Are seedheads harmful?

[Djakarta]

I sometimes find seedheads mixed in with my hay- I've been sorting them out along with any brown bits or hard stems. (I purchased my hay through my local rescue.) Are the seedheads harmful? I've read here that first cut hay is to be avoided, that third cut is prefered. What time of year is the third cut available? The feed stores in my area cater to horses and seemed to stock only the first cut- will third cut be available later in the year? KM is sold out of the third cut. The ordering page has been changed on her site and I don't see the blue grass listed on the ordering form. Is this also sold out? I'm very confused about the time frame for purchasing hay. When would third cut be available again? Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Percy's Mom]

The seed heads are perfectly safe. What you really need to sort out of your hay are any sticks or particularly stiff pieces or any thistly sharp pieces. As far as times to order different cuts, I hope someone else has that answer for you. I can never figure out when different things are available.

[Ly&Pigs]

I've read here that first cut hay is to be avoided, that third cut is prefered.

I don't think we've ever said to avoid first cutting completely but to watch out for stemmy/hard pieces and remove them. Seedheads are some pigs favorite.

Third cut is usually available in late summer.

[fourbwabbys]

Are seed heads those long fluffy pieces? Tarzan goes crazy for those. When I give them hay he always climbs up the side for a "fuzzy".

[TipiDancer]

Originally Posted by Percy's Mom

The seed heads are perfectly safe. What you really need to sort out of your hay are any sticks or particularly stiff pieces or any thistly sharp pieces. As far as times to order different cuts, I hope someone else has that answer for you. I can never figure out when different things are available.

All I can get are store baught hays, because we dont have any farms. And every single piece of hay is stiff and thimboly. Very bad...

[Percy's Mom]

Where do you live Tipiman? It's essential that you get some sort of grass hay for your pigs. There are several online sources for hay, or you can check in the phone books for feed stores and horse stables.

[TipiDancer]

Well like oxbow and The other ones are American. I live on Vancouver island..

[TipiDancer]

Maybe someone could ship off a 20-30 lb bag?? for a price in how many canadian dollars?

[Percy's Mom]

You would need to research on the individual webpages for different hay sources. They should all have a "Contact" email address. http://www.oxbowhay.com would be a good place to start.

[aqh88]

You can't just ship hay from the US to Canada like that. You need it all inspected including where it's grown and all the right paperwork and permits or whatever. I know it's a fairly time consuming and expensive process which is why KM does not ship to canda. A few companies like Oxbow do but it tends to be much more expensive than buying it here. Your better off checking for local feed stores or horse owners and seeing if there is any good hay there.

[TipiDancer]

Okay, thanks. I will try to look for feed stores, or ranches with timothy hay. Store baught is well too low quality, and they only have alfalfa.

[pink piggy lips]

I've read that first cutting is actually healthiest for buns (why not assume piggsters, too) a little overweight due to the higher fiber content. They just say that they tend to prefer the 2nd and 3rd cutting. Also, you need some firm stalks to help grind down those teeth.
My darlings all love the part that I also call the "fuzzy."
If I have a handful of hay that is poking the crap out of me, then I will just cut them into shorter pieces so they are less likely to poke my darlings.

[Djakarta]

I hadn't thought to cut up the stemmier sections. I've just been discarding them. Thanks for a great tip!

[pink piggy lips]

Originally Posted by Djakarta

I hadn't thought to cut up the stemmier sections. I've just been discarding them. Thanks for a great tip!

Your welcome! It's not only great for preventing ouchy pokes to your piggies but also saving the hay. I haven't rigged up hay racks yet so when I give hay in their dishes, cutting them into small stalks keeps them from flicking long stalks across the cage. That way the hay goes into their mouths and not disappear into the oblivion of shavings or onto the carpet.