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Forum THE LOUNGE Bales of hay?

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    • Frankz
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        Okay…I was wondering where people are getting these bales of hay for superrr cheap, instead of me buying these big BAGS for like 15 bucks .

         

        I live in a very urban area of MI, and I’m not sure where I could get it .


      • Beka27
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          Farms? Horse stables? You want to make sure it is horse quality hay (not cow quality). It’s very possible you’d have to drive into the country in order to get it, but with the money you would save and how long it would last, it is worth the trip. You also have to have someplace dry to store a lot of hay.

          I don’t want to deal with actual hay bales, so I get the 50lb box of Oxbow tim hay (for only $60!) and it lasts me forever (I’m only halfway thru my box from JUNE!) I’m saving about $200 buying hay this way.


        • BunnyLiz
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            ^^Halfway through Beka?! That’s it?! Geez I got my box after you, and im down to the last half of a pancake, I need to order another. I have three buns vs your two, but just recently. And they get kaytee timothy everyday too!

            I buy the 50lb box too, because im to chicken to buy a bale and find something icky in it. Id flip out the first time I found a big bug in there.


          • babybunsmum
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              it took me a while to find my source – a mennonite farm in a neighboring town. they have horse quality hay and my buns have loved it. i found it hard to find hay that was not a timothy / alfalfa mix b ut this farm bales a pretty clean tinothy only hay. its kinda cool going there. the hay barn smells fabulous.

              what is your nearest rabbit rescue organization? try checking them out to see if any members have found a hay source. thats how i found mine! good luck =)


            • Beka27
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                WOW! Yours must eat much more than mine… and I think mine go thru quite a lot! We have virtually no waste since I use a hay box, so maybe that has something to do with it? I don’t know…


              • KytKattin
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                  Wow, there is no way the Oxbow 50lb box would work for me. Eclipse eats way too much hay, and Hubble is the ultimate in hay wasting. I have to throw away about 3lbs of hay for every 1lb that Hubble actually eats. He only eats the bits he deems acceptable (or BB hay, but not the second cut timothy that BB has, only the stuff I wouldn’t expect him to eat!). If a really think about it, both Nova and Eclipse are little hay garbage disposals, but since Nova is so tiny I don’t really notice it.


                • babybunsmum
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                    lol… pinky is such a hay-pig that she will even eat the wee bits in a pinch. the huge bale of hay that fills my vw golf trunk is devoured by her in about 6 months with very little waste (aside from the powdery dusty stuff). when baby bun was still alive she doubled her hay consumption (at least) when i discovered farm hay. she loved it far far more than the store bought stuff… i think because it has coarser and longer bits.


                  • Crazyt123
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                      Posted By BunnyLiz on 12/13/2009 08:38 AM
                      ^^Halfway through Beka?! That’s it?! Geez I got my box after you, and im down to the last half of a pancake, I need to order another. I have three buns vs your two, but just recently. And they get kaytee timothy everyday too!

                      I buy the 50lb box too, because im to chicken to buy a bale and find something icky in it. Id flip out the first time I found a big bug in there.

                       

                      actually Ive never seen any bugs in any bales of hay I have and we keep them open at the barn ! and in good quilty horse hay they make sure there nothing in it to harm the horse such as derby and what not so its not that bad!

                       

                      My Kasper loooove sudan hay it broader and has a sweeter taste that reminds me of tea(yes i have tried hay as well as feed! haha i was curiouse,feed is pretty nasty! but the hay is sweet .

                       

                       

                      Also depending on were you are you can easliy get a 2 string(50lbs worth) bale for less then 10 bucks! if you have room invest in a barrel(15 bucks ) or a couple space containers and youll have somewere to store it easly!


                    • Sarita
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                        Here’s my take on bales of hay – they aren’t always good quality, your rabbit may not like them and you may not have the room to store them. So while it’s cheap, it’s not ALWAYS necessarily your best buy. I’ve never liked the baled hay for my rabbits that I’ve seen.


                      • Barbie
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                          I was able to find a good quality bale of timothy hay from a lady I know through work who actually grows and bales her own hay. I definitely think it’s worth it, Leroy likes the longer pieces much better than what I used to buy from the pet store, and my wallet isn’t complaining! One thing you need to be careful of when going to horse stables, most horses are fed alfalfa, so make that you’re getting timothy hay. If you do find a source of hay, ask if you can take a couple handfuls home before buying it, to make sure your buns will eat it.

                          As for bugs…. yeah, it happens. I haven’t ever found any bugs or anything nasty in my hay, but when I first got the bale, my boyfriend freaked me out completely… I was digging through the bale, trying to split it into bins… I asked if he thought I’d find any bugs and he goes “oh yeah sure, or dead, cut-up snakes” blech.


                        • KytKattin
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                            Maybe I’m too much of a farm girl, but finding stuff in my hay doesn’t particularly bother me. As I see it, I have two options, hay grown with pesticides or hay that will sometimes have a squished bug. Bugs are out there, even in good quality hay a bug will get in because they live in the fields! Heck, there’s probably some in the bread and cereal I eat every day and I end up with bugs in my house on a regular basis. Processed bugs, yes, but not deadly. Plus, let’s be honest here; Eclipse eats dog food when she can, she’d probably eat a bug too.


                          • KytKattin
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                              Oh, and I don’t understand why horses are always fed alfalfa. When I had a horse she always did so much better on timothy or orchid hay, as does my mom’s current horse. Horses and rabbits aren’t that different, so in my mind horses should only get alfalfa as a mix, or straight if they are pregnant/nursing. Horses are too big to run hot anyways. I don’t need a hyped up 1000lb animal!


                            • LittlePuffyTail
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                                I have a lot of horsey friends (and my own horse) but have yet to find a bale that’s “horse quality” I would feed my rabbits. I guess I’m just too fussy which sucks cuz I can get a bale for $5.


                              • Sage Cat
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                                  Luckily the CO-HRS sells bales of hay. I get a 1/2 bale for $20. It lasts me about 4 months.

                                  I keep it in 2 big rubber-made containers – about 35 gallons each. I poked a bunch of holes in each container with some scissors. That way the hay gets some air and does not get moldy. I have yet to find anything yucky in the hay.


                                • BunnyLiz
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                                    Posted By Beka27 on 12/13/2009 10:37 AM
                                    WOW! Yours must eat much more than mine… and I think mine go thru quite a lot! We have virtually no waste since I use a hay box, so maybe that has something to do with it? I don’t know…

                                    I use hay racks too for Hammer and Lucy, Mae is scared of hay racks or something.  But still she doesnt waste any form of food.  Its probably because Mae is big, and Lucy eats so much hay to make up for salad.  I fill Mae’s pile in her box and two hay racks 4 or 5 times a day… kinda crazy.

                                    How do you go about finding a good bale of hay?  Im torn, I want a few months supply for the cost of a fast food meal lol, but Im not sure how to find a good one, or even if I can store it.  No HRS rescues closer then 3 hours away.


                                  • babybunsmum
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                                      the rabbit rescue nearest me is in toronto (about 1.5 hrs away) but i was fortunate that they have a forum with some people in my area. also helps that i live in an area with lots of old order mennonite farms. i was very fortunate to find this guy because so far his bales are really really clean – no weedy material or bugs or mice *shudders*. i’ve purchased several bales from him now and when i go there he is kind enough to choose a ‘good bale’ for me. i expect that at some point i will find something undesireable in there but based on the track record and price it’s worth it at this point.

                                      if the nearest hrs is too far away to help you might try looking up places where people board their horses and then ask around there. if you do find a farm or other source just make sure you ask to inspect a bale before you buy it to be sure it’s okay quality. when i get home i’ll try to remember to snap a pic or two close up of my bale to post.


                                    • KatnipCrzy
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                                        I live in SW Michigan and have purchased hay from a local farmer and also a local feed store.  I paid about $4-5 a bale.  I don’t like the last stuff as much- it is not as green- but the buns LOVE it- and the strands are longer so it tends to make vacuuming more of a PITA- but I guess the buns rule the house- so if they like the hay- it stays until it is gone!


                                      • KytKattin
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                                          Well Liz, you have your start with living in Ky. Aren’t they supposed to produce the best racehorses? lol. Joking aside, I think smell says a lot about the hay. The BB hay is top notch, almost sweet smelling. Moldy hay is musky. Very icky. Also dusty. All hay is a little dusty, but it’s a different kind of dust. Actually, this website for finding horse hay describes things quite well! Except for the weight bit. Bales weigh between 80-100lbs, and while you might be someone who bench presses that without a problem, I think most of us bunny people would be more concerned about our arms ripping off than that ‘ideal’. Plus with horses you move a lot more bales a lot more often, so you do get that feel naturally.

                                          http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/nutrition/013-hay.shtml


                                        • skibunny8503
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                                            I actually went on craigslist.com and searched for timothy hay or hay (make sure you ask what type of hay it is if it just says “hay” in the ad). That’s where I found mine and a bale lasts about 4 months I think for our 3. Not bad for $3

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                                        Forum THE LOUNGE Bales of hay?