Are Kaytee Hay and Kaytee Pellets ok?

[CapuPebbles]

Hi everyone!! I would like to know if the pellets and Hay that I feed my piggies are ok. I feed them Kaytee Hay and Kaytee pellets and Exact Pellets. My piggie Capu is obsessed with the Exact pellets from Petsmart (which are green and red) and she will not eat regular pellets.

Is this type of pellets ok? Would you recomend something else? Where can I purchase other kinds of pellets and Hay? I have seen threads recommending Oxbow pellets; but I wonder if this is the kind that I should be giving to my piggies and same with Hay since I get the Kaytee one from Petsmart.
Thanks everyone for the advice!

[nonamian_girl]

I'm not sure, but I think Kaytee is the one that uses cancer-causing preservatives. Go to www.oxbow.com for some better products.

[CapuPebbles]

Nonamian_Girl I think this is the wrong website. www.oxbow.com

[VoodooJoint]

The correct website is Http://oxbowhay.com

[C&K]

The hay is fine, usually very overpriced though compared to ordering online.

The Timothy Complete pellets would be fine, but they use Ethexyquin in them, which is a potential carcinogenic perservative. I would not use them. The other Kaytee pellets are garbage.

[nikilovesdogs]

From an article by Gillian Willis online:


Ethoxyquin is not used as a preservative for HUMAN foods with the following exception: It is permitted to "promote colour retention" in paprika and ground chili pepper in a maximum concentration of 100 ppm.
The maximum allowable residue in eggs, meat, poultry, apples, pears, poultry fat and livers for HUMAN use is 0.5 ppm. In ANIMAL feeds, the maximum allowable concentration of ethoxyquin is 150 ppm.


I would never knowingly feed my pet - any pet - ethoxyquin. There are other preservatives I feel this strongly about. My dogs get all natural, human grade dog foods with no preservatives. My piggers were getting Oxbow pellets and hay with organic veggies to supplement.

[CapuPebbles]

Thanks Everyone. I want to give the best to my piggies; they mean the world to me. I will order the pellets from oxbow; when I get home from work but I am not sure if I should order their hay too!

[Slap Maxwell]

Since KM is not selling hay right now I would definitely order some Oxbow hay.

[nikilovesdogs]

Capu,

I would strongly recommend that you get the hay and the pellets from Oxbow if you can afford that. It's just so much better for them!

[CapuPebbles]

Thanks so much Niki, I will definetely get the hay too.

[PiggieMamaKelly]

I have Kaytee hay and oxbow hay and I am just waiting to run out of the Kaytee. It is so much messier and seems thinner and flakier, plus there is always so much brown hay mixed in with the green. You and the pigs will be much happier with oxbow (I think) and it won't make such a mess!

[jdomans]

Oxbow and Kleenmama are the #1 choice. If they are out of your pocket's reach then Mazuri 5664 is the next choice. Please note that this is not the same that is sold in chain pet stores. Go here and do a 'find a local dealer' with your postal code.
http://www.mazuri.com/

[Sunshyne]

Oxbow has a link that allows you to see what stores in your area carry their products. Also check around local feed stores. My closest one orders Oxbow for me when I need it. I have always wanted to try KM, but the shipping to here is a bit steep. Her hay is suppose to be awesome. Unfortunatley due to current events she is out until summer, but you can still buy pellets through her.

[Marlania]

I've had to buy Kaytee hay a few times when the local co-op was out of Oxbow, and I came across a few bags that had a number of thorn-like pokey-things. I'm not really sure what they were, but they definitely stuck into my hand so I can imagine what would have happened had I fed the hay without noticing the "thorns."