Hay Types

[JadeIcing]

Thanks everyone this is very very important. If I can not wear his teeth down or atleast keep them from bothering him he would have to go under to clip them. With all his past and current health issues there is a big chance he would never come out of it.

It is why he is not neutered and never will be.

 

[m.e.]

Totally understandable :hug:

I agree, Oat Hay is the coarsest I've found and the bunnies really seem to love the taste.

 

[JadeIcing]

Thanks. I will try to find some oat near by if not than order it.

 

[clarzoo]

AngelnSnuffy said: I say definitely get the Oat Hay, I've been getting that for my guys and the texture is unbelievable.

That would be my suggestion, too. Oat hay would be a perfect texture for wearing down teeth.

AngelnSnuffy wrote: I swear, some of the think pieces of the oat hay look like straw:shock:. I need to take a piccie.

Bo B Bunny wrote: Ask the vet before feeding straw. It could work as a toy or some seagrass mats or something but I don't think I'd want Bo injesting a lot of it myself.

Sorry for all the quotes! I was trying to keep this train of thought together.

I just wanted to point out that Oat Hay = Straw. Oat hay is young, leafy hay made from the oat plants. Straw is older, stemmy hay made from oat plant stalks.

Straw is definitely safe to eat. But, Spring is right- there is no nutrition in it. Straw is good for those bunnies who are chubby, but always seem to be starving, it gives them something to chew on without gaining calories. As always, when offering new foods, switch gradually over. The rougher texture of straw may upset sensitive tummies if they've never had it before.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I am not thinking oat hay tho - I am thinking STRAW. I also have sheep and think along those lines - it's bad on them. Some straw is not oat. It can be any stem of grains like oats, barley, etc.

I don't think I'd like giving Bo or any of them just barn straw as a hay replacement.

 

[JadeIcing]

Not worried about nutrition just wearing down the teeth.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Yeah, I keep thinking how it can plug up a sheep. Son says that straw from barns is usually cut dry at harvest time - whereas like oat hay is cut fresh and then dried......

 

[JadeIcing]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Yeah, I keep thinking how it can plug up a sheep. Son says that straw from barns is usually cut dry at harvest time - whereas like oat hay is cut fresh and then dried......

Hmm intresting. Your son smart!

 

[naturestee]

Variety is good, each different thickness of hay gets chewed a little differently. I get bluegrass from my in-laws (stealing from their buffalo!) and it's really thin and smells great. Very different from normal timothy. Oat hay would be on the other end of the spectrum, very wide and coarse but it smells like a treat. I wish I could find a bale of it around here. Oxbow is just too expensive.

I also buy bales of mixed grass from a local farmer. It has a good mix of different grasses of different widths, so I like it. It's also fun for the buns to sort through and pick out their favorites first before they eat the rest of it. You just have to watch out because most "mixed grass" hay has a lot of alfalfa in it, at least in my area. You have to ask around to find low-alfalfa hay.

BTW, a bit of alfalfa hay would be ok for him too, as long as he doesn't get excess cecals from it. Mix a little bit in with his grass hay and watch him search through the pile to find every last bit. Keeps them busy.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I did get some pics last night of my oat hay, I don't think the pics are that great. I can post them if ya want. I haven't even transferred them off the camera:?.

 

[maherwoman]

Yes...please post, Crystal!

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

maherwoman wrote:

Yes...please post, Crystal!

Like I said, not a great pic:?.

 

[maherwoman]

No, it's definitely clear enough that you can see it well.

Well enough, in fact, that for the first time, I realized that oat hay is the type of hay BunnyLuv gives my buns everytime I take them in for grooming!

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

maherwoman wrote:

No, it's definitely clear enough that you can see it well.

Well enough, in fact, that for the first time, I realized that oat hay is the type of hay BunnyLuv gives my buns everytime I take them in for grooming!

It just looks so darn green to me, even the bag:?.

Thanks Rosie, as long as y'all can see it well. The stuff is awesome in texture!:shock:

See how crunched up and curly it is?

 

[maherwoman]

Do yours snarfle it as much as mine do??

AngelnSnuffy wrote:

maherwoman wrote:

No, it's definitely clear enough that you can see it well.

Well enough, in fact, that for the first time, I realized that oat hay is the type of hay BunnyLuv gives my buns everytime I take them in for grooming!

It just looks so darn green to me, even the bag:?.

Thanks Rosie, as long as y'all can see it well. The stuff is awesome in texture!:shock:

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I switch off and on with them between the Oat Hay and regular Timothy they're used to. It's working!

 

[maherwoman]

Yeah, I'm contemplating doing the same for our babies...

I found that we can get 15lbs of it from BunnyLuv for $15. So, we'll be picking some up here soon for our sweeties!

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Ever since I heard Randy say that different hays wear down the teeth differently? Yeah, a must for me. Even though I've never had a bun with teeth issues, it's a variety for them too.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

JadeIcing wrote:

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Yeah, I keep thinking how it can plug up a sheep. Son says that straw from barns is usually cut dry at harvest time - whereas like oat hay is cut fresh and then dried......

Hmm intresting. Your son smart!

He's VERY smart - sometimes it's scary! but we help grow hay and he's done a bunch of research because a lot of people use straw for bedding and sheep tend to eat it and get sick.

Like clarzoo said - it's the older plant and that does tend to make it different in texture. It certainly isn't going to hurt them but there are different types of straw, and including it as an additional food/chewing source sounds appropriate.

I like the whole "switching around" of hay, but mine won't eat the different hays if I do that. It's like they protest to get the timothy back.

Now I'm going to be on the lookout for a farmer who might just have some oat straw or something good straw for the bunnies! Everyone is harvesting right now - but I don't think corn or soybean harvesting is going to leave straw. That's what we have the most of up here.

HOW PATHETIC is it that my daughter got reserve grand on hay this year and we can't feed ourmixed or alfalfa to the bunnies cause Bohas allergies? :?

 

[JadeIcing]

Post!

Oh lord Ringo has the gut of a seasoned drinker.:shock:He gets alfalfa pellets Tuesday and thursdays. Well to he bulks up a few ounces he gets it regular.