Hay I've had it with Oxbow hay

[PetFamilyBK]

I have to agree as our piggies have been fed mainly on Oxbow hay blends (timothy/orchard). As of late, I’m not 100% sold on the quality of their batches this fall/winter and hope it’s just due to weathering factors and where they are farmed. I often see myself filtering out the hay dust a lot more frequently than I should, and hate seeing dust pileups under the blades. Knowing that my pigs dive into their hay, I don’t want them breathing this stuff in so I have to do a lot more cleanup to remove. Also, whenever I do order the 90oz Timothy hay bags online, the texture just isn’t what they like anymore - very sharp, long, too many seeds (Nibbler would only eat the seeds and become picky). On a couple of occasions there has been what looks like shredded plastic ties I’ve found in their bags which I was lucky enough to catch and remove.

Overall the Hay Blends I pick up in store have been better quality, but certainly seems to be slipping.

 

[LucasG]

I also buy from SPS. You definitely made a good choice by switching. I started buying theirs when my Guinea pig got sick to see if he would eat more, and it was of much higher quality. Even as a human, it’s easy to see that it’s less dusty and more short.

 

[4boipigs]

Shout out to Pet Supplies Plus generic hay!! Small Pet Select was delayed on Amazon yet again (won't be buying it on Amazon again) so I had to get some hay. First I got Oxbow again from work, but the pigs don't like it this time around and it looks bad. I decided to go to Pet Supplies Plus and look and bought their generic Play On! brand.

This hay smells and looks GREAT, plus it is wrapped into bales. I didn't know that til I opened it. The 56oz bag has two bales tied up, so getting it out is easy and not so messy.

Really surprised a store brand hay doesn't suck.

 

[SSLee]

I also ran into a hay shortage problem over New Year. I keep my hay at the office as I do not have much room at home. Our office was closed from Dec 31 - Jan 3 and on Dec 30, I thought I brought home enough hay to last through Jan 3. On Jan 2, I noticed that my hay supply was extremely low, so off I went to Petco to pick up some emergency hay. I have been using Rabbit Hole orchard since November and figured I would pick up a 40 ounce bag of Oxbow orchard to tie over my 3 piggies. But surprise, at Petco the shelves were all empty and no Oxbow orchard hay or even the orchard/timothy blend to be found.

I ended up buying 40 ounces of Kaytee Field & Forest orchard & timothy blend for $17. This is a new premier hay from Kaytee and is very green with virtually no dust. However just like Oxbow, some of the timothy strands are sharp, which makes me nervous as one girl likes to burrow and lay on top of it. If you like an orchard & timothy blend, this new product is worth considering although it is more expensive than the Oxbow one.

I've since brought home a previously purchased 5 lbs of Grandpa's Best orchard, which has quite a lot of brown strands. I also just received a 20 lbs box of Rabbit Hole orchard, stored underneath my work desk. As I take public transit, I will be bringing home a few pounds at a time and definitely don't want to run low again.

 

[escapay]

I've noticed the Oxbow Timothy 90 oz bags are definitely tight squeezed in the bag. I only used it at work since I give my own pigs Orchard Grass mostly, because they eat more of it and it was recommended as diet change to prevent future bladder stones. I've always liked the texture of it better.

I usually get the 9 lb box of Oxbow Orchard Grass, though it isn't always available. My last batch isn't quite as green or soft as it usually is. Though I did get the SMS Orchard grass 10 lb box recently and that definitely has longer strands and greener than the Oxbow.

 

[ItsaZoo]

Thanks for the posting about Kaytee Field and Forest. I didn’t know they started a premium line of products. I looked them up and Petco has a 90 oz package of first-cut timothy for $23.99. I might have to check into that when I start running low.

 

[bpatters]

You can buy 40 pounds of American Pet Diner or SPS for about twice that. Even if you wound up throwing half of it away, it would still be cheaper than that!

 

[madpiggies]

I love how you call them your children ! I have also noticed that the oxbow hay I have in a 90 oz bag is very stalky and thick. For what you get, I believe it is overpriced, but because it is the most accessible and the brand has a good reputation, many are still willing to pay more for lower quality. I hope the small pet select works out for you! I have never tried their products but have only heard great things! I currently have guineadad hay coming in the mail and am excited to test this new method.

 

[ItsaZoo]

I had the same experience with the 90 oz bags of Oxbow, so I went back to smaller bags. They’re easier to store and the hay is softer and better quality.