hay questions!

[bianca]

i know its important that my chinny has fresh loose hay daily, (i give him oxbow timothy hay)
but
1) i noticed at the pet store they sell hay blocks/cubes. are these safe? and is there anything in them that is junky and shouldnt be given to him?

and 2) i noticed that oxbow offers different types of hay. they have timothy hay, botanical hay, and orchard grass. can someone please explain the difference?
i havent fed him any other type of hay than timothy, so im just curious as to what those are.

 

[StevieP]

1) Yes hay cubes are ok to give to chins. I just got some recently for the first time. Some of my chins like them, some do not. Loose is better for your chin but the cubes will give some variety.

2) Botanical hay is timothy hay with herbs & stuff in it. You can give that if you choose to, but I would not give that every day; just once in a while to give more variety. Orchard grass is similar to timothy hay but it is softer and leafy-er. This is fine to give to chins as often as you would like, but Timothy is generally the preferred hay because it is more coarse and therefore better for their teeth.

I would visit Oxbow's website to read about the differeny hays. In addition to Timothy, Botanical and Orchard, you can buy Oat hay.

Drs. Foster & Smith is having an Oxbow timothy hay sale that ends tomorrow. Plus free shipping on orders over $49!

 

[bianca]

thank you ! yeah, the reason i like to buy the oxbow brand is i find its a bit more crunchy than other brands ive purchased, lol. and my chin loves it!
thanks for your help

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

I would see about finding a farmer or feed store that sells the cubes. Not only will it be cheaper and more cost effective, but the ones in the pet stores have often sat on the shelf for so long, they have mold. ( speaking from experience on this one )
I feed both the cubes and the loose hay, although the cubes are mostly used for soccer games and racket ball.