Need to buy grass hay for sick pig please help

[Fluffball]

Hi all,

Recently my piggie caremal developed a urinary tract infection. Both the vet and guinea lynx are urging me to switch to grass hay immediately. The thing is ive rang 15 produce stores near me and none stock it. The only one that even had any only sold it in huge bales that would cost a fortune and wouldnt sell it in smaller amounts.

I was hoping someone could bag some and ship some to me? Or offer me some place that gauntees grass hay will be sold in small bags near me. Im in the penrith region of Sydney. Ive range all the produce and horse feed stores in the yellow pages in my area, if you know of any that I may have missed id love the details.

Thanks if you can help and thankyou for reading.

[Percy's Mom]

What kind of hay are you currently feeding your pig? They should have some kind of grass hay in unlimited quantities all the time. Hopefully, someon in your part of the world will respond quickly with some suggestions for you.

[naturestee]

Hi, I'm not in your area but I know an Aussie rabbit owner who's had better luck finding oat hay than timothy or grass hay. Maybe try asking for that? Oat hay is a good low-calcium option.

Also, try calling horse stables and farms. They're often willing to sell a small bale or partial bale to a pet owner. Just make sure the hay doesn't have alfalfa mixed in, because I've had that problem in my area.

[albert]

You can pick up Peters Pasture hay at coles of woolworths for around $5.00. Oaten hay is excellent to feed but I have only seen it in the bale and it is very messy and has lots of long stalks which they dont like to eat. A bale of oaten hay will set you back around $13.00 and will last you ages.

[Fluffball]

I am currently feeding lucerne (alfalfa) but that needs to stop. I did have timothy grass hay but they discontinued it at my supply store.

Woolies and coles they dont sell hay where I am. Ive looked but it seems only other states or areas supply it. Will ask for oaten hay. If anyone knows anything else feel free to add.

Thanks.

[Gunnedah]

what about meadow hay? Most produce stores supply it.

[Fluffball]

These are the produce stores I have rung: Stock feeds and supplements, smiths produce, mamre produce, advanced miling sompany, CCd animal health,vella's stock feeds, Vics produce, londonderry produce, castlereagh grain and lucerne producers, glenmore nursery, camden produce and kirky and co stock feed.

Have asked for wheaten, oaten, timothy, blue grass. barley and meadow hay. None stock it. These are all the produce and farm stores I can drive too in Sydney. I dont know what else to do really. Ill keep looking for grass hay, an order hopefully is coming in on friday or monday at my local pet store, but they are always unrealible and if they run out again ill be stuck with alfalfa for another 2 months.... *sigh*.

[albert]

You could try to get oaten chaff (cost around $25.00) if you cant get the oaten hay. Strange that none of those places keep it as it is regular horse feed. I have never had any problems getting feed from our produce as they always have plenty in stock.

[Gunnedah]

What about Condell Park Produce, Kensington Produce, Leppington Produce and Merrylands Produce?

Em

[Mikey's Mum]

Hi Fluffball,

When you phoned those feed stores, did they tell you what hay they actually had in stock? Grass or meadow hay is one of the most popular. Most feed stores will sell you a biscuit (a bale is made up of several biscuits) from a bale that has broken. Barley hay is well liked by piggies too. I pay $10 for a whole bale of grass hay so a biscuit would probably be a few $$$.

Some Safeway stores stock Peters Pasture Hay in a tiny red box and it will be located where the Lucerne Pellets are. If they don't stock it, you could ask them to order you in some boxes especially.

I have looked up the Yellow pages for your area and there is a store called Produce Barn in Penrith. Their phone number is 02 4721 1711 and they stock different hays. Perhaps you could call them if you haven't already done so.

[Fluffball]

I rang penrith produce barn and asked what hay they have. They only have lucerne. They have oaten chaff? I dont know if that can be fed like hay?

Condell park is at least 2 1/2 hours from me... I dont believe I could make a 21/2 hour trip each time I wish to get hay, maybe if I had a car but lugging hay back on a train doesn't seem the best.

Ill get this oaten chaff maybe mix it in, I appreciate the help everyone.

[enchantingcavy]

Hi Fluffball,

None of our local produce stores here in QLD have anything other than lucerne chaff either. I have four locally and none stock anything else atm.
They all sell oaten chaff but oaten chaff I find the pigs don't overly fuss over it it's fairly bland I'll try get a photo of what it looks like tonight it's like flakey pieces basically it's not long or stemmy like hay is I mix it into my piggy feed so can grab a good photo of it. Oaten chaff is around $28 for a huge huge bag.

The produce stores here said they'll be getting in barley hay and possibly some grassy hays around October but nothing until then.

Do you have a reserve or grasy area somewhere nearby? Maybe the way to go would be to grab a big garbage bag and fill it up with fresh grass once a week? ( I use scissors and clip it it's easier on the hands ). Reserves usually have long grass along the water area and they're not sprayed sometimes I do this when we don't have hay around I'll just pick a huge bagful.

Jess

[enchantingcavy]

Umm another option not that I like recommending a petstore but pets paradise chain of stores stock the timothy hay although they are around $10 and the bags are so small. Would probably only do three days between two piggies although if fed on everyt second day it'd be like $10 per week.

One other option and you'd probably need a produce store locally umm is to purchase a huge 20kg or 40kg bag of racehorse oats you sprinkle the oats onto soil ( could make a small piggy garden box ) and you can actually grow your own oat grass. The pigs go crazy over it it's delicious hehe. The oat grass grows so very fast you'd have a good supply.

Jess

[Fluffball]

Thanks Jess.

Im planning to grow some grass soon, I have blue grass seeds but it comes with slow release fertiliser mixed in. I hope that will wash away when it comes time to harvest.

Ill check with the council and see where they spray, I wouldnt really want to harvest from a reserve id probably spend all day washing it! but ill keep it in mind. The oat idea sounds really good ill plant some when I plant the grass. Ive been waiting on some hay from pets paradise for over 3 months now, I hate relying on a pet store but they are the only ones that stock grass hay.

Thanks for all the help, ill enquire about some grass from some neighbours too with no pets. Thanks again.

[extensiblecow]

I don't know why this thread appeared to be updated today, as the last response posted by Fluffball was dated in Nov '05.

Fluffball, not sure if you're still looking for grass. I gathered you may be looking for fresh ones. But if you're also needing Lucerne Hay (around A$15 for a bale), let me know for I go up to Dural to get a bail for my pigs and I can help you get some if you like if you're having troubles getting hay at your end. I'm based in Thornleigh. Not sure which part of Sydney you're at.

[extensiblecow]

Originally Posted by extensiblecow

I don't know why this thread appeared to be updated today, as the last response posted by Fluffball was dated in Nov '05.

My apologies. Didn't realise Nov '05 was the join date till a kind member of this forum sent me a private message to notify me !

Apologies for the confusion.

[Mikey's Mum]

My local Safeway store has just started stocking the Pasture Hay again. It is now packaged in a bag, not in a box. Might be worth checking again.

[enchantingcavy]

As a last resort i worked it out and you could actually even purchase this meadow/grassy hay on ebay for the same price or less than the timothy hay for sale in most stores over here...

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Rabbit-Guinea...QQcmdZViewItem

Oooh i didnt know peters sold pasture hay...is it only avail at safeway stores? You wouldn't know the price at all?

Jess

[Mikey's Mum]

The Pasture Hay was $5.

[extensiblecow]

Though I haven't seen them at Woolies or Coles in Sydney.
But will keep an eye out. Kmart might have them ! I know Big W in Macquarie Centre doesn't sell Hay.