Dumb hay question…

[Tate]

 I am hoping to buy some local hay… Unfortunately I just don’t have the money yet to get more hay from BB… 

I found an ad on Craigslist for orchard grass… 60 lbs for $3!!! But… does this ad sound “right” to you?

“Local 2nd cutting 60lbs bales 2010 Orchard grass, no spray, 2nd year 
tops and ends, discolored, a spot or weed……….75- % good bales 
CLEANING OUT THE BARN!!!!”

A.) Is grass from 2010 ok as long as it has been kept dry (assuming it has, as it sounds like it’s been in a barn)?

B.) “discolored, a spot or weed…. 75-%”… WTH does this mean? I like the fact that it’s pesticide free, but…. concerned. Ha. 

I know that you really need to see the hay before you buy to see what it looks like, but would you respond to this ad? The town where it’s from is not terribly far away, but not close either so I would like to not waste the gas.

 

[jerseygirl]

Maybe contact the poster to clarify?

I doubt they’d be putting “has discolouration, spots and weeds” in an ad so I’m reading that has “no spray, no 2nd year tops and ends (from previous years hay crop?) no discolouration, spots or weeds” Though I highly doubt you can claim its 100% spot and weed free!

2nd cut hay is normally more weed free though compared to 1st cut.

Not sure what 75-% means. Maybe it’s meant to be “75-100 good bales”? Over here, clearing out the barn happen in prep for the new seasons hay crop. I think 2010 hay is as fresh as you can get at the moment if you’re only just entering into spring/summer over there.

[BinkyBunny]

Hay from 2010 shouldn’t be a problem at all as 2011 Hay is still growing in many places, and is just now beginning to be harvested. So really, I bet you that most hay being sold in the last few months is still 2010 hay. No other way around it.

Hay, when stored properly, can still be good even when it’s over a year old.

discolored may mean that it has yellowed from sun or browned a bit from moisture damage (AS LONG as it’s not a dark dark brown which can indicate mold). The nutrients won’t be as much, but with hay, it’s all about the fiber, rabbits don’t get alot of nutrients from hay in the first place.

I don’t know what they mean by weed. It is not uncommon to have weeds in large bales, but it should be a low percentage. Email the seller and find out what they mean exactly. I would be interested to know, for curiosity’s sake, to understand as well what they mean as I am just giving you my guesses based on what I know about hay.

[jerseygirl]

I am just giving you my guesses based on what I know about hay.

And I (jg) am giving you guesses based on what I’ve googled about hay. Lol

[BinkyBunny]

Jersey, we posted at the same time. I didn’t see your post until I posted mine.
Anway, that’s a good point Jersey! I bet you are right about what they seller actually meant

[jerseygirl]

Jersey, we posted at the same time. I didn’t see your post until I posted mine.

Ditto. Anyway, I defer to your expertise as you’re the one who sells the hay.   I’m a farmers daughter and know embarrassing little about farming  I learn about hay now because of the rabbits!  I asked my Dad not so long ago if he though some hay I had was moldy or rain damaged. His test was to chew it…

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By jerseygirl on 05/22/2011 10:20 PM

Jersey, we posted at the same time. I didn’t see your post until I posted mine.

Ditto. Anyway, I defer to your expertise as you’re the one who sells the hay.

It’s easy to to defer to each other when we both had basically the same answer.  

[Tate]

Thanks! I will email him tonight. How bad is it that I am THIS excited about hay?! Heehee

[NaturalRabbit]

Definitely give the guy a call or e-mail him.

 

As a horse and rabbit mom, I can assure you that you do not want weeds in your hay. Weedy hay is considered cow quality hay because the definition of “weeds” in the hay world usually means potentially toxic weeds to animals other than cows. It’s worth a look. If you don’t like it you can always check a feed store or post a WANTED ad. The past place to purchase hay is directly from the grower. It’ll be cheaper and fresher.

 

I hate to say it, but purchasing big bales of hay is much cheaper than the small bales. It’s a shame, really as we don’t have good timothy hay here in CA.

 

Good luck!

[KatnipCrzy]

Ask the seller to clarify. But if it seems like a “bargain sale” that could be a warning. And square bales do vary in size and weight- but usually good quality will be stated. Prices really vary in regions. But I paid $4 for a bale of Timothy- but I don’t know the weight- and I am in Michigan.

[tobyluv]

I buy bagged hay for my bunnies, but at the Sanctuary where I volunteer, hay is bought in bales by the truckload from an area farmer. Depending on the variety of hay, the bales cost between $10 and $15, delivered. $3 a bale sounds very cheap to me, maybe too cheap to be good.

A couple of years ago, one of the other volunteers found an ad for cheaper hay from some farm we had never heard of. She drove down to pick up some bales, but the bales turned out to be smaller than normal, and the hay was dusty and not nearly as fresh as the regular hay. The Sanctuary likes to hold down costs as much as anyone, but we also want to ensure that the hay given to the rabbits is quality, fresh hay, and that it won’t be wasted.

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