Where do you get your hay?

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BaileysMom

BaileysMom

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Quad Cities Area, Illinois, USA
Where do you guys get your hay from? I've seen quite a few of you have your hay in the litter boxes and w/ 6 rabbits that can get expensive and waistful if you're only option is to get it from the pet stores. So I was curious as to where you get your hay from? I can't seem to find any farmers around me that have small hay bales that DON'T have alfalfa in them.

HELP!
 
I get mine from the feed store. $10 for a 50-60 lb. bale. I bought mine January 2010 and we're only about halfway through! I do think it has a bit of alfalfa in it. I don't personally think a bit of alfalfa mixed in their hay is gonna hurt them. Iwouldn't do a 50:50 mix, but a little bit is okay.

Hope that helps!

Rue
 
We also get our hay from the feed store. A square bale of coastal hay runs about $7 and lasts us quite a while. I will supplement with timothy hay but lately I've had to get it at the pet store. They don't sell bales of timothy around here, just alfalfa.
 
I get mine direct from the farmers. The ones I get now about $10 a bale, but I have paid $4 a bale previously. The stuff now is actually better than some pet store hay. A bale is lasting me about 2-3 months with 4 rabbits.

A bit of alfalfa (about 4-10%) is ok. I would not go higher than that if possible.

Check horse stables to see where they get their hay from. The big places aren't going to risk the horses over bad hay. See if you can buy a bale or 2 from them and even offer a bit more than they pay. Most of these places buy 1000 or more at a time, so 1 or 2 bales doesn't make a huge difference. Even a few flakes from them would be cheaper than the stuff at a pet store.
 
I found my farmer on Craigs list and had to drive about a hour to get the hay, but I got enough for a year. After the harvest in May (that's when my farmer said his next cutting would be) start looking on Craigs list and try to combine the hay trip with another trip if you want to save gas. For example, we went to a waterpark near the farmer and then went to get the hay. At $3/bale for meadowgrass any gas I spent getting they hay and the time spent was well worth it. Pet store hay is too expensive. If you look at the right time of year you will be able to find a variety of hay, I saw alfalfa, timothy and meadowgrass within an hour to two hours from my house.

So find a farmer on Craig's list, find someone with a van and go pick up a crazy amount of hay. Roll down the windows on the way home though. I don't have hay allergies but driving with that much hay in the car was murder!

I keep my bales in the garage in front of our cars, up on blocks. If I hit the hay with the car at least I don't damage anything! :biggrin:
 
Thanks everyone, I posted a wanted hay add on craigslist but I will keep watching, if a little alfalfa is ok, then hopefully I can find it easier. My father in law has horses but he gets the HUGE round bales, I'll have to ask if his supplier has any smaller bales and what kind it is.
The pet stores are ridiculous they want $4-8 for a small bag when I know the bales around here are only $3-$4.
 
Yay! I found a place this morning and got a bale for $4 and it's got quite a bit of timothy in it. I told the guy that it was for rabbits and that the timothy was really good for them. I also found out why it's so hard to find it, apparently with all the rain last year it killed a lot of the hay in the area so hay is scarce. Hopefully this year proves to be better. I told my hubby he needs to clean an area for me to store it so it won't get wet or moldy. Hopefully the rabbits will like it. I believe he said it was from last years crop but it looked good. He also said there was some red clover in it, is that safe?

Sorry I'm hay illiterate.
 
I keep mine in the big Rubbermaid containers. With my 2 buns they go through a bale in about 6-8 months. I live near some agricultural colleges so finding hay bales is easy ($15 for a Timothy bale 60-65lbs). I found out about the place by asking at one of the Agway / tractor supply type stores. If they don't carry it, they probably know who does.
 
I get mine from a person here at work that has horses. Timothy for $5 for a 60 pound bale. I have three bunns and 4 months I'm about 1/2 done. I keep it in a top open cardboard box in my mud room. I do get some of the pet store special hays for snacks. The timothy is in the litter boxes and free fed. The specialty goes in the little hay balls as something special.
 
I get mine from a tack store. I think I pay $14 for a HUGE bale of hay (not sure the weight...but over 60lbs). It is timothy/alfalfa mix. I've been feeding this hay for over a year and it is super green and leafy. I have yet to notice any chances in health/behavior from the bunnies, from it being mixed with alfalfa. Since I live in an apartment...I pack as much of it as I can into a giant rubbermaid bin in my closet, then I give the left over hay (usually 1/4th of the bale) to my boss for her horses. I think the hay lasts me around 6 months.
 
Baci is a very picky hay eater ever since we took him off of alfalfa. I've tried local hay, Oxbow hay and also from Bunny Bale. Then at a rabbit convention last year, I got some sample bags from http://www.organichayco.com. He loves it. The price is reasonable, it's the shipping that's high. But worth it since he's finally eating hay again.
 
Red clover is fine for rabbits.

I buy my straw and hay from the farmer across the street. (Big help to you!) But he told me that nobody grows timothy hay because it takes a lot longer to grow and thus it's harder to make a profit.

He does sell me orchard grass hay however.
 
I bought hay from kleenmammas. I paid a total of $46.21 for a 45 pound bale of hay. 45 pound bale of hay is $26, the shipping is $20.21. I know that is ridiculous but it is worth it. My rabbits love it. I am feeding what is left of the pet store hay along with it for another week or so, so that they can get used to the switch easier. I will have to buy more probably at the end of this year to beginning of next year.
 
Ive started buying Oxbow bales at a 9lb bale for $20, since i work for a vet clinic i get the discount, and it lasts at least a month between 2 bunnies and 2 guinea pigs, so its a lot better than when i was buying small bales from the pet store
 
I buy mine at Cenex or what used to be Cenex anyways its about $5 for 2pounds and i don't know of anywhere to buy bales of hay so that is what I buy I know its super duper green and smells great.
 
We buy ours from the feed store - price depends upon time of the year (with our herd we probably go through 10 or so bales per year).

I think the most I pay is $15.

I also buy the "droppings" that they put into 50 pound feed sacks...a bag of that is $3. Its usually pretty good and softer than what is baled cause it fell out.
 
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