Hay questions?

[stargazerLily]

I bought a variety of oxbow hay (the oat hay, timothy, botanical, and orchard grass), and have tried 3 of the flavors with Orion so far. I don't think he's a big fan of the oat hay, couldn't tell if he ate the botanical, and I know he eats the timothy. Is it good to have a variety of hays and offer different ones daily, or should I just stick with what he seems to like best? Is one type better than the others (I am not giving alfalfa)?

Also, I'm not sure how much hay he really eats. I have a hay manger for him that I keep full (but have found that I only need to really fill it once a week), and I put hay in his litter box, but I'm not sure how much he actually eats and how much he just scatters about. Does it sound like he is getting enough hay? Besides hay, he gets a bowl full of veggies (mostly salad), and 1/4 cup bunny basic T oxbow pellets.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Funny you ask this. I always give mine the regular timothy hay. Well, my petstore I get hay from just started stocking new products. Imagine my excitement! I bought Oxbow Oat Hay. I pm'd Randy, a very well educated Mod on our forum here and he said that Oat Hay is very good, so are the others, (botanical, not sure), but oat, orchard and brome are all quite good.

They'll eat what they want, I have one that doesn't eat that much hay at all, never has and she's doing just great. You can also stuff some hay in a toilet paper roll, this seems to entice them more too. Randy also told me that for the finicky ones that don't care for timothy hay, oat hay is the way to go.

 

[Haley]

Yup, all grass hay is fine. You should check around with local farmers and horse stables etc for timothy hay. Its so much cheaper (usually around 5.00 for a 50 lb bale). And its usually a lot fresher.

As for the amount, as long as he has unlimited hay available he should be fine. I have some buns who chow down and some who are picky and dont eat as much. As long as youre offering him lots of hay he should be ok

 

[seniorcats]

If you live in or near Medina County, there is a great farm to get hay on Rte. 94 (Ridge Rd.) near Rte. 271. The hay harvest in Ohio has been spectacular this year so you should be able to find some good, inexpensive hay.

If you aren't in a rural area, try checking out the newspapaer classifieds, garden centers or your closest feed and grain or farmer's exchange. Some TSC's (Tractor Supply), like the one in Burbank, actually carry local hay.