Oxbow Western Timothy Had Been Poor Quality Lately

[nsmith]

Has anyone else noticed how Oxbow's western timothy has gone way down in quality? For the past six months it's had dark, dead and almost rotted spots in it. I find it annoying that the outer parts of the bag look great but when you dig into the middle you find the bad stuff. Our last bag is like straw or equivalent to the cheap brands. My pigs just eat a little bit and leave the rest as bedding. I've contacted Oxbow and they said they would look into it. That was two months ago. I realize that in many parts of the Midwest, U.S. has experienced a severe drought and that could be a factor. Even so, I'm still paying the same price for Oxbow's "usual" quality.

[pinky]

I don't care for any of the bagged hays. You have no idea how long the stores have had it in stock. I think there's a huge difference in the small bags and the larger boxes you special order. You can take it back to the store for a refund or call Oxbow and complain.

[rosypeppernme]

Yes I have noticed the poor quality as well. I have started buying the Oxbow Orchard grass instead. My piggies like it much better.

[nsmith]

I did contact the company and we have taken it back several times for a full refund. It's just so disappointing that a one time quality product has become horrible.

[bpatters]

Well, the thing you have to remember is that this has been an awful year for crops in the US because of the weather, and the hay quality in general is pretty poor. I doubt that the problem is anything that Oxbow is doing to the hay, just that they can't find as good quality a crop as they usually do.

[zaylea]

My pigs haven't been all that fond of their timothy hay either. They'll eat it, but if I put orchard grass in there they won't touch it until there is no orchard grass left.

[ellisa]

I haven't had a problem at all. In fact, the last box I ordered looked very good, almost the best looking and smelling that I've ordered so far. I agree with pinky that it makes a difference if you special order or if it's a bag from the store. Maybe try ordering next time, if you are able to!

[SurfingPigs]

I've taken to bulk orders from KMS hayloft and have had zero quality issues. They have awesome bluegrass and I am so happy I ordered 45 pounds of 3rd cut timothy from them, I haven't found a single hard piece in my entire order yet. Some brown strands, but the pigs don't mind.

[skinnypigs]

I get the 100lb boxes of Orchard Grass and Timothy Hay from Oxbow. I found the Timothy hay to be less appealing. There is a lot of waste in the bottom of the box, small inedible pieces, dusty pieces. I LOVE the Orchard Grass however. It is always nice and green and once I finish a box, there is barely any waste in the bottom, where the Timothy always has a bunch of crumbs if you will.

[nsmith]

Is Orchard Grass just as good for them as Timothy Hay? BTW this is a photo of how much of the Timothy they leave on the bottom of the cage. The bedding I used is Aspen shavings and you can't even see them there's so much hay left over. I only give them Timothy once a day because it's going to waste.

[ellisa]

Is Orchard Grass just as good for them as Timothy Hay? BTW this is a photo of how much of the Timothy they leave on the bottom of the cage. The bedding I used is Aspen shavings and you can't even see them there's so much hay left over. I only give them Timothy once a day because it's going to waste.

They need any sort or grass hay, so timothy, orchard, bluegrass, and brome are all acceptable. Could you use a hay rack or bin? It helps cut down the waste.
Also, they need hay 24/7 and giving it to them once a day doesn't sound like enough. I just have one pig now and I'm always filling his bin up.

[nsmith]

I just ordered some Orchard Hay from Sweet Meadow Farm. Sweet Meadow Farm | Rabbit and Guinea Pig food | Horse Riding Programs

They describe their Orchard as: Our Orchard Grass is a very soft green hay. It is a wider blade of hay, which looks like long grass. This hay is low in protein and calcium but high in fiber. Small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. can be free fed with this hay. Sweet Meadow recommends free-feeding hay to help with digestion and oral health. A constant supply of hay is also great for your pet's mental well-being, since grazing and chewing is soothing.

The last bag of Oxbow is so hard that I can break it in half.

[nsmith]

Elisa, I normally give them unlimited but they just won't eat this particular bag. Otherwise I feed them hay several times a day. When I give them this bad hay, I usually throw a huge mound in because the love to hide in it and make tunnels! The Timothy I just ordered from Sweet Meadow farms has already shipped so my girls won't be much longer without quality hay. I do have a bin so maybe I'll put it back up. Thanks.

[ellisa]

That hay in your picture does look dry and hard, so I'm not surprised that they are not eating it! Hopefully your Sweet Meadow comes soon

[nsmith]

I'll take a photo for you! They ship within 24 hours which is great! All my girls (three) are rescues so they deserve the best. All piggies deserve the best for that matter!

[tania.nyaw]

I get the 100lb boxes of Orchard Grass and Timothy Hay from Oxbow. I found the Timothy hay to be less appealing. There is a lot of waste in the bottom of the box, small inedible pieces, dusty pieces. I LOVE the Orchard Grass however. It is always nice and green and once I finish a box, there is barely any waste in the bottom, where the Timothy always has a bunch of crumbs if you will.

I've same problems withy you, skinnypigs. Mostly, I've used orchard hay, but last month I've purchase Western timothy hay Oxbow because it's stock were empty. And guess, I found a lot of small inedible pieces, dust. everytime I took hay for my piggies, I've to used mask. It's totally different with orchard hay.

Maybe I should totally switch the hay to orchard grass hhay, my piggies love it very much, more soft

[pinky]

I did contact the company and we have taken it back several times for a full refund. It's just so disappointing that a one time quality product has become horrible.

I'll bet it was a matter of that bag sitting on the shelf too long. There are bar code and lot numbers on Oxbow bags and boxes and you can call the company and find out when the bag was processed. Before I started buying hay by the 50 lb boxes, I'd buy bagged hay from different stores in the area. There was one particular feed store that always had old hay and pellets. I looked at their 25 lb Mazuri pellets and all the bags had expired a long time ago. I told them and they just gave me a funny look. I never went back there. When you buy bagged, really check the looks of it through the clear plastic to see what it looks like. If it looks dry or yellow, I wouldn't even buy it.

[pinky]

I don't think it's the product. If you let any hay sit in a plastic bag long enough, it's going to go bad. Hay does not have an unlimited shelf life. That's why those of us who buy boxed hay make sure to repackage it or give it enough air circulation so it doesn't go bad. I'd just really inspect the hay before you buy it and look to see if there's any kind of expiration date on it. Oxbow is really good about standing by their products and replacing them if there's a problem. I switched to bulk hay because I found that a lot of the bagged hay was sitting on the store shelves too long and wasn't being tossed.

[RubyRain]

Yes I have noticed the poor quality as well. I have started buying the Oxbow Orchard grass instead. My piggies like it much better.

same here