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Hay Oxbow is Terrible

LifeAsItMayBe

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Have you special ordered their boxed hay? It's just as nice as KM hay. Stores order bagged hay and it sits on the shelf or in the stock room until someone buys it. Boxed hay is delivered fresh and there's a huge difference in quality. Hay should never be stored in plastic bags so if it sits in those plastic bags, it goes bad. KM and Oxbow stand by their products. If you're ever dissatisfied, you should contact customer service to let them know there was a problem with their product. There should always be some sort of lot number on the package that they can trace back to the date it was packaged.... I think you probably have more of an issue with the store you bought the hay from. Sounds like they overstock and sell old stock. Didn't you just get your guinea pigs in May?

I got Zelda in April, the babies were born in June. (Whatever that matters to you, I have been reading and going to stores to learn about getting a pet guinea pig since I was ten) I looked all over the bag of Oxbow and couldn't find a date or lot number anywhere on it. It's still in my trash can if you know a specific spot to check. I don't think it is an overstocking issue, though. When I bought it there were only two bags of that size left, with a bunch of empty shelf space next to and behind it.

By the way, if we all complained about their plastic bags do you think it would make a difference? I kind of doubt it, but it would be nice.
 

ggpigs

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So,most pgs don't like oxbow.Do you know good hay that is cheap that you buy in petsores and it is still good qualitie? ?
 

bpatters

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Petstore hay is, hands down, the most expensive hay you can buy when you buy the small packages. The cheapest hay you can find is a bale from a local farmer or feed store, and should be less than $10 per bale, maybe much less. Everything else is in between.

You can go to the websites of most of the pet stores and see exactly what they're selling, and for how much.
 

pinky

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I got Zelda in April, the babies were born in June. (Whatever that matters to you, I have been reading and going to stores to learn about getting a pet guinea pig since I was ten) I looked all over the bag of Oxbow and couldn't find a date or lot number anywhere on it. It's still in my trash can if you know a specific spot to check. I don't think it is an overstocking issue, though. When I bought it there were only two bags of that size left, with a bunch of empty shelf space next to and behind it.

By the way, if we all complained about their plastic bags do you think it would make a difference? I kind of doubt it, but it would be nice.

Don't buy it in plastic bags. Bulk order in boxes where it's shipped fresh to you or buy a fresh bale. I've had guinea pigs for 18 of my adult years plus quite a few more when I was a kid. I bought bagged hay for years before I found out you can buy fresh boxed hay. There's a huge difference with the quality between the two because you never know how fresh the bagged hay is. I still think your issue is the store and not bags. Just because a shelf is empty doesn't mean that what was on it was fresh. I've shopped at a few stores where the bagged hays were yellow and brittle because they weren't fresh. The problem isn't the plastic bag as much as it is the hay sitting in the plastic bag for too long. Boxed hay is shipped in a large plastic bag in the box. You have to remove it from the plastic bag or keep the box open right away because it needs ventilation to keep it fresh. You can put any hay in a bag and it'll go bad if it sits in it for too long.... My point about asking how long you've had your guinea pigs is that if you'd shopped for hay for a long time, you'd notice that some stores rotate products to maintain freshness and toss old stuff. Other stores let it sit on the shelf until someone buys the last one and then they reorder or restock.
 

skinnyguineaus

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pinky said:
When you buy any brand of bagged hay, you never know how long it's been sitting around in the store. Only buy bags that look fresh and green. I buy 50 lb. boxed Oxbow that I order through my local pet store and it's always been nice and green.

I agree!! My 50lbs boxes are always green and smells wonderful! I have stopped ordering from them only because I have a local farmer who provides me pesticide free orchard grass. If I ever lose this connection I will probably go back to Oxbow.
 

pinky

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I agree!! My 50lbs boxes are always green and smells wonderful! I have stopped ordering from them only because I have a local farmer who provides me pesticide free orchard grass. If I ever lose this connection I will probably go back to Oxbow.


I'd be interested in buying from your local farmer if you'd share the info... thanks!
 

cottoncandy946

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Reading this...I've gotten timothy hay that was in the plastic bags for years...D: I think this post just convinced me to find some local farmers that will sell me some orchard grass...
 

skinnyguineaus

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pinky said:
I'd be interested in buying from your local farmer if you'd share the info... thanks!

Pinky, I will ask them if I can give you their info. I think they also distribute to a store closer to you... The store is in Barrington. Would that work for you?
 

animalhouse

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Weird you had such a issue with Oxbow. I have always fed my rats and pigs the pellets and the hay. I did get a rough spot that I wasn't able to get the oxbow when I ran out and tried the orchard grass of the Kaytee. (as the grocery doesn't carry the oxbow) And the bag is still sitting there. my pigs wont touch it! As soon as I got the timothy from oxbow, and put it in there.. It is gone! I have to fill the hay racks 2x a day on most days! I go through the small bags of it about once every 5-7 days. Mine is Always green, fresh smelling. I did get one bag that was a lot of small peices and nothing of the good stuff. But, I am sure it was just luck of the draw. I didn't look at the bag well when I bought it. But other then that, no issues.

Sorry you had such bad luck with it.
 

pinky

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Pinky, I will ask them if I can give you their info. I think they also distribute to a store closer to you... The store is in Barrington. Would that work for you?

Barrington is very convenient and not far for me. My daughter's getting married and bought her wedding dress there. I was just there this week. Thanks.
 

mufasa

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We were at Petsmart this weekend looking at stuff we need when we combine Amy and Quinn's cages, so I looked at the Oxbow again. the timothy was still awful, but they had some nice, green Oxbow orchard hay. I bought a bag, and both girls absolutely love it.
 

foggycreekcavy

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I have seen some pretty dry and yellow looking Oxbow hay, and have seen some really nice green Kaytee. While I usually never advocate buying Kaytee, if it's the best you can find, then get it.

It really is a stocking issue rather than an Oxbow issue, like most people have been saying. Until you buy some Oxbow from a fresher source, it's unfair to say the Oxbow is bad.

Like bpatters says though, feed store or farm bought hay is the cheapest, and often the nicest (although around here you can't find good quality timothy or orchard grass for less than $15 a bale--it's still a much better value than pet store hay in a bag!)

One resource that people often overlook is the local rescue. Many small animal rescues will sell you hay at a good price.
 

LifeAsItMayBe

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(Some) Oxbow is Terrible

I have seen some pretty dry and yellow looking Oxbow hay, and have seen some really nice green Kaytee. While I usually never advocate buying Kaytee, if it's the best you can find, then get it.

It really is a stocking issue rather than an Oxbow issue, like most people have been saying. Until you buy some Oxbow from a fresher source, it's unfair to say the Oxbow is bad.

Like bpatters says though, feed store or farm bought hay is the cheapest, and often the nicest (although around here you can't find good quality timothy or orchard grass for less than $15 a bale--it's still a much better value than pet store hay in a bag!)

One resource that people often overlook is the local rescue. Many small animal rescues will sell you hay at a good price.


I think you are the first person to ever tell me that getting Kaytee is okay if you're desperate. lol Which I was when I got Oxbow from the store. They had tons of green Kaytee. I kept asking people here "are you sure Oxbow will be better even if it's brown?" and they all kept saying yes, or ignoring my question and saying order some, which was unhelpful because I said I needed some immediately.

I have yet to find a local feed store that sells anything other than alfalfa. :sad: No rescue here either, and the shelter I got Zelda from didn't have any hay at all... :eek:
 

LifeAsItMayBe

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By the way, [MENTION=15081]pinky[/MENTION], I'd still like to know where the lot number can be found on the bags if you know...
 

brupoppiggies

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Can I suggest seeing if you can find a farm store that is local to you, I know not possible everywhere. I accidentally found one behind the plumbing store about 5 miles from my house you can't even see it from the street. Anyway I was able to buy fresh baled local timothy/orchard mix for less than $20 for the whole bale. It's a local shop not a big corporate outfit like coastal. My pigs have never been happier!
 

mufasa

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The thing that scares me is that people who don't know any better will buy the brown hay, regardless of brand. It appalls me (but doesn't surprise me) that Petsmart leaves the brown timothy hay on their shelves. I hate to say it, but the Kaytee did look much better. Thank goodness they had nice, green Oxbow orchard hay, which enticed me to try it because it was so fresh looking. I'll have to get it regularly now that I know the girls love it.

I was also disgusted with Target for having the old, awful Kaytee stuff that looked like straw on clearance. Granted, they're not a pet store, but to me that's like selling expired food, and people might buy it and feed it to their animals because of the clearance price. Might as well feed them newspaper. At least the Kaytee at Petsmart is usually green, probably because people buy it over Oxbow since it's cheaper.
 

LifeAsItMayBe

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The thing that scares me is that people who don't know any better will buy the brown hay, regardless of brand. It appalls me (but doesn't surprise me) that Petsmart leaves the brown timothy hay on their shelves. I hate to say it, but the Kaytee did look much better. Thank goodness they had nice, green Oxbow orchard hay, which enticed me to try it because it was so fresh looking. I'll have to get it regularly now that I know the girls love it.

I was also disgusted with Target for having the old, awful Kaytee stuff that looked like straw on clearance. Granted, they're not a pet store, but to me that's like selling expired food, and people might buy it and feed it to their animals because of the clearance price. Might as well feed them newspaper. At least the Kaytee at Petsmart is usually green, probably because people buy it over Oxbow since it's cheaper.

One time I went to WalMart and they had bags of hay on the shelf that were full of water. I don't buy anything for my pigs there anyway, but I wondered who thought it was a good idea to put those out.
 

pinky

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By the way, [MENTION=15081]pinky[/MENTION], I'd still like to know where the lot number can be found on the bags if you know...

I buy boxed and all of the boxes have a number on them that they can trace to a packing date. Isn't there some sort of skew number on the bags? That might be a question to ask Oxbow. They used to have dates on the plastic tag on the bags but since I don't buy bagged anymore I'm not sure.
 

MrWhistles

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I think it depends on the store as far as Oxbow hay quality.
Pet stores don't have an knowledge on hay quality and will keep the hay FAR past it's time. I've seen PetsMarts with moldy Oxbow hay and others with AWESOME Oxbow hay.
 

pinky

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I think it depends on the store as far as Oxbow hay quality.
Pet stores don't have an knowledge on hay quality and will keep the hay FAR past it's time. I've seen PetsMarts with moldy Oxbow hay and others with AWESOME Oxbow hay.

I agree. I stopped at a Petco one time and noticed that all of their hay was yellow. I've never seen hay that looked that bad.
 
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