Posted By Sarita on 11/12/2013 07:32 AM

Try orchard grass. Many many people are allergic to Timothy hay.

         Thanks! Does the cut really make any difference? I read that 2nd and 3rd cut could have less dust?

I have never had exposure to hay so I am usure if it is an allergy to the hay or just the dust. I do have allergies to dust.

Posted By Sarita on 11/12/2013 07:50 AM

I do believe 2nd and 3rd cut may be less dusty – there is always going to be dust and small bits at the bottom of the container though.

Sometimes it depends on where the hay is grown and what it is exposed to as well…I think it’s probably a bit more complicated than just the hay…but I say try another cut or try orchard grass (which is seasonal).

         If the Orchard grass is seasonal, will that be unavailable at certain times of the year? If so should I try to store a larger quantity to get her through the times that it is unavailable? I have read about bunny digestion and I don’t want to put her through undue stress by switching her hay every few months. Or does that not apply to hay and only introducing new foods such as fruit or vegetables?

Posted By Sarita on 11/12/2013 08:33 AM

You don’t need to worry about digestive problems with hay.

           Great! That’s a relief, I was worrying about trying to slowly wean her onto a new hay, haha! We will pick up some Orchard grass today and see if it helps. Thanks so much!

We got the oxbow orchard grass today and I am happy to report that Penelope loves it. She was munching it right from my hand and trying to get at the corners of the bag for a nibble haha. Also, I think my allergies are getting better. I opened the bag up in the pet store and took a big whiff of the hay before we bought it and it seemed fine. No real issues besides a little tickle from the dust.

Posted By tanlover14 on 11/12/2013 10:11 PM

My boyfriend is INSANELY allergic to the Timothy Hay. He does relatively well on the Orchard Grass. Nothing like Timothy. If he’s really sticking himself right in the bale he gets a little sniffley but nothing bad at all anymore with the Orchard Grass.

We used to buy it from Oxbow (I’m not sure what cut it was) but we’ve been buying 2nd and 3rd from a farmer about an hour away because it’s so much cheaper ($5 a bale) and he’s been perfect with that also.

          I would love to buy by the bale here, but I have no place to store it. The basement has issues with dampness all times of the year and the attic is full to capacity, not to mention the house haha. Hopefully soon we will find a solution to this. I am working it over in my mind. I think we will go through the Orchard Grass really quickly at the rate that she is devouring it ! I looked for the 2nd and 3rd cut Oxbow in the store, but they didn’t have it. I might have to buy it through their site and have it shipped.

Posted By Beka27 on 11/13/2013 07:29 AM

I have 50 lb boxes of Oxbow Orchard delivered to the house. The box is about 2x2x2 feet so it takes up a pretty small footprint. They also sell 25 lb boxes if you think the 50 would be too much.

The little bags add up really fast…

           I might have a good place to fit a 25lb bag. How do you store yours Beka? I thought about looking at an equestrienne place semi close to home for a hay bag. But the ones on their website were be pretty pricey for just a storage container. I would rather spend the money working on her habitat and toys haha!

Posted By RabbitPam on 11/13/2013 10:57 AM

I just want to add that another culprit for allergies can be the litter. It was for me years ago, so I switched to Carefree – the white kind that is lower in dust or stuff. In case you find you still have some problems. (Now I use Aspen pellets, which are really absorbent and I’m not allergic to it at all. Keeps odors down even more as well.)

           That is great advice! I hadn’t really thought about the litter. When we got Penelope the pet store owner sent us home with a bag of kiln dried pine bedding (for free ), which I was unsure about since it had a very strong odor even without even opening the plastic bag. I just placed that down in the basement until I can figure out what to do with it.  I went to a local store to see what other options were out there. I bought Critter Care natural (gray in color) to use for her litter until I could do a little more research. It is supposed to be comparable to Carefresh but a little easier on the wallet if you know what I mean. Has anyone tried this product? It seems to be fine and Penelope doesn’t have any interest in eating it. I guess it does seem a bit dusty when I am laying it in her box. I hadn’t really noticed before I made her temporary hay rack today. I was just attributing the dust to the hay I was placing directly on the litter ( I don’t think she minds the hay on her litter, but it kinda grossed me out haha!)

Update: Penelope really liked the Orchard grass at first, although over the past two days she has really lost interest in it. I was thinking to mix it with another type of hay for variety. I think it is to soft. She really prefers to chew crunchy things (like her sit and chew basket lol that thing is half demolished at this point). Is there another type of hay that is similar in texture to timothy? I was thinking Oat, would that be right?

Posted By Dobby on 11/17/2013 08:27 AM

Oat is definitely crunchier than meadow and both my guys fully endorse it!

            Awesome! Oat it is! Thanks Dobby

lol if it is good enough for Rufus then I’m SOLD!  Now if this pesky storm would decide whether it was coming or going….. we might actually be able to leave the house today!