Unstable quality of Oxbow Timothy?

[woolala]

I've had my girl for 3 weeks.

The breeder gave me a bag of Oxbow hay and she finished it in a week. She threw out a lot, but still, she ate a big portion of it. I bought her a 40 oz bag of Oxbow hay online and started to give it to her after she finished the bag from the breeder, but she picked so hard that she ate only about 5% of it.

I didn't think of it as the problem of hay at first, since she was fine with the first bag of Oxbow, and then I read some posts here and some people said their chins loved some patch of Oxbow but not others, so now I'm thinking maybe MY oxbow is not as good?

I tried to gave her a Kaytee timothy cube, and she ate it. I wouldn't say she loved it, but she preferred the kaytee cube to the oxbow loose hay. Weird huh?

So should I get another bag of oxbow? Or should I try some other brands like APD? I only have one chin and if I buy something she doesn't like there will be no other chins I can give it to.

 

[ticklechin]

APD hay is pretty consistant, I have only had a couple of bad batches in the 12 years I have had chins.

 

[Gumby and Elmo]

Mine get APD too, sometimes they're a bit stringy, but consistent most of the time.
I tried oxbow once, when the APD batch was pretty bad looking, but my chins did not like it at all, they picked and picked and it all ended up scattered on the floor.

 

[lilchinchilla]

My chins love the APD hay. I haven't ever had one chin turn it down or turn their nose up to it. Haven't seen a bad batch of it yet and I've never heard anyone complain about APD hay over the years.
I haven't had the same luck with good quality loose hay locally, so I have stuck with the APD loose hay at this time as well as timothy/alfalfa cubes too, which my chins eat both and never turn either down.

 

[tcraighenry]

Someone was telling me that Oxbow is located somewhere in Nebraska and is pretty vulnerable to droughts.

I want to say APD is based somewhere out of Washington state

 

[Brittany]

Lately I've been having a lot of luck with this brand: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11208808

I can get the 6lb big bag locally, and it ends up being slightly cheaper than Kleen Mama's once you factor in what I'd pay to have that shipped to me.

 

[Essentia]

I too love that hay Brittany. I had to buy a bag when I was out of hay and waiting on my order to come in. It smells super sweet when you open the bag and there is very little waste from the chins. I just wish they would sell it in larger quantites.

I just got a 50 lb. box of Oxbow and so far it looks good. A little more 1st cut than I would like, but good quality all the same.

 

[woolala]

Someone was telling me that Oxbow is located somewhere in Nebraska and is pretty vulnerable to droughts.

I want to say APD is based somewhere out of Washington state

kind of make sense....

 

[woolala]

Lately I've been having a lot of luck with this brand: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11208808

I can get the 6lb big bag locally, and it ends up being slightly cheaper than Kleen Mama's once you factor in what I'd pay to have that shipped to me.

Thanks for the recommendation! I like the fact that this is available in the pet store, so that I can just go pick up a small bag and give it a try. It's quick and I won't waste lots if she doesn't like it.

 

[woolala]

APD hay is pretty consistant, I have only had a couple of bad batches in the 12 years I have had chins.

Mine get APD too, sometimes they're a bit stringy, but consistent most of the time.
I tried oxbow once, when the APD batch was pretty bad looking, but my chins did not like it at all, they picked and picked and it all ended up scattered on the floor.

My chins love the APD hay. I haven't ever had one chin turn it down or turn their nose up to it. Haven't seen a bad batch of it yet and I've never heard anyone complain about APD hay over the years.
I haven't had the same luck with good quality loose hay locally, so I have stuck with the APD loose hay at this time as well as timothy/alfalfa cubes too, which my chins eat both and never turn either down.

Wow... lots of good words about APD here! Will definitely add it to my wish list...
AZChins is shipping me some hay. I'll see how my girl likes it....

 

[Roni Jasper]

Hmm... I think I'll give the APD a try too... I've been using another supplier for the last 6 years or so, but this current batch and the batch before have been seriously lacking. Not sure if it's due to the weather, but the chins will barely touch it and they love 3rd cut.