# Struggling to find nice hay.



## zowie (Apr 3, 2011)

Im struggling to find any nice hay at the moment. the rabbits are sort of eating what Im giving them but very reluctantly and they arnt eating as much as usual. iv not been giving them many pellets to try and encourage them to eat the hay (they have science selective so they've been getting about 4 pellets each in the evening as a treat) Usually i get hay from a man near a farm but the last lot didn't smell sweet like it sometimes does and its a bit leafy and twiggy which they don't like,so then i got a big bag from the petshop which they will nibble at but its very dusty,to the point where i can feel the dust in my mouth when i get it out,then i ordered a bag of meadow hay with my pellets but they won't touch that atall. Is it time of year or something?? anyone got any suggestions of where to get some online that's a bits nicer?


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## Guest (Mar 13, 2012)

Their is a huge shortage of hay this year in my area so people are being very, very selfish with what they have :lol:

You can try Hay4Pets of Hay experts I have heard good things about them


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

the hay in my area has gone from £6 per bale down to £5, still expensive but they must have plenty in storage


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## Guest (Mar 13, 2012)

emzybabe said:


> the hay in my area has gone from £6 per bale down to £5, still expensive but they must have plenty in storage


It's up to nearly £10 a bale up here because we are close to Newmarket


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## DogLove3 (Mar 1, 2012)

I have a wide assortment of hay for small animals in my online store. I have meadow hay, Dusk extracted hay, Botanical hay plus many more all at reasonable prices.
Just click below, then search for 'hay', then all the hay products will appear.
http://www.petcourtyard.co.uk/small-animal-supplies/4555676719


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## Guest (Mar 13, 2012)

DogLove3 said:


> I have a wide assortment of hay for small animals in my online store. I have meadow hay, Dusk extracted hay, Botanical hay plus many more all at reasonable prices.
> Just click below, then search for 'hay', then all the hay products will appear.
> http://http://www.petcourtyard.co.uk/small-animal-supplies/4555676719


The link doesn't work for me


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## hellzbellz (Feb 9, 2012)

Hi there,

You are quite near me Zowie (as the crow flies but not as the car drives!!), I use a farm on the Crooked Mile just outside Harlow. Different grades and prices. The one I use is the softest and £6.50 a bale, mine love it. Although we have kept the current bale indoors as it didnt feel as dry and warm as it does in the summer months.

Helen


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## DogLove3 (Mar 1, 2012)

Link should work now


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## Guest (Mar 13, 2012)

Yes it works now 
It would cost me a fortune to feed my lot on little bags of hay :lol:


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## JordanRose (Mar 10, 2012)

B3rnie said:


> Their is a huge shortage of hay this year in my area so people are being very, very selfish with what they have :lol:
> 
> You can try Hay4Pets of Hay experts I have heard good things about them


Yes! Hay experts is a fantastic site! (But be careful, it's easy to go overboard and spend loads! ). My two are really fussy- they'll only generally eat Timothy Hay .The Burgess Excel range always goes down particularly well


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

I dont know if its the competition, or the fact that they have hay only evenings twice a week (they get timothy has aswell as baled on these days) but mine will eat any hay that I get, pretty much. I do notice that if the bale has lots of colours in it (different hays) then they eat more than usual. 
As long as they are eating a fair bit then I wouldnt worry too much, it should come better soon hopefully. Have you got anywhere else you could get bales from?

Oh and Bernie, its £4.50-£6 a bale here at the moment.

*Heidi*


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## Guest (Mar 13, 2012)

hazyreality said:


> I dont know if its the competition, or the fact that they have hay only evenings twice a week (they get timothy has aswell as baled on these days) but mine will eat any hay that I get, pretty much. I do notice that if the bale has lots of colours in it (different hays) then they eat more than usual.
> As long as they are eating a fair bit then I wouldnt worry too much, it should come better soon hopefully. Have you got anywhere else you could get bales from?
> 
> Oh and Bernie, its £4.50-£6 a bale here at the moment.
> ...


Mine will eat whatever hay I get them too :lol: Well they are odd because they will turn their noses up at timothy hay 

OMG £5 - £6 a bale, it would cost me the same in petrol to get up to you so I would still be paying the same


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

B3rnie said:


> Mine will eat whatever hay I get them too :lol: Well they are odd because they will turn their noses up at timothy hay
> 
> OMG £5 - £6 a bale, it would cost me the same in petrol to get up to you so I would still be paying the same


Yeh I think you would need to get a few bales to make it worth the trip! But you could come and see the munchkins of Munchkin Manor 

Mine also turned they noses up at normal timothy, they only eat the "special" hay if its the burgess dandelion, or chamomile ones. I'm not sure they really like that, but I figure if they are only getting hay they should have a different one and all the hay is gone in the morning. 
They love their readigrass at any time! The guineas have pretty much put themselves on a readigrass and hay diet! They eat the pellets last!

*Heidi*


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## zowie (Apr 3, 2011)

Thanx for the replies everyone. mine are really fussy!! they have hay in their litter trays and their hay box but they dig through it as if they are trying to find something better and i end up with hay everywhere!! Mine won't eat any of the hay with chamomile or anything like that and iv tried them on different makes of timothy hay and the only one they love is one i got online from willow warren or warren willow,one or the other, but it was quite expensive and didn't last long.


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

I know it sounds awful, but maybe give them a few hay only days to get them used to eating it, without the option of anything else. 
As I say, I think mine arn't fussy because sometimes thats all they have, so they get on with it. Obviously I dont expect them to eat crappy bagged chopped hay, but if its a decent bale then I do. 

You might not be as harsh as me, but they dont look any worse for wear 

*Heidi*


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## zowie (Apr 3, 2011)

hazyreality said:


> I know it sounds awful, but maybe give them a few hay only days to get them used to eating it, without the option of anything else.
> As I say, I think mine arn't fussy because sometimes thats all they have, so they get on with it. Obviously I dont expect them to eat crappy bagged chopped hay, but if its a decent bale then I do.
> 
> You might not be as harsh as me, but they dont look any worse for wear
> ...


Yeah i might have to be cruel just to make them eat it!!!  il blame you if they get the hump with me!!


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

zowie said:


> Yeah i might have to be cruel just to make them eat it!!!  il blame you if they get the hump with me!!


OK, you can tell them that the horrible Heidi made you do it!
Seriously, its best for them to eat hay obviously, so a few days reminding them of that is imo best in the long run, even if they get the hump with you, no, me...

*Heidi*


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## Hel_79 (Jun 14, 2011)

I have to add that I wouldn't be without thehayexperts.

The range of hay, grasses and herbs is really extensive and IMO of good quality. Usually arrives within 2-3 days of ordering. Only downside is paying the P&P, but I've decided it's worth it.


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## Minion (Jan 11, 2012)

I know a lot of people don't agree with shopping there, but I bought my rabbits some excel hay from pets at home yesterday. It's 3 1kg bags for £10. They love that stuff. They do 3 kinds so we got them one of each, and some hay cookies and a new tube extension... I never seem to be able to get them just the thing i went in to get them . Spoilt bunnies


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

Minion said:


> I know a lot of people don't agree with shopping there, but I bought my rabbits some excel hay from pets at home yesterday. It's 3 1kg bags for £10. They love that stuff. They do 3 kinds so we got them one of each, and some hay cookies and a new tube extension... I never seem to be able to get them just the thing i went in to get them . Spoilt bunnies


I'm guessing its on special offer then? I was buying that when I had the £2 off vouchers for excel  Still got 4 1/2 bags left because I stocked up (they only have it on hay only evenings) before the vouchers went out of date.
Mine like it aswell, the guineas like the chamomile, the rabbits like the dandelion and marigold.

*Heidi*


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## Minion (Jan 11, 2012)

hazyreality said:


> I'm guessing its on special offer then? I was buying that when I had the £2 off vouchers for excel  Still got 4 1/2 bags left because I stocked up (they only have it on hay only evenings) before the vouchers went out of date.
> Mine like it aswell, the guineas like the chamomile, the rabbits like the dandelion and marigold.
> 
> *Heidi*


Yes it is. I didn't know which ones my rabbits would prefer so I got one of each. They love it, which is making me very happy because Minion hasn't been eating much lately


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