A rescue near me (actually its a 45 minute drive) sells hay and food and toys (etc) and they have oxbow orchard grass for 42$! but it is 25lbs. is that a rip off? a bargain? average? i really have no idea how much hay costs, but that is quite pricey! even if it is 25lbs. 

they said it comes in a box, if anyone has bought a 25lbs box of orchard grass from oxbow, could you tell me how big the box is? because 25lbs is little heavy. i have a HUGE (around 40lbs) bale of bermuda hay in the garage but it doesnt seem very high quality? 

anyway, so do you think 25lbs of hay is a lot for 2 rabbits? i have an 8 week old holland lop and a 1 and a 1/2 (or nearly) year old holland lop who is neutered (i am taking precautions in housing no need to worry about that). also quick question, the baby bunny is on alfalfa hay ONLY should i be mixing in some orchard grass in her diet too? or JUST alfalfa hay? she is on unlimited alfalfa pellets as well (slooowly transitioning her over to the food i have). is it strictly alfalfa hay and pellets until 7 months of age? 

also another thing: i plan on getting the baby bun spayed at 6 months of age, does that mean i need to feed her unlimited alfalfa pellets and hay for another month until she is 7 months? and then transition her into timothy? or can i start transitioning her into timothy pellets right after her spay? i am allergic to timothy hay so unfortunately that is not an option!

so is 25lbs of hay too much? for 2 rabbits - both seem to love hay, the mini bales from the BB store are great but my older rabbit will go through it in around a month and now that i have 2 rabbits...! 

No, it's not a rip off - they have to include the price of the hay and the price of the shipping plus all proceeds go to the rescue.

Yes, it's a substantial size. No, it's not alot for 2 rabbits. You can start slowly introducing them to grass hay at any time really..its not a problem.

You should look into any other place that can order Oxbow products for you -- our pet shop orders from them and is willing to put in orders for us -- We had been buying that also but then figured out that for the Oxbow Orchard Grass 50 lb. bag it's only $61 with tax !!! With the 25 lb. bag we were getting for the same price so you should definitely check into them (or elsewhere) ordering the 50 lb. bag for you! It's really a much better deal.

thanks, you have a point sarita.

also, oh really? i will definitely look into other places, i just hope the hay doesnt go "stale" or old after a while? how big is the 50lbs of hay? im just worried it will be WAY too big for my home! would it be okay if i kept it in the garage? (fairly clean but there are 2 cars in there that come and go so im just worried about the exhaust fumes?)

i found a place online that sells oxbow orchard grass hay 62$ for 50lbs, should i get it? there is only 9 left in stock!

I would by the 25 lb from the local rescue....that would be my own personal preference - 50lbs of hay is a big box.

true, i really dont know how long it will last. i'd say a mini bale from the BB store lasts around a month, more or less, with just my male rabbit alone. i'd rather have hay that will last me at least maybe around 4 months in the least. is it okay to store hay in the garage? its dry and relatively clean, although there are 2 cars that come and go so im just worried about the exhaust fumes? but if its in a box it should be fine?

I buy 50lb boxes of Oxbow hay for $65, so yes, I do think it's a lot. My 50lb box lasts about 6-9 months for two buns, for reference. You can find the 50lb box on a number of sites, so no rush.

I would ask the rescue how much of the cost of the hay is going towards the rescue itself. If a substantial portion is going to them, then I would probably buy it from them. If they were only taking a small portion, then I'd rather buy the 50lb box for less money and donate to them on the side. Just my personal preference.

I don't find the 50lb box to be too big if you have somewhere to store it (mine is in the garage and we have two cars in and out as well). It's probably around 3' wide x 2' deep x 3' high. Hay can get moldy over time if it's kept in a sealed container, but generally it will last quite a while and I haven't had any problems with it going bad in the box.

thanks! this really gives me an idea of how long it might last/ sizing of the box. and i will also look into that! thanks so much

I just received my 50 lbs of Orchard Grass today and it's really not as large as you would think! Will definitely fit into a storage container from Wal-Mart but since this is my first shipment I can't help on how long it will last. My 3 buns have been going through so much hay, I can barely keep up though!

thanks! i was also wondering if my bunnies will like it? because i know some people said that their bunnies dont like the orchard grass from oxbow, and if that is the case with my rabbits then i dont really know if i should buy 50lbs of hay just yet? i have a vet appointment on wednesday and i have a feeling it will be pricey but i mean i am willing to buy the hay i just want to make sure my bunnies like it!

I wonder if the rescue would let you purchase just a bag to let your rabbit try so that you don't purchase something she won't like.

maybe, but the drive is far and they are only open on saturdays from 10am-2pm and i usually have errands to run saturday morning/ afternoon, it just seemed to be the only place that sells oxbow hay in large amounts that isnt completely over priced.

Can you get a small bag of the same type of hay at a local pet store? When I'm trying a new type, I start with a small bag, then if they like it I feel more comfortable getting a larger quantity.

Also, just so you're not surprised, the quality of the hay in the 50lb box tends to vary more than the stuff in bag. I've never had a box that was bad, but they have varied by how soft they were, how dusty, how big the pieces, etc. Hay is a natural product, so of course there will be some variation, but I know some people like to have a little more consistency and I think the small quantities tend to be more consistent (just IME). My rabbits have been find eating every box of timothy I've bought, but they're not as picky as some buns are about their hay.