food question i cant figure out

[chinchillalover0927]

So I think I read somewhere that if you fed alfalfa/timothy mixed hay cubes you need to feed a pellet that is NOT alfalfa based? What feeds are not alfalfa based , I saw that mazuri and purina show both have them in it. Id like to switch to hay cubes due to me not being able to find timothy hay except for Walmart around me.. thanks! I also need bulk feed

 

[ChinnyMom]

the chance of kidney stones does go up with a diet high in calcium (which alfalfa contains a good amount of), but i have read that there are members here that feed alfalfa hay alongside an alfalfa based pellet with no issue.

if the hay cubes are a timothy and alfalfa mix i personally wouldn't be worried about too much calcium going into your chins' systems.

as for pellets, i believe all the higher quality recommended brands are alfalfa based.

 

[AZChins]

It should be alright to go with the blend of hays in a hay cube. Still, I'd give them loose timothy hay. Here I give alfalfa hay cubes and loose timothy hay every day for the chins to munch on. They eat a lot more of the timothy hay than the alfalfa cubes.

 

[lola]

i feed my chin loose timothy hay and mizuri (maybe mispelled) she seems to be doing fine

 

[chinchillalover0927]

My problem is I can't find local timothy hay in bulk... i have to order it from farmer Dave on eBay which is so expensive!!! Maybe I can buy the hay cubes and just buy timothy hay from Walmart and just slack down on the loose hay? I feed mazuri pellets and can only get mixed timothy alfalfa cubes from my feed store

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

Maybe someone on here will tell you where they get their hay? Is there any farms nearby? You can always ask them if they are willing to part with some hay for a price.

 

[dcfluegel]

have you tried KleenMama's Hayloft? (www.kmshayloft.com) I order beautiful second cut timothy from her, and even though she is shipping from WA state to TN, it is still cheaper than much inferior store bought hay (about $1.88/ lb with shipping for up to 25lbs, or about $1.50/ lb if you get a 45 lb box) - and she sometimes, depending on crops, gets a third cut timothy that my guinea pigs absolutely love (and my chins are definitely digging on the second cut right now - she may have a third cut crop in by October)... worth checking out

 

[greychins]

I would try posting on craigslist and see if that helps you out any. We go through hay like it's going out of style with all of the rescues, and it was getting a bit too expensive to buy the 9 lb bags of Oxbow for $25-ish. I posted an ad on craigslist looking for timothy hay bales or timothy hay mixes. Never did find someone with straight timothy hay, but I found someone reasonably locally who sells bales of a grass hay mix (with timothy in there) for $4/bale. Completely reasonable, the chins love the variety, and can't beat the price. We get two bales at a time, which last a reasonable amount of time (though it varies because we do offer hay in our starter packs and for sale in general), and keeps me from going to the store all the time for more hay. Just a possibility...

 

[liewwan]

Try doing a google search for bales of timothy hay in your area. You'll have to knock down who has the right hay for you. Took a while for me to find the right supplier. Also keep in reminder that some farmers that sells hay have a requirement of bales you must buy.
Also some walmart carries timothy only cubes, I've seen some in certain stores. Fleet farm (if you have one there) also sells timothy only cubes and loose hay. Grain stores and feed stores does carry hay also, if lucky they'll sale bales of hay. Good luck.