Uncured hay?

[MimzMum]

Okay, I just got 45 lbs of 3rd cut timothy that came with a little note saying it is uncured. (I won’t say from who, I don’t think that’s allowed, but it isn’t BB.com hay.)

I’ve separated some of the top of the bale into a couple of storage tubs, lids askew to encourage airflow, the rest is still in the delivery box (cardboard) with some of the plastic wrap still left on the bottom where I can’t reach to remove it. I don’t have any more tubs to divide it in. I’ve left the cardboard box top flaps unsealed to let air in, but now I’m concerned…is this hay fit for my bunnies to eat? It took about a week to get here after ordering and-since we have snow now-some of it feels cold, but not necessarily damp…although I don’t think I could tell the moisture level until it’s all reached room temp.

I don’t want to sicken my bunnies. Plus there’s a lot of weedy looking seedheads and browned pieces. Is it going to be safe to feed to them today, or should I wait a few days?

[jerseygirl]

That’s really odd. Is it even hay if it’s not cured?

[Sarita]

From the website:

Also, this 3rd timothy may contain a tiny bit of weeds. If so, they will be easy to spot and you can pick them out, they are not stickers or anything pokey but I want you to be aware of that. These hays are grown in thousands of acres and since my farmer doesn’t use any herbicides, weeds are a fact of life. 95% of the hay will be super clean, but in the larger orders I can’t see into the middle of the bales and you may get some.

I will not be refunding on any hay that contains a stray weed or two. 3rd cutting is more susceptible to weeds because the earth is warmer, but I continue to carry it because it is the cutting thousands of pigs and rabbits and chinnies love best

As for the curing – it just needs to dry out…not a big deal. I would not worry about the brown pieces unless you think they are weeds – rabbits like to forage so they can eat around the brown pieces if they so chose.

[Sarita]

The times I got the 3rd cut and it was still “damp” feeling it dried out pretty quickly even leaving it in the cardboard box.

[MimzMum]

Thanks Sarita. I ordered this having read all those things in the email, but had tossed the letter. It was a bit alarming to open the box though and realize, ‘Oh! That’s what they meant!’ It was a lot different than my last box from them.

[Sarita]

I think you may have gotten your last box later in the season. Seems like it is more like this at the beginning of the season from what i remember in the past.

[Sarita]

MM, got my 3rd cut and it looks good. I haven’t lugged it upstairs to the rabbit room but the pair of rabbits I bunnysit had it while they were staying and they really loved it. They are downstairs which is where the hay is until I can get it upstairs.

[Tipsy Bunny]

a little brown is ok. My farm buys hay in bulk for the horses to supply for a whole year and the hay turns almost completely yellow but it doesnt lose any of its nutrition, but knowing our buns, they are picky eaters unlike horses. But you dont need to toss or pick it out.

[Sarita]

Actually I think if the rabbit doesn’t like it he can toss it out – it’s foraging which is good for them. It stimulates them.

[jerseygirl]

Posted By Sarita on 11/02/2011 04:17 PM
Actually I think if the rabbit doesn’t like it he can toss it out…

heheh! That is one of those little things that always amuses me.

 

[Sam and Lady's Human]

Sarita you feed your buns 3rd cut also? Is that supplemental? I read on the Rabbit.org site that 3rd cut isn’t good as the main hay because it lacks in fiber.

[Sarita]

It’s true it has less fiber than 1st or 2nd – I usually feed 2nd but when I can get 3rd I feed that.

[Author]

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