So hard to find decent hay bales. *Rant warning *

Ugh it is so hard to find decent hay bales this time of year. Since about the end of september time I have been getting Bales from the local farm in the village for just £2 I really like the bales just because the hay smells nice, long strands and generally very nutritious and looked appealing. Unfortunately Over winter I was finding that I would have to pick through the bale to get the best bits and nicest smelling hay. I first put it down to not storing it correctly so I got a pallet so I could get a bale and put it on and it could breathe.

I got a Bale I think it was last month, the bale was alright other than I had to pick through and get the best bits out. I ended up left with some not nice smelling hay so put that in the green been on Friday evening. Went to the garden centre on Sunday to try their hay bale , I've not got a bale from there and it was pretty expensive at £9.50 Anyway got a Bale and at first I thought it was fine but have since noticed it is quite straw like although it is clearly hay it is just horrible stuff! I put a torch up to it and I am sure I saw some furry strands and it does not smell very pleasant really, Bunnies are not keen at all!

We have texted the farmer earlier today asking if we could have another bale of his stuff so hopefully that shall come tomorrow (have my fingers crossed) The Bunnies really adore that hay especially Pixie and Pickle they're really good hay eaters so is Lily, Flopsy on the other hand just about has a few strands of hay he's a very fussy dental bunny. Pixie is an amazing hay eater we've only had her a week but she really does love her hay as does Pickle, Pixie produces some really nice golden poo when on the farm hay. Pickle and Pixie are on 1 table spoon of pellets morning and night as they eat lots of hay well they do if it is nice stuff.

If anyone in Wiltshire/Hampshire area can recommend of any places that do decent hay bales then please let me know, Its so stressful finding the right hay.

Anyway here are some pictures of the rubbish hay off the garden centre bale.

That's awful Jack! it does look very much like straw.

We are having the same problems we pay £4 a bale now and some bale's are lovely and green and then some are quite mouldy inside so we are binning it. Why the hay is so bad and so expensive in parts it's due to a bad Summer last year and this year has been horrendous for Farmers with flooded fields and snow. Like everything else at the moment this bad weather will only make it more expensive next year I think

I used to pay £8 for 20kg bale of hay for my buns lasted me about 2 or 3 months was brilliant and that was with 7 rabbits

Tuckerbunnies wrote:That's awful Jack! it does look very much like straw.

We are having the same problems we pay £4 a bale now and some bale's are lovely and green and then some are quite mouldy inside so we are binning it. Why the hay is so bad and so expensive in parts it's due to a bad Summer last year and this year has been horrendous for Farmers with flooded fields and snow. Like everything else at the moment this bad weather will only make it more expensive next year I think

It is terrible it really is, I just hope the bale that I next get from the farm is fairly decent as the bunnies really like that and they produced some nice golden poop well apart from fussy Flopsy There's not much we can do to tempt him , he only eats a few strands if that. Why do dental bunnies have to be so difficult! My Pixie is a brilliant hay eater and she just does not like the garden centre rubbish. hay stresses me out, lots is getting wasted

BellaPickleFlopsyLily wrote:

Tuckerbunnies wrote:That's awful Jack! it does look very much like straw.

We are having the same problems we pay £4 a bale now and some bale's are lovely and green and then some are quite mouldy inside so we are binning it. Why the hay is so bad and so expensive in parts it's due to a bad Summer last year and this year has been horrendous for Farmers with flooded fields and snow. Like everything else at the moment this bad weather will only make it more expensive next year I think

It is terrible it really is, I just hope the bale that I next get from the farm is fairly decent as the bunnies really like that and they produced some nice golden poop well apart from fussy Flopsy There's not much we can do to tempt him , he only eats a few strands if that. Why do dental bunnies have to be so difficult! My Pixie is a brilliant hay eater and she just does not like the garden centre rubbish. hay stresses me out, lots is getting wasted

I find with our dental buns and we have 8 now else we had 10 with Faith and Pepsi they are not great hay eaters but they do like a bit of Western Timothy hay. I haven't been buying it lately as we need a lot and it's so expensive but I think I will have to treat them to some as it always goes down well with the buns. They all love it.

Tuckerbunnies wrote:

BellaPickleFlopsyLily wrote:

Tuckerbunnies wrote:That's awful Jack! it does look very much like straw.

We are having the same problems we pay £4 a bale now and some bale's are lovely and green and then some are quite mouldy inside so we are binning it. Why the hay is so bad and so expensive in parts it's due to a bad Summer last year and this year has been horrendous for Farmers with flooded fields and snow. Like everything else at the moment this bad weather will only make it more expensive next year I think

It is terrible it really is, I just hope the bale that I next get from the farm is fairly decent as the bunnies really like that and they produced some nice golden poop well apart from fussy Flopsy There's not much we can do to tempt him , he only eats a few strands if that. Why do dental bunnies have to be so difficult! My Pixie is a brilliant hay eater and she just does not like the garden centre rubbish. hay stresses me out, lots is getting wasted

I find with our dental buns and we have 8 now else we had 10 with Faith and Pepsi they are not great hay eaters but they do like a bit of Western Timothy hay. I haven't been buying it lately as we need a lot and it's so expensive but I think I will have to treat them to some as it always goes down well with the buns. They all love it.

Oh thanks Maysie I will have to get some of that , do they sell it in PAH? I ordered a snuggle safe off amazon on sunday it should be here on wednesday so little Pixie can be nice and warm at night as I am a bit worried she will feel the cold as she was a house bunny before. I dont know much about snuggle safes but can you sit them on fleeces and things?

We buy our Western Timothy Hay from The Hay Experts. http://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/western-timothy-hay.html
I don't know about Pets @ Home.

Snugglesafes you just put in the microwave ( it comes with instructions) and then you just lay in near your bunny or under a fleece ( with the cover on at all times) they are handy to put in the pet carrier when going to the vet's with a sick bunny. All our Nethies have them as they seem to love a heat pad. It depends on the strength of your microwave to how long you put them in for

Tuckerbunnies wrote:We buy our Western Timothy Hay from The Hay Experts. http://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/western-timothy-hay.html
I don't know about Pets @ Home.

Snugglesafes you just put in the microwave ( it comes with instructions) and then you just lay in near your bunny or under a fleece ( with the cover on at all times) they are handy to put in the pet carrier when going to the vet's with a sick bunny. All our Nethies have them as they seem to love a heat pad. It depends on the strength of your microwave to how long you put them in for

Thank you Maysie, I will try and pester my mum tomorrow so I can place an order to get some hays and grasses as I do have some money so can pay myself hopefully something will take Flopsy's fancy you never know, It would always be worth paying the extra if Flopsy likes a certain hay
Sounds good, I think my little Pixie will love one . You can tell she has nethie in her the way she bounces about she mastered the cat flap today after 5 days hooray!

BellaPickleFlopsyLily wrote:

Tuckerbunnies wrote:We buy our Western Timothy Hay from The Hay Experts. http://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/western-timothy-hay.html
I don't know about Pets @ Home.

Snugglesafes you just put in the microwave ( it comes with instructions) and then you just lay in near your bunny or under a fleece ( with the cover on at all times) they are handy to put in the pet carrier when going to the vet's with a sick bunny. All our Nethies have them as they seem to love a heat pad. It depends on the strength of your microwave to how long you put them in for

Thank you Maysie, I will try and pester my mum tomorrow so I can place an order to get some hays and grasses as I do have some money so can pay myself hopefully something will take Flopsy's fancy you never know, It would always be worth paying the extra if Flopsy likes a certain hay
Sounds good, I think my little Pixie will love one . You can tell she has nethie in her the way she bounces about she mastered the cat flap today after 5 days hooray!

Oh if Pixie has Nethie in her she will love a heat pad all our Nethies do and Chudleigh Flint who we lost last year one hot Summer all the buns had ice pods to keep cool except Chudleigh and he had his heat pad, he would throw a strop without it

I've just ordered our buns some Western Timothy Hay as I feel guilty as they have not had some for ages. Trouble is you start looking at other things and think Oh I will have one of them to

The last couple of farm bales I have had have not been so good, I am getting through no end at the moment as I am putting a lot more than normal into litter trays so the buns have more to choose from.

The last lot I had from Hay for Pets was not that good either. I used to buy the Western Timothy Hay in bulk. I think I will be going back to that when I need some more 'posh' hay to put in hay racks.

We seem to have been quite lucky with our farm bales - the quality does vary from quite green and soft to quite yellow and stalky, but we have never had a mouldy bale and our lot always eat it. We pay £4.50 a bale from our local little pet shop, who are brilliant and as the owner goes to fetch the hay himself he would not take it if he didn't like it.

We also have a sack of Hay For Pets Ings and one of Timothy and Rye on the go as a treat hay, and some Burns green oat hay which is all Taffy will eat at the minute.

So have we Sparky, we have a regular order from a local farmer and it is always nice, smells good too.

Hugs

JO xx