Best hay for hooman allergies?

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This topic has 11sd replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by Azerane.

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- 03/21/2016 at 3:49 PM
  Booplesnoot
  Participant
  50 posts
  I have come to the horrific realization that timothy hay is deadly to me. I’ve had a few bun owners tell me that hay isn’t as necessary as I think, and as long as his pellets are really high in timothy, he should be fine. I know he likes his hay and my gut feeling is that I think he needs it. I also need to be able to breathe, lol.
  
  Sooooooo does anyone have recommendations for hay that won’t kill me or require a hazmat suit?
- 03/21/2016 at 4:02 PM
  tobyluv
  Participant
  3310 posts
  Bunnies definitely need hay, not just to keep their digestive tract working well, but also to wear down their teeth. Orchard grass is a very good hay for rabbits and it is not as likely to cause allergies in people.
  
  Also, if you have only tried one brand of timothy, you could try some other brands or other cuttings. Hay is variable. Some brands or batches are dustier than others.
- 03/21/2016 at 4:06 PM
  Bam
  Moderator
  16872 posts
  You can try orchard or oat hay. Oxbow carries both. I’ve found orchard to be particularly dust-free. Many buns prefer it to timothy and it really is equal in fiber and nutrients. The only hay-type you want to avoid is alfalfa (legume hay), because it’s too rich in protein and too high in calcium for adult buns.
- 03/21/2016 at 5:28 PM
  Booplesnoot
  Participant
  50 posts
  Orchard it is, then. 🙂 Thanks!
- 03/21/2016 at 10:36 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22342 posts
  I’ve had a few bun owners tell me that hay isn’t as necessary as I think, and as long as his pellets are really high in timothy, he should be fine. I know he likes his hay and my gut feeling is that I think he needs it.
  
  Yay for your gut (for being right) and his gut, which will continue to get hay.
  Hay should be 80% of their diet.
- 03/22/2016 at 1:40 PM
  Booplesnoot
  Participant
  50 posts
  ALL THE HAY
- 03/22/2016 at 9:41 PM
  BoBo
  Participant
  3 posts
  I also have severe allergies to my rabbit’s hay, and possibly also to the airborne particles from his urine. An allergist’s advice was to get rid of him. So here are the things I’ve done to be able to keep him:
  1. wear a disposable mask and latex gloves when doling the hay into his dish or changing his litter
  2. if my rabbit scratches me, I react badly to the remnants of hay or urine on his nails that then go into my skin. I wash immediately with an antibacterial soap and rinse well, and use cortisone lotion or Benadryl cream right away.
  3. Buy a good air purifier with a Hepa filter, which stays near his cage- bonus is less dust in general in my apartment.
  These precautions have helped alot- it was either this or give BoBo away.
- 03/23/2016 at 5:47 AM
  Q8bunny
  Participant
  6345 posts
  I second Oxbow Orchard Grass. Pretty much dust-free (weird “grippy” texture too) and doesn’t make my nose stuffy the way Timothy does.
- 03/24/2016 at 3:57 PM
  Booplesnoot
  Participant
  50 posts
  I got orchard grass today and I swear that the angels sang when I opened the bag. Bun is happy, I is happy.
- 03/24/2016 at 4:24 PM
  pinknfwuffy
  Participant
  660 posts
  YAY! I completely agree. When I first got Olaf I was terrified that I might be allergic to him. My eyes were itchy and voice would be super hoarse. I couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to be close to him. Grabbed a bag of orchard grass hay instead of Timothy by accident and my life is forever changed. Yippy for happy buns and hoomans. :]
- 03/27/2016 at 4:55 PM
  Manda and Loki
  Participant
  72 posts
  I just recently starting getting this hay online from a family in Kentucky I believe. It’s called small pet select. I saw it on amazon but I now purchase it from their website. (smallpetselect.com) I’ve had such good luck with them. There’s plenty of reviews on both their site and amazon so i’ll spare you the long story but you should really give it a shot! I have problems with the dust in hay found in pet store bags- even Oxbow, which you really pay for. I pay 2$ more for 10lbs of it with small pet select, which is about 60 more ounces than the big Oxbow bag I used to buy. and that was about 27$ here in NY. Small pet selects hay is so fresh, has NO dust, you can pick which cut you’d like, and there’s alfalfa and orchard too. I’m actually waiting for 20lbs to come now! if you use the code “BETTERHAY” you get 40% off your first order too!
- 03/27/2016 at 6:24 PM
  Azerane
  Moderator
  4688 posts
  Woohoo, I’m glad you managed to get some hay that you’re not allergic to. It would be nice if orchard grass hay was available in Australia because my husband has both allergies to the hay and to rabbits. I may have to invest in an air purifier.
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