Hay - What brand & Where to buy it????

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laura_leigh

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ok, so I'm really new at this and want to get it right to start off with. What brand of timothy hay do you use and where do you get it from? My local pet stores only carry Kaytee, which i know isn't the greatest, so I will need to get it online somewhere.

I've seen some people have it for sale on ebay, but I'm kind of nervous about getting it from there since I don't know the quality....

Thanks!
 
oxbow hay is good. They come in different varieties, oat, western timothy, alfalfa, etc. You should be able to find that at Petsmart.

Jessica
 
Sorry to ask in this thread, but if I only have one chin, is it better to by hay from petsmart in a small bag - but could possibly be old from sitting on the shelves too long - or a bale of hay from the feed store? It would be fresher but would take her a long time to finish it off...thanks!
 
Jenn said:
Sorry to ask in this thread, but if I only have one chin, is it better to by hay from petsmart in a small bag - but could possibly be old from sitting on the shelves too long - or a bale of hay from the feed store? It would be fresher but would take her a long time to finish it off...thanks!
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I was about to ask the same thing as I will only have 2...
 
You could call the feed store. At the one that I lived by, I could buy a large burlap type bag full of hay for $3. It was large enough to last my 4 chins about 3 months or so. So maybe they allow you to buy a bag full or a portion of the bale.
 
Man I wish I had your feed stores. :p First a $5 bale and now a $3 bag!

My feed store won't separate bales, unfortunately. The only hay they will give you that's separate is the hay they sweep off the floor which I don't want. Their floors are dirty. I wouldn't eat off them so I don't expect my chins to.

For 1 or two chins I would just buy in a pet store. Petsmart sells Oxbow which is better quality than Kaytee.
 
ok, I'll run by petsmart this week before I go get my boys then.... I'll just see what they have. I know none of the other stores carry anything but Kaytee, and its probably been sitting on their shelves for ages, lol
 
Yeah, the hay isn't going to be TOO old on the shelves, usually. Just smell it and make sure that it smells ok to you. Oxbow all the way though, I think.
 
There used to be a thread on C&Q about how to store hay. The one thing I remember was that if stored properly it keeps for quite a while. Which is one reason I buy in bulk.
 
I buy the oxbow western timothy. I buy the larger bag of that and for my now 4 chins it has lasted about a month and there's still about half a bag left and our chins get as much hay as they feel that they need.

I also buy a smaller bag of something like orchard grass to offer as a treat for them. That has lasted me the same amount of time and I'm not even a quarter of the way done with that bag.

Mine seem to like the oxbow.
 
I only have 1 chin, but I buy my hay online from either American Pet Diner http://www.americanpetdiner.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=americanpetdiner&Product_Code=Hay_2nd&Category_Code=Hay or Kleenmama's Hay Loft http://www.kmshayloft.com/catalog/

The quality is fresh and Sesame loves it! I just store the hay in the bag and box that it comes in. I just leave the box flaps open and cut a lot of holes in the plastic bag to increase airflow (preventing mold growth). I've tried Oxbow and Kaytee and have found that that they aren't as fresh. One box lasts for awhile, but it smells and looks great... much better than the Kaytee and Oxbow from the petstores (least near me). Sesame would waste a lot more Kaytee & Oxbow by pulling it all, throwing it all over the floor. I noticed less waste and more eating with Kleenmama Hay or APD hay.
 
I may have to give kmshayloft.com a try... I just checked with my local feed store and they don't carry timothy hay, only alfalfa....
 
From my experience, Kleenmama's hay is cut longer (each piece of hay is longer), so I had a harder time stuffing the hay into my chin's Harry (her hay holder from Kelly). But, it's still just as tasty.

Just remember to make a lot of holes in the plastic bag and keep the top flaps of the box open. I think on CnQ, people have mentioned using cloth laundry hampers to store hay, cardboard boxes, etc. As long as there is ample airflow, there will be less chance of moisture build-up and mold.
 
I've got a bunch of those pop up hamper things taht I may be able to use for it.... if nothing else, I'll drill some holes in a Rubbermaid tub, I love cutting those things up, lol
 
Sesame said:
From my experience, Kleenmama's hay is cut longer (each piece of hay is longer), so I had a harder time stuffing the hay into my chin's Harry (her hay holder from Kelly). But, it's still just as tasty.
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I've been noticing a huge decline in KMS quality lately. My last 3 boxes have had significantly more dead bugs, weeds, prickles, etc. I never had this stuff in my boxes before, and I've been ordering from her for about 5 years. Have others noticed this decline?
 
I use Oxbow and keep my hay in a huge cardboard box that has holes in it. Every week I turn the hay and mix it all up. I mix 3 types of Oxbow hay: Timothy, Orchard Grass and Meadow Hay.
 
I use KleenMama's Hayloft hay and I love it, and so does Binx! I store it in a cardboard box with the top open and a bunch of holes punches into the sides. No complaints here at all! Smells great and is green! :)
 
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