Is my Timothy Hay Bad?

[HBunny]

Hey guys! I am a bit concerned about the hay that I just got and wanted to run it by you guys.

We get our hay from the shelter that we adopted our rabbits from initially. We picked up a new bale of Timothy, we think it was a little older than some other grass just because they were really low on Timothy stock. It doesn’t smell off and I haven’t seen any mold, but it is way browner than our last batch. Is this just a seasonal thing, or should I be more worried?

Thanks!

[Bam]

Yellow hay doesnt have to be bad. It can mean its dried a few extra days in the field in the sun.

If the hay smells bad, or if you see white or black mold, obviously throw it out. It is however not possible for our noses or eyes to pick up on all potentially harmful fungi and bacteria that hay can contain.

Hay that has dried outside for 5 days before baling is often microbially better than hay that has been been dried with fans inside.

[LBJ10]

I wouldn’t be too concerned about the color. Like Bam said, it depends on where and how it was dried. Obviously, if it’s moldy, then you wouldn’t want to use it.

[Author]

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