Hay $$$ and booklice

[JC]

Hi ~

I have some questions that I hope someone will be able to answer as I’ve tried looking around online for answers but was unable to find any.

1st
Where can I buy a cheap bale or large quantity of different varieties of bunny hay for cheap? I live in Montreal and I am already buying 3lb bags of mixed grass hay for cheap at an animal shelter but I’d like to know if anyone knows of a place/farm that may sell other varities of hay for bunnies, cheap. 

2nd
Booklice! How to get rid of them from the hay? My 2 bags of grass hay is infested with booklice. I put the hay in a transparent bag and kind of flattened it/spread the hay out then left it in the sun with the bag opened.  I know that hay should be stored in a dry, cool and dark place, but I left my bug infested hay in the sun cause it was the fastest way for me to kill the nasty buggers.

How come hay shouldn’t be exposed to sunlight?
Is it okay for me to feed the hay to my bunnies or should I throw em out?
Does anyone know of a different way to kill booklice?

so that’s pretty much it ~

Thanks in advance

 

[Deleted User]

First, I wouldn’t feed a rabbit hay that has been infested.

Secondly, its best to store it in something that breaths, … like fabric or in the open.

Third, do you have transportation? You do not want cheap hay, though I sure sympathize with you wanting inexpensive hay. But it does need to be high quality. Luckily, provided you have somewhere to store it, and can drive you aren’t far from excellent sources of high quality hay. The hay they feed riding horses is great for rabbits. Checkout the riding stables in Laval, St. Lazareand Hudson. (I’d suggest phoning first to ask if they will sell you a bale, and make sure its a smaller bail, fifty pounds, not the massive round ones that are two hundred pounds plus.) Most places will if they have some to spare and compared to the pet stores its very cheap. I live just over the border in Ontario and buy mine from a local racing stable for five dollars a bail. If all else fails take a look on http://www.Well.ca, they have a good selection of hay (surprising since they are a pharmacy, but who cares) from high quality brands. They will ship for free, but you will be paying a lot more then if you can buy it direct from a stable.

In case you haven’t found them yet Montreal Critters seem to be a decent source of rabbit related items, and although they don’t say so on their site you can pick things up from them. Binky Bunny and The Busy Bunny are my favourite online stores though, in spite of the horrible cost of shipping.

Best of luck!

[JC]

Thank you LongEaredLions and Grey Dove for the reply. I’ve thrown the grass hay out and replacing it with extra veggies for now. I’ll be going out to buy OxBow hay tomorrow. (T_T)

Grey Dove ~ It was from the Montreal Critters that I bought the mix grass hay. They were selling em for 9 online. I went directly to the supplier and I bought em for 8$ per 3lb bag. Unfortunately it was also the bag that had the nasty little bugs in em. =(

I’ll search around. I’ve already found a couple but no luck with em. Either too big, hay isn’t checked or won’t sell unless I buy em in a bulk. Hudson and Lazarie is quite a bit far but will check em out ~

Thanks again both of you for your replies ~ =)

[Deleted User]

Oh my goodness! Sorry about the hay! I totally second LongEaredLions. KMS Hayloft, Sierra Valley Hay, and BinkyBunny are all great places to get hay. I have bought hay from all three companies. I’m not a fan of Sierra Valley’s timothy or orchard grass hay. So what I do is I buy 25lbs of oat hay from Sierra and 25 of the bluegrass blend of hay from KMS hayloft. So it gives me 50lbs of hay for about $90 (including the cost of 3 bundles willow branches). The hay costs me about 2 1/2 months for four rabbits. Which isn’t bad. I found that buying in bulk is a lot cheaper than buying in small parts. I hope you’re able to find hay that works for you!

[Deleted User]

Oh my goodness! Sorry about the hay! I totally second LongEaredLions. KMS Hayloft, Sierra Valley Hay, and BinkyBunny are all great places to get hay. I have bought hay from all three companies. I’m not a fan of Sierra Valley’s timothy or orchard grass hay. So what I do is I buy 25lbs of oat hay from Sierra and 25 of the bluegrass blend of hay from KMS hayloft. So it gives me 50lbs of hay for about $90 (including the cost of 3 bundles willow branches). The hay costs me about 2 1/2 months for four rabbits. Which isn’t bad. I found that buying in bulk is a lot cheaper than buying in small parts. I hope you’re able to find hay that works for you!

[Deleted User]

Skipper’s Mama, I’m sure those hay brands are fabulous, unfortunately the cost of shipping into Canada really does not make it an alternative for most of us. I placed a small order with BB back in the spring, and I know (because we communicated about it) that BB struggled to put it in the smallest box possible, it weighed next to nothing, and it still cost me twenty dollars to ship a twenty-two dollar order. Since I trust her I’m saving up for an order of willow wreaths, twigs and balls, … but we just have to buy things like food locally.

ESun, my profound sympathies on the loss of the hay, … hate wasting money! Okay, well I haven’t dealt with Montreal Critters, but they carried something I wanted so I looked at them, … truthfully wasn’t really taken with them but have nothing precise to base that feeling on.

To more practical matters. Have you tried the pet store at Carrefour Angrignon? (The big one in Lasallw.) I didn’t have a rabbit when I shopped there but I found it was the best for dog supplies and seemed well stocked for other animals too.

To help keep this in perspective, I have two dwarf rabbits who eat hay as if it is going out of style, … they can’t get enough. I also use it in their litter box. I gather all rabbits eat differently, and I don’t know what kind/size yours is, but mine take between three to four months to work their way through the kind of bail I described. So you wouldn’t be going out towards Hudson often. Its a cute little town, it could be a fun outing two three times a year. (Remember to bring something to wrap the bail in, … even a bed sheet, or it will get all over the trunk.)

Alternatively as I mentioned in my last note you can get anine pound bail for twenty-nine dollars on well.ca delivered to your door with free shipping. It is a pricier option but its there if you need it. They sell Oxbo so its a quality brand and they have meadow, Timothy and Orchard, … or did last time I checked. (I’d been thinking of adding to the one I got for treats but discovered that Blackberry and Silver thought the whole bail was one big treat so dropped the idea.)

I gather you realize how important constant access to hay is? So I really hope you can get some today because it is urgent! Good luck and let me know if you can’t find (but want) a stable to buy from.

[JC]

Grey Dove ~ I have 1 dwarf (2.8lb) and a mix rabbit (5lb) (If anyone could tell me what breed he is that would be great). The big one eats the most. I used to also use a bit of the hay for litter but then decided to just buy the litter instead cause of the smell. I buy em at walmart for 17.23(including tax) or sometimes 14.94(including tax) when it’s on special, Yesterday’s news 26.4lb. Tried to find woodstove pellets but dumb Canadian Tires never has em in stock even though on thier website it says they do.

I actually dropped by the Safari at the Angrignon mall this afternoon. I haven’t popped in thier in a long time. I used to buy the living world hay 20oz 11.49$(tax included) until I switched to the shelter hay and bought 4, 3-3.5pound bags for 24$. The shelter has a special when you buy more than 1. Buy 3 get 1 free. It lasted me 5-6 months. Bleh, it’s unfortunate the batch I got had so much bugs in em. The shelter that sells it buys it from somewhere else. The first time I purchased from them it was great…but lately I’ve been getting crappy bags.

Back to the Angrignon mall. I had no idea they were selling Oxbow hay now. They’re selling the 15oz bags for 6.89$(including tax). I bought 3 different types of hay today for 20.66$. It should last me about a month to a month and a half. =)

I’m so glad to see a bag of hay with no bugs and a very small amount of dust/powdery bits at the bottom of the bag. (I can breath) xD I’ll definitely be checking out the 9 pound bag in the Well.ca website.I’ll also be checking to see if they sell it at the Safari. Didn’t really check the place out thoroughly cause I was busy. One thing I noticed was that they have this deal for OxBow hay(15oz) when you apply for their point card. Buy 6 and get the 7th one free. 7 bags would be 6.5lb for 41.32$(tax included). So far the 9 pound bag from Well.ca is the cheapest, totaling to 34.48$(including tax) =) 3bags 103.44 (a little more than 1 year) – 48(shelter 1 year) = 55.44 difference I’ll be paying 55.44 more than what I usually pay for a 1 year supply. Not too bad. If I can’t find an alternative inexpensive good quality hay I
can pull out the treats and try again on finding an alternative for litter. I could also cut down on pellets and up the veggies cause I can buy em even cheaper at a near by farm market. =)

Thank you for the help Grey Dove. The well.ca will definitely be a site I will be using often.
Also I saw a pic. of your bunnies. They both look absolutely adorable ~ =)

[Deleted User]

ESun, so happy the pet store worked out! Since they are carrying Oxbo hay they might be willing to order in the nine pound bags, … worth asking them just in case.But great to know you have an easy to reach local supply if you need it.

I’m not sure if they have any in Montreal, … don’t remember running across one but then I wasn’t looking, Pet Value has a litter their own brand, essentially the same as Yesterday’s News, think its called Mews Print, if you have a chance its cheaper, … not a lot, but every bit helps. I do use it, just put some hay on top to encourage good litter habits and because rabbits like munching while they are relieving themselves.

I don’t think those pellet burning stoves are so popular in the city, know I hadn’t heard of them until I came out here and we’d had working fireplaces most places I lived in town. Might be why Canadian Tire didn’t have any. Maybe if you are out on the West Island might be worth checking a couple, they could have some stoves out there. (Or Reneau Depot? Strikes me as the kind of thing Rona or they would stock.) I know a lot of people like them, but many also speak of how it turns to sawdust and isn’t a treat to clean. And one member (Bam) posted a couple days ago about how the wood pellets release carbon monoxide when they are being stored. Personally I’d stick to litter. Although I know of one person who is friends with someone who works in a big office, they get all the shredded paper that the office generates (the cross shredded tiny pieces) and use it instead of litter. They say it works well and I don’t see why it wouldn’t.

Hadn’t realized that the bad hay came from a shelter, … that makes it a terrific shame, … also have to wonder what they are feeding. May I ask which shelter, I’m curious, didn’t know of any. my two (thank you for the compliments, I will pass them along, … they are plumper and glossier now, that was taken within days of them coming home) are adopted from the SPCA.

I live in a rural town now, Montreal is only an hour or so drive away but I don’t drive so have to say well.ca has been an absolute God send. They have all sorts of things, some times at better prices then the big chain stores, … some times not. They are efficient, deliver promptly and have good sales. Hope you find the best priced option that works well for you. Really happy you have access to inexpensive vegetables, … envy you that, they are pretty pricey out of season here.

Good luck and please give your little ones pets and head rubs for me, Blackberry and Silver.

[JC]

Yes, I’m pretty thrilled that Safari finally sells em. I used to only see OxBow products at my bunnies vet clinic.

Carbon monoxide from wood pellets? Does that apply to all wood pellet? FireMaster sells pet bedding and their softwood pellets(40lb 5.49$) they sell do say on the label that it is safe to use as litter for pets. The other ones I’ve seen online on Canadian Tires and Reno (CanWick and Granulco) doesn’t say anything about pet safe or litter so I never bought em, even though I was quite tempted too.

If I could get my hands on cross shredded paper for free I’d be very happy. It would be easier on my Bunbun as she doesn’t really like walking on newspaper pellets.
Never seen Mew Paw before but will go check it out. My supplies are running low anyway so I’ll be shopping around for special prices to restock.

The shelter I bought the hay from was Jodie’s Jiggley Piggley farm. (Point-claire and they have a website) The Montreal Critter site sells their hay. It’s a shelter for guinea pigs.

If I find myself having to tighten my budget I may try them again. Hopefully they’ll have a good quality supply the next time I order from em. But for the mean time I’m content with Oxbow for now. My bunnies have been eating the same mixed grass hay for 2-3 years. It’s time to change it up a bit and have them try something different. My Bunbun, she’s such a picky eater and loves her veggies more but yesterday when I gave her a hand full of oat hay she gobbled it all up. My Rabbit mix, Virgo (also from spca), he eats anything so I don’t really have to worry too much about him. He’s like a miniture pig with a blackhole in his tummy and he poops like crazy.

The St-Eustache Drive-in Flea Market is a great place to buy veggies and other nick nacks. I head down thier once a week with my family from Summer through fall then during winter and spring I tend to go to Sami fruits grocery store, Maxi’s or Chinatown to buy veggies. Always need to shop around for good prices. =)

Thanks again for the website and I’ll be sure to give em their pets and head rubs. *hugs*

[Author]

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