!

PS: I'm just reading about another benefit with Timothy Hay, it has high silica content which is great for dental issues. (I'm trying to find a good silica content table for the other varieties, no luck yet).


sas :bunnydance:

I COULD still buy the small, overpriced bags of timothy and mix that with the normal hay, that way I could give them a large amount of the coastal so they constantly have something to munch on, but the timothy mixed in in a smaller amount as well, if it is actually worth doing so.

 

[Pipp]

I'm not convinced Bermuda is that much lower in silica content or that the local grass hay (and straw) isn't that much higher. Silica is higher in dry climates which is why the prairie timothy is good. But straw has an even higher content (although no nutrients). Texas hay could have something going for it, you never know.

BTW, I think silica is measured as a percentage of the ash content. It varies within that content, but checking the ash level in rabbit food might be somewhat relevant? I'll have to look into that.

BTW2, love to do a survey of dental health in Oregon near Mnt St Helens.

But variety is definitely the way to go regardless. NB.
sas :bunnydance:

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

Zarcasm wrote:

Pipp wrote:

You'll have to post the story of how you got these rabbits...


sas :bunnydance:

They're just coming from a local feedstore in a pretty awful part of town that's not really the greatest place for animals. They mostly sell animals for meat (Rabbits included), which is also how I ended up with my goat. I couldn't leave her there to be eaten because she was so ridiculously sweet, heh. x)
None of the rabbits or anything look like they're actually sick (though my goat did have a cough and some sort of runny nose for a while after I got her) or really badly treated, but they're not really kept in very large cages and I never see hay around, so I'm assuming they don't get it. The whole reason I got back into wanting rabbits again was after seeing one of them there that I just sort of fell in love with, a relatively large black and white rabbit. I have no idea if he's still there, but if he is I am totally snatching him up (though it's unlikely since it's been a while since).

The feed store I use out hwy 6 for meds and stuff. has that some are in the store. Normally the babys and the rest are in wire bottum cages. OUtside they have rabbits goats. Geese I think is what they are.

Yes mostly meat rabbits they had one dwarf right after I got storm.
I guess out in in texas its pretty normal. Cause I did not know about normal pet shops tell I was like 15.

 

[naturestee]

You guys have bluestem hay? Neat! That's actually a native species- several actually, depending on where you are and the soil conditions. Up here, we plant that in wildlife areas but it tends to get out-competed by introduced species. Grr. It makes great habitat. I have no idea what the nutrition is like... but it's still grass and therefore a good choice.

I hope you get the rabbit you have your eye on!

 

[Zarcasm]

naturestee wrote:

You guys have bluestem hay? Neat! That's actually a native species- several actually, depending on where you are and the soil conditions. Up here, we plant that in wildlife areas but it tends to get out-competed by introduced species. Grr. It makes great habitat. I have no idea what the nutrition is like... but it's still grass and therefore a good choice.

I hope you get the rabbit you have your eye on!

I'm not entirely sure, but I KNOW I have gotten square bales of bluestem from the feedstore nearest to me before. Where she got it from (It came in on a regular 18-wheeler, not sure where that came from though) I'm not entirely sure, so it might have been grown quite a ways from where I live. The bales of it I got weren't so great though, just baled loosely and sort of "dirty" seeming with leaves (like, tree leaves, not good hay leaves) in it, so we didn't buy anymore for the horses and stuck with the coastal.

Right now I'd be happy with nearly any rabbit, even if he's gone. I'm getting myself all worked up talking about names and whatnot for them even. :biggrin2:

 

[naturestee]

If he's not there, you could also check out your local Humane Society or rabbit rescues. I know there are some in your area, check on Petfinder.com.

Edit: I think I remember hearing that the drier bluestem species has a better time growing and competing in the Southwest than our Big Bluestem does here. Which would make it a useful hay crop, where ours is would just be a needless expense and they'd go plant timothy instead.

 

[Zarcasm]

naturestee wrote:

If he's not there, you could also check out your local Humane Society or rabbit rescues. I know there are some in your area, check on Petfinder.com.

I'm sort of limited in where I can go and what I can do since I'm underage and whatnot. There were lots of other ones there too, but he just caught my eye because he was big and a very nice black & white color (And he just seemed so laidback). There was also another that reminded me of a tortoiseshell cat color (I tried to find what this would be called in rabbits but had NO luck) that I just thought was awesome, but when I tried to stick a finger in to touch him he darted to the other side of the cage. I'm going to have to see which ones aren't totally insane-wild because I doubt they've been handled much there.

 

[naturestee]

Oooh! Harlequin! That's what looks a bit like a tortiseshell cat. Neat!

 

[Zarcasm]

naturestee wrote:

Oooh! Harlequin! That's what looks a bit like a tortiseshell cat. Neat!

Yes! I just googled pictures of them and that was totally it. I looked for a while trying to use "tortoiseshell rabbit" and really couldn't find much. It was really neat looking though. I have no idea what breeds any of the rabbits there are, though they look like my old lops or some sort of lop mix, I'm guessing.