Hay Question

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Dawn

Dawn

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
105
Location
McKeesport, PA
I've always free fed farm fresh Timothy Hay from Farmer Dave,
but with asthma and allergies using this would literally take my breath away.

So eventually I learned about the compressed cubes and the hubby grabbed a huge bag at tsc and the boys shred them all over the cage...talk about a mess!

Now, I'm finding that places (Farmer Dave & TSC) are carrying a "pellet" form of the Timothy Hay that sounds like it would be easier to store, less of a mess, and still fairly affordable being I buy in bulk.

Now here's my question, would this be safe to give the chinnys (I always like to double check before trying "new" products)?
Ingredients:
Sun Cured Timothy Grass Hay Forages.

--> http://www.tractorsupply.com/horse-...mium-timothy-grass-hay-pellets-40-lb--5121819
 
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And just wondering, but why is it that all the foods that are supposed to be suited for chinchilla's contain alfalfa?

I was under the understanding that Alfalfa is okay for young chins, but Timothy Hay is best because it doesn't pack on the un-needed calories or have the high sugar content which is really bad for them.

And for those that wonder, I feed Mazuri (dehydrated alfalfa meal)--> https://www.mazuri.com/PDF/5M01-5EE6.pdf
 
The "rule of thumb" is if you feed an alfalfa based pellet, you give a timothy hay and vice versa. Since most pellets are alfalfa based, other than maybe 1 made by APD, most people recommend you use timothy hay or hay cubes. Truthfully though, by the time they heat and compress the alfalfa in hay cubes or in pellets, it wouldn't seem there is a whole lot of alfalfa left.

As for those pellets, I was looking at them yesterday while looking for hay. Compressed pellets would be fine, as it's just another way to supply a hay source, but they aren't going to work a chin's teeth the way loose hay or hay cubes are. Pellets generally get chomped on once by the front teeth, then chucked to the side. Hay has to be worked at and chewed front and back.

Chins are messy. It's what they do, just like breathing and pooping. If they like the hay cubes, and will eat them (some only prefer loose hay), then keep using it and keep a shop vac nearby for quick clean up.

As an aside, I was searching for these products yesterday because I had read about them on here. I found a chain of stores that carry their products and I have special ordered both the hay cubes and the loose hay from Standlee. I got a chance to smell fresh bales of alfalfa and they blew me away. AWESOME hay. I am very hopeful I can get their timothy bales. $10.99 for a 55 pound bale of alfalfa? If they can get their timothy out there in the stores, they'll put Oxbow out of business.
 
Were you able to special order the timothy bale? I picked up an alfalfa bale to mix with the timothy I have here since the chins aren't that fond of it, but I would LOVE to try some of their timothy.

I absolutely love their timothy/alfalfa cubes. The chins here look at them as treats, which works for me. :D
 
Crysta - He said he was sure they could order it for me, he just wasn't sure if they had to order it in a large quantity. It's not like people out here would regularly buy hay through a feed store like that. They just bale it themselves. So, I'm hoping I don't have to buy 40 bales in order to get it!
 
tunes said:
As an aside, I was searching for these products yesterday because I had read about them on here. I found a chain of stores that carry their products and I have special ordered both the hay cubes and the loose hay from Standlee. I got a chance to smell fresh bales of alfalfa and they blew me away. AWESOME hay. I am very hopeful I can get their timothy bales. $10.99 for a 55 pound bale of alfalfa? If they can get their timothy out there in the stores, they'll put Oxbow out of business.
Click to expand...

You don't know how incredibly happy that makes me to hear you say that! I ended up with Standlee timmy/alfalfa mix cubes but didn't really know how well the quality would be! :)
 
tunes said:
Crysta - He said he was sure they could order it for me, he just wasn't sure if they had to order it in a large quantity. It's not like people out here would regularly buy hay through a feed store like that. They just bale it themselves. So, I'm hoping I don't have to buy 40 bales in order to get it!
Click to expand...

The only place around me within 100 miles that carries Standlee anything is the Tractor Supply and they said they aren't able to order the orchard grass or timothy by the bale. It stinks. I want that hay soooooooooooooooooooo bad. I still purchase the alfalfa to make the timothy I have more appealing, but I'd rather just feed timothy or orchard. I just can't find any decent hay here. I'm about to just break down and order 30 lbs from Kleenmama's and pray the chins here like it. *sigh*

In the mean time though they do love the timothy/alfalfa cubes so it's better than nothing.
 
Wait and see if I can get it before you order. I think Kleenmama is even more ridiculous than Oxbow in their hay prices. If I can get it here, I'll ship it to you. I told him I would give him a week or so to find out, figuring that would be enough time.
 
tunes said:
As an aside, I was searching for these products yesterday because I had read about them on here. I found a chain of stores that carry their products and I have special ordered both the hay cubes and the loose hay from Standlee. I got a chance to smell fresh bales of alfalfa and they blew me away. AWESOME hay. I am very hopeful I can get their timothy bales. $10.99 for a 55 pound bale of alfalfa? If they can get their timothy out there in the stores, they'll put Oxbow out of business.
Click to expand...


I have the Standlee cubed timothy hay as well. I was wondering, though, what is the expiration date on a 40lb bag of it? That's what came with my chins (that I got a month ago), and I don't see an expiration date anywhere on the bag.....
 
OMG - your chins came with 40# of timothy cubes!!!! that's a huge amount. if you can't use them all I bet you could re-sell some here.
 
So the cubes from Tractor Supply that are alfalfa and timothy hay OK to feed the chins?

Between the chinchillas and guinea pigs we go through a box of hay pretty fast and I would like to try the cube if they would work.
 
Someone who knows more should answer but I think of hay as a dai;ly thing and the cubes as treats or for when they're in a carrier for some reason.
 
LovinTheSmallAndFurry said:
Me like that idea, :hmm: Do you know how one goes about doing that?



Yeah, they definitely won't finish the bag by the end of the year, :cute:
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look on the classified section and see the sorst of thinkgs people post. I recomend you have an idea of shipping costs because people ask that all the time
 
partygirlha said:
look on the classified section and see the sorst of thinkgs people post. I recomend you have an idea of shipping costs because people ask that all the time
Click to expand...

:duh:


Thanks...it's amazing the things that don't dawn on me.


In regards to cubed hay or loose, I've read on here that it doesn't matter too much, more of a specific chin preference. Most chins seem to like loose hay, but since this gigantic bag came with mine, and they're used to it, I'm keeping them on the cubed until it's gone.
 
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