hay

[CCourson05]

As a French Angora breeder told me, if you have a few rabbits and buy a large bale, the hay needs to be green for them to get the nutritional value that is in the hay. Sage grass is one of several grasses that maintains nutritional value after "browning". Therefore, we freeze hay to preserve the green in the hay. If you don't, it browns and becomes pure fiber and NO protein.

I'm a firm believer that the pellets have everything a rabbit needs, so I provide brown hay for fiber only.

 

[Ms. Research]

You are going to pay more at a pet store. Especially for choice items such as hay or alfalfa. When you go to a feed store, you by quantity and that's the price you pay. But when you go to a pet store, you pay a specialized price for choice hay. When I get more bunnies, I plan to go to a feed store to get my hay. But with just three, that much hay would deteriorate before we got half way through it. I don't know about freezing it. Not sure at all. But when you freeze stuff, you loose nutrition. Unless it's freeze dried.

K

As long as you keep the large bales (35# +) indoors or under tarp, they should maintain their quality.

One of my friends told me they were cleaning out their barn and they found 20 year old hay. Still green. So they fed it to their goats and they ate it like it was the best thing ever.

Thanks for the input. Have thought that but do not use as much hay with three rabbits that I will use with more. So then I will get a bale of hay and make sure it's the fresh and green to store. We do have an extra freezer which would not be a problem. But with only three it doesn't seem to be cost effective for us. We can right now afford the small bags. It's only the the two of us.

K

 

[Ms. Research]

As a French Angora breeder told me, if you have a few rabbits and buy a large bale, the hay needs to be green for them to get the nutritional value that is in the hay. Sage grass is one of several grasses that maintains nutritional value after "browning". Therefore, we freeze hay to preserve the green in the hay. If you don't, it browns and becomes pure fiber and NO protein.

I'm a firm believer that the pellets have everything a rabbit needs, so I provide brown hay for fiber only.

Thanks for the tip. I make sure my rabbits get their right share of pellets as well as hay. I use Timothy Hay for my guys. I've tried the Orchard Grass but they like the stiffer stalks to chew on. The orchard hay they use more for bedding than eating. I believe I will get the orchard hay for my does when they kindle. It will stop any eye irritations from stiff hay for the kits. As well as some nutrition value for the kits as well as the does.

K