2nd cut timothy hay

[piperknitsRN]

Believe it or not, my bunnies seem to prefer 1st cut timothy hay over softer hay, like orchard grass hay (I ordered a small box of it, 10 lbs, I think, and it’s still sitting here while my 30 lb box of 1st cut timothy hay, they seem to love and are mowing their way through it).  I’ve been researching for better shipping and prices (I live in a metropolitan city in the Pacific Northwest, USA and usually order from a local source) and came across Kleenmama’s Hayloft, but they only do second cutting and third cutting timothy hay.  The only way to know, of course, is to order some, but with shipping being more than the hay itself for the smaller amounts, I was thinking of just ordering the 45lb box and donating it to a shelter (or nearby BB’er)  if they don’t like it. 

Is second cut hay really all that much softer than first cut hay?  I like the idea of them getting lots and lots of fiber from the first cut hay, though neither one, being young buns, has started to shed. 

Also, any opinions on KMS hay would be appreciated!

 

[Sam and Lady's Human]

Second cut is the most common hay, first cut isn’t as consistently good. read here-
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/4-7/hay.html
for some good 101 on hay

ETA- sometimes it depends on the batch too, I had 1 bag bag of orchard that they wouldn’t really touch, then 1 good bag that they devoured in like, 4 days, then bought 3 more bags of the orchard and 2 they wouldn’t touch, the 3rd one was fine :/ I really wish it was more consistant, I’m leary of buying a large bale because of that.

[piperknitsRN]

Posted By Sam and Lady’s Human on 11/21/2011 07:53 AM

Second cut is the most common hay, first cut isn’t as consistently good. read here-
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/4-7/hay.html
for some good 101 on hay

ETA- sometimes it depends on the batch too, I had 1 bag bag of orchard that they wouldn’t really touch, then 1 good bag that they devoured in like, 4 days, then bought 3 more bags of the orchard and 2 they wouldn’t touch, the 3rd one was fine :/ I really wish it was more consistant, I’m leary of buying a large bale because of that.

 

Thanks for the article link… think I’ve read that somewhere in the distant past, but it’s a good article!

The batch of first cut that I got from Bunny Bytes looks pretty good, and the bunnies eat it like it’s going out of style, though I still waste a lot since it goes in their litter tray and I throw a lot of it out when the litter pan gets emptied and cleaned.  

I wish I had more storage space (who doesn’t, LOL) so I could just buy a large bale of hay from a farm supply store outside of town–it would be way, way cheaper (though the store’s about 40 minutes away) but what if they didn’t like the hay?  It’s already annoying enough that I’ve got ten pounds of Orchard Grass sitting around that they barely touch.  It’s not enough to donate to anyone, really, either. 

So, I ordered a huge box of Kleenmama’s hay (second cut) because the shipping was more than price of the hay for the smaller boxes, and I figured if they don’t like it, I can definitely donate that large of an amount to a rabbit rescue or my local shelter. 

 

 

[Sam and Lady's Human]

Let us know how it is! I wish they had a product review board here

[piperknitsRN]

Posted By Sam and Lady’s Human on 11/21/2011 12:35 PM
Let us know how it is! I wish they had a product review board here

 

Yes, I will!  I’m eager to see if my bunnies will like the (less expensive) KMS Hayloft stuff, rather than the “local” stuff which happens to be much more expensive, for less of an amount.  What do you want to pet they’ll turn their nose up at perfectly good hay, forcing me to buy the expensive stuff and force me to donate the stuff they won’t eat .

[Author]

Messages