Substitutes for timothy hay

[Eepster]

 My husband seems to be allergic to the timothy hay, what is the best alternative hay to transition the bunny to that my Dh is less likely to be bothered by?

[LoveChaCha]

Orchard grass.
Never had an allergic reaction to it at all

[Helenor]

I second the orchard grass. Works so well for me. My timothy hay allergy was so bad my skin would welt up when I touched it and I developed asthma from it.

[Kate Monster]

I’m seriously allergic to timothy as well (which really should have occurred to me earlier since I’m allergic to pretty all grasses ever) but orchard and oat hay work for me.

[Eepster]

Is it necessary to change hay gradually like one does with pellets, or is it ok to just do a complete switch all at once?

[Monkeybun]

you can do a complete switch, but you may want to before you get rid of the timothy, in case bunny doesn’t like orchard.

[Eepster]

I’ve been having a hard time finding it locally. If I can’t find it at the places I plan to try today, would it be OK to give him alfalfa for just a week or two till I can get the orchard from a mail order company? I know it’s too high in protein long term, but Porky was undernourished when he arrived at the pound anyway. My Dh is pretty miserable with the timothy hay.

[Beka27]

 

 

I loved this pic that Cheyanne posted of her hay area.  If you could get a closed box with just a small hole cut in the side, it would contain the litterbox and hay, as well as any mess/dust particles.  Plus, bunnies love enclosed, den-like spaces!

 

[Kate Monster]

There are definitely others more knowledgeable here than me in regards to the effect of the alfalfa hay on bunny for a week, but if your husband is having a fairly serious reaction to the hay, I would switch to the alfalfa for a few days. People have a tendency to dismiss allergies because they’re so common, but they can be quite dangerous especially with constant exposure for a long time. If you can’t find the orchard locally, when you order you might want to order a couple different kinds in case he is allergic to the orchard or in case your bunny doesn’t like it. Try them one at a time for a couple of days and see if he reacts and see if they eat it. Hopefully you’ll come out of the experiment with at least one type of hay that works for everyone.

[Eepster]

I was finally able to find it locally. Of course it is at the farthest of the 5 area petstore I know. They actually have a really good selection of bunny things.

[RabbitPam]

I’d have your husband check it out before giving it to the bunny. No sense in finding the bunny likes it only to have him react to the orchard grass, too. I do think it’s the best solution, by the way, but he needs to be sure. Make sure he handles it quite separately from any exposure to the timothy, like in a bathroom or something and away from the bunny’s room where there are leftover allergens that could effect him. If the orchard grass is good, you can order it on line from here or from Busy Bunny or Doctors Foster and Smith to name a few. (We aren’t supposed to plug BB’s store, but I do because she stocks the best stuff. Shhh. Don’t tell her.)

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By RabbitPam on 03/30/2011 05:00 PM
 (We aren’t supposed to plug BB’s store, but I do because she stocks the best stuff. Shhh. Don’t tell her.)

I heard you!    

You can let people know about a store product when it is just like a casual and sincere way to help a member out.   I just don’t allow salesy type posts regarding any store (and so that means our store too). 

[LittlePuffyTail]

I was starting to get allergies from my Timothy. I switched to Oxbow Orchard and have had no problems. It tends to be longer strands and less dusty. My buns love it.

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