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Hay there! (bad pun... I know). This is a repost from a bulletin from the House Rabbit Society. All of you bunny and guinea pig owners (or potential rabbit and guinea pig owners), if you're not giving hay daily to your animals, you put their digestive health at risk. We want your pets to live long, loving, wonderfully happy and healthy lives and adding hay to their diets is important. Here's why:
----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: House Rabbit Society
Date: May 29, 2007 9:48 AM
Hay is the basis of a good bunny diet. While many pellets boast their fortified rich diet, it does not replace the importance of hay in your bunnys diet.
Feeding your bunny good quality hay will provide your bunny with the essential fiber, roughage, and nutrients which reduces the danger of hairballs and other blockages.
Types of Hays and Grasses
Bunnies love fresh hay! Be sure to provide an ample supply they can nibble whenever they like. Hay fiber is the best defense against intestinal blockages. Plan ahead. Don't let your hay supply run out before purchasing more.
Timothy hay
Timothy is probably the second most popular hay with bunnies and their caretakers. It looks like a dried blade of grass, fairly wide and its color is a soft green to grey/brown green. Timothy hay also has "solid cattails" which distinguishes it from Orchard grass which has "broken cattails." Much of the Timothy is imported from Northern counties; it is not as widely available as Alfalfa, but is an excellent hay for bunnies. It contains a good level of calcium and calories. Typically included in all HRS boxed hay.
Oat hay
Large hollow cylindrical stalks and flat blades that are golden yellow to light green with oats on the end. The coloration and the presence of oats distinguishes this hay from others. Oat hay can vary widely in appearance and oat count, depending on the harvest season. New harvests are generally oat laden, whereas later harvest such as Dec-Feb can be very light, with minimal oats. Many people confuse Oat hay with Straw. The similarity is in the coloration. Straw is not a food source, but is typically used for bedding, mostly in the horse and farming communities. Oat hay is an excellent source of fiber. Bunnies tend to enjoy mostly the oats, but will sporadically munch on the hay stalks.
If bun's diet is high in oat hay, the pellets she produces will be larger, lighter in color, and will look like sawdust if crushed. Many bunnies would benefit from eating more oat hay, an excellent preventative for GI Stasis. HRS boxed hay may contain oat hay or other fiber rich types to provide variety.
Bermuda grass
Yes, it's that stuff you've been trying to get out of your flower bed since the beginning of time. Bermuda is a thin blade to flexible stalk, light green to gray/green in color. It is another of the higher fiber. Bermuda is less well known and not as easy to come by. Many bunnies prefer Bermuda and it is a good all around food source with a moderate amount of calories. Bermuda is typically fine enough that it doesn't get spread all over the cage which often happens with Oat hay. Typically no flowers or cattails are seen on Bermuda grass.
Orchard grass
Another less known feed, orchard grass, is very similar in appearance to Timothy but the "cattails" have small segments missing from them every 1/32 of an inch. Also the cattails tend to be pale brown, whereas Timothy cattails are green to light yellow.
Where do you get all this great Hay!
Well, you can get it at feed stores, but if you don't live near feeds stores you can get it from this reputable hay company OXBOW HAY COMPANY
Be aware that not all pet stores carry this brand. You can order it online or if you live near Richmond California you can come and purchase it at our Store.
All the information you are reading can be found at HOUSE RABBIT SOCIETY/">
