# Would like recommendations for hay brands



## Bville (Jul 26, 2013)

My bunnies like the Dumor Timothy hay from Tractor Supply, but I am wondering if there is something better and less expensive out there. I just found Sweet Meadow Farm which looks good and just one state away for ordering online. There must be more out there so if anyone has already done the research, please let me know.


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## Watermelons (Jul 26, 2013)

Why not buy by the bale at a farm supply?
No need to pay attention to brand names. It all grows in fields. As long as you learn what to look for you can find good stuff anywhere. Even "name" brands can vary by season, supplier, etc. They always have more then 1 supplier to quality can vary especially depending on where that field is situation and what the weather is like.
You should be able to purchase something 10x better then what you get in a bag for much less of a cost.


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## Bville (Jul 27, 2013)

Also, do they really need pellets if they are eating hay and fresh food? Mine won't eat the pellets I bought and I don't really want have to try different brands to find one they will eat.


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## Flick (Jul 28, 2013)

Not all farm supply stores have hay that rabbits will eat. You'd think that Texas would have great hay, but we don't. The farm supply stores around here only carry Coastal hay which most rabbits won't eat. Mine certainly won't.

KMS hayloft sells good hay and pellets online. Of course there's Oxbow that sells pellets and hays in Petsmart. 

Whether or not rabbits need pellets is a much debated issue. For the most part, their diet should consist mainly of hay, like 80% hay. Pellets should be limited to a quarter cup or less per day to provide trace vitamins and minerals they may not get otherwise. I had one rabbit who would NOT eat pellets. She thought pellets were peasant food, I'm sure. If your rabbits are good hay eaters I wouldn't worry too much about the pellets. None of my rabbits like Oxbow pellets or hay, but they all like and will eat KMS pellets and hay.


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## bunnychild (Jul 28, 2013)

I buy Peters timothy hay. It's okay but i'm sure there is better.
I think pellets are an important part of the rabbit diet. I feed Purina Show to my rabbits. Since your rabbits are a mix they might do well on meat rabbit pellets.


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## Blue eyes (Jul 28, 2013)

Buying by the bale is definitely the cheapest way to go. I get mine from a feed store. They sell timothy, orchard, bermuda. A bale of timothy costs $24 (others on this forum get it cheaper depending on where they live). That bale last my 2 rabbits around 11 months. 

The idea with feeding pellets is to ensure all needed nutrients are met. It's certainly possible to go pellet-free, but it takes quite a bit of research to know which and how many of each type of greens, etc are needed to be sure all nutrients are being offered. I don't have a link, but you'd have to find out all those nutritional details.


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## bunnyluvns (Jul 28, 2013)

My bunn likes Oxbow Western Timothy Hay. At the feed store where I buy it it's $7.50 for a 40 oz. bag, $14.05 for a 90 oz. bag. 

The pellets I feed her are Manna Pro. She wolfs those down like a little pig


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## majorv (Jul 28, 2013)

Flick said:


> Not all farm supply stores have hay that rabbits will eat. You'd think that Texas would have great hay, but we don't. The farm supply stores around here only carry Coastal hay which most rabbits won't eat. Mine certainly won't...


 
You're right about there not being a lot of different hays offered around here. The feed stores in our area sell mostly coastal, and I've seen alfalfa, too, but it's expensive. Maybe it depends on your store but the coastal I get is fresh and green, smells good, and our rabbits do eat it. Make sure whatever you get is horse quality hay.

Personally, I do not depend on just hay to provide enough nutrients that a rabbit needs to stay healthy. The nutrients in hay are just too variable. It depends on where it was grown, the cutting, the weather...that's what I use the pellets for.


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