Can hay have too much fiber?

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This topic has 7sd replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 1 month ago by MimzMum.

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- 12/19/2008 at 10:38 AM
  DallasDelight
  Participant
  187 posts
  This might be a really, really stupid question..but it just crossed my mind because I’m going through Petsmart’s website and I was looking at Kaytee’s timothy hay..the guaranteed analysis says 32% Fiber(max). I remember reading 20-25% fiber is best. So, is 32% overkill?
- 12/19/2008 at 11:05 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  I’ve not heard that before – I’ve heard that you want your pellets to have a minimum of 18% fiber but no mention of maximum.
  
  Timothy hay usually has around 30% fiber so I don’t think that it would be too much fiber. After all it is recommended that (grass) hay be the major component of your rabbit’s diet as it is supposed to be unlimited.
- 12/19/2008 at 8:48 PM
  MooBunnay
  Participant
  3087 posts
  Timothy hay is a good hay for bunnies to eat, so I would feel comfortable with the 32% fiber. I usually pay more attention to the type of hay than the fiber count, and try to make sure that my bunnies always have unlimited timothy.
- 12/23/2008 at 9:37 PM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  Yeh I don’t think too much fibre in a product like hay is possible-so that sounds like great hay to me; I’d maybe be concerned in something like pellets-they’re made so if they had a really high or low number, then maybe worry; But hays natural so that high fibre sounds great!
- 12/25/2008 at 12:51 AM
  MimzMum
  Participant
  8029 posts
  I was wondering this too. Not only the hay but the pellets that Kaytee sells seem to be very high in fiber. Good to know they can’t have TOO much.
  
  I’ve used both since bringing bunnies home, but I may still switch to Oxbow though, if I can get it shipped here and the buns will eat it. I have found the qulaity control on the pellets and the hay not too good of late. The hay itself is mostly brown and useless (the buns won’t eat brown hay, but they will pee on it) and the pellets are starting to have sunflower seeds show up in them…not to mention the dust factor. (At least 1/6 of the bag is pellet dust and I’m not inDUSTrious enough to make it into bunny cookies.)
- 12/27/2008 at 6:09 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  sunflower seeds? wow! the kaytee brand?
- 12/27/2008 at 10:49 AM
  Battie
  Participant
  201 posts
  Posted By MimzMum on 12/25/2008 12:51 AM
  I was wondering this too. Not only the hay but the pellets that Kaytee sells seem to be very high in fiber. Good to know they can’t have TOO much.
  
  I’ve used both since bringing bunnies home, but I may still switch to Oxbow though, if I can get it shipped here and the buns will eat it. I have found the qulaity control on the pellets and the hay not too good of late. The hay itself is mostly brown and useless (the buns won’t eat brown hay, but they will pee on it) and the pellets are starting to have sunflower seeds show up in them…not to mention the dust factor. (At least 1/6 of the bag is pellet dust and I’m not inDUSTrious enough to make it into bunny cookies.)
  
  I buy Kaytee brand hay all the time since when the pet store is out of Oxbow (which is all the time, since they stalk so little of it), it’s the next best-looking option. It’s always green when I buy it and it doesn’t brown. Quincy is pretty happy with it. Sometimes I have to buy the icky Petco brand if I could only hit the petstore that’s on the way home from work. He won’t eat that until he realizes that it’s all I have. 🙁
- 01/02/2009 at 6:55 PM
  MimzMum
  Participant
  8029 posts
  Yup, Beka, and I am also finding tiny plastic pieces in my last few bags. I’m am about finished with this brand, it is just not worth the hassle.
  
  If one does change the brand pellets on a bunny, I assume it must be done gradually, but I’m about ready to have to go through my pellets with a sieve to make sure there isn’t anything untoward in the bag. >_<
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