Oat Hay ?

[4theLOVEofPigs]

I was surfing on Amazon.com this evening looking into getting some OxBow Hay for my piggies.
When I ran across something called Oat Hay, and it was labeled of coarse for all types of small animals.
I was just wondering if it was any good for piggies or not?
Or if anyone had used it, as I said I never heard of it before and was just wondering. Thanks...

[knj240]

I seen this at my local pet store and wondering the same thing, it looked nice in its bag..Like it had just came in - It was oxbow and thought about getting it myself just to mix it up a little for my girls....hmm?

[bpatters]

Oat hay is alfalfa, and is harvested with green seed heads. Pigs don't need those. A small bit of oat hay as a treat every so often wouldn't harm them, but it definitely cannot substitute for a grass hay.

[pinky]

Are you sure oat hay is alfalfa? I know it's a legume but I thought it was a completely different crop that gets rotated with alfalfa. I've bought Oxbow Oat Hay as a treat for my pigs in the past and it looked different than alfalfa to me.

Oat hay is alfalfa, and is harvested with green seed heads. Pigs don't need those. A small bit of oat hay as a treat every so often wouldn't harm them, but it definitely cannot substitute for a grass hay.

[bpatters]

Sorry, you're right, Pinky. I shouldn't research hays before I've finished my morning coffee.

It is a rotation crop with alfalfa, which can't be planted in the same field every year. But it's a poor quality hay that's low in protein, and if grown to maturity, is considered straw. It also can be high in nitrates, depending on the fertilizer used on it.

[4theLOVEofPigs]

That answers my question thanks again.

I never really did know where plain old straw came from and now I know.
And I already knew that straw in itself was useless other then for covering seed beds and the like.

Sorry, you're right, Pinky. I shouldn't research hays before I've finished my morning coffee.

It is a rotation crop with alfalfa, which can't be planted in the same field every year. But it's a poor quality hay that's low in protein, and if grown to maturity, is considered straw. It also can be high in nitrates, depending on the fertilizer used on it.

[LilPig]

I've given my piggies oat hay in the past as a treat but have run into some brands that are just straw as bpatters said. As long as its good quality its okay, but not meant to be a staple.

[4theLOVEofPigs]

Thanks I knew it was only mean't to be a treat here and there.
But you mentioned about making sure it was of "GOOD" quality?
How do I go about doing that?

I'm not meaning to seem ignorant or anything but have just never seen it in any other form other then straw...

I've given my piggies oat hay in the past as a treat but have run into some brands that are just straw as bpatters said. As long as its good quality its okay, but not meant to be a staple.

[bpatters]

Good hay should be mostly green, but dry, and shouldn't have lots of weeds or nettles in it. If you're unsure, call one of the offices of the state Cooperative Extension Service -- they should have a pamphlet about it, or maybe a website that would show the difference.