Small Pet Education Blog > 2023 Harvest Report: Soft Timothy Hay
2023 Harvest Report: Soft Timothy Hay
Written by The Rabbit Hole Hay Team
Welcome to our annual Harvest Report of Soft Timothy Hay!
Within this Harvest Report you'll discover the answers to questions like:
Is Soft Timothy Hay like Third Cut Timothy?
What is Soft Timothy Hay?
Additionally, our report will provide our warehouse's initial analysis of the year's new harvest. This analysis is based on factors such as the year's weather conditions and climate, giving us an early glimpse into the anticipated quality for the year.
But that's not all - keep scrolling to discover exciting news about our "Fresh From The Hopper" updates.
In 2019, we underwent a transformation in naming our Timothy Hay products. Shifting away from the traditional first cut, second cut, and third cut labels, we proudly introduced Coarse, Medium, and Soft Timothy.
Our aim was to ensure that every box of hay consistently meets your expectations. The previous naming system, although accurate, failed to capture the nuanced texture details that matter most. After a decade of using terms like soft, coarse, and leafy to convey hay textures, we realized the need for names that speak universally.
Soft Timothy hay can be harvested from the second or third cut depending on where it was grown and harvested.
Moving forward we will provide you with the highest quality hay we can find that meets the standards for what a Soft Timothy Hay should be, regardless if it’s from the second or third cut.
Soft Timothy Hay should have these qualities:
Harvest: Second or third cut of pure Timothy Hay
Color: Described as hunter or deep green. Soft Timothy Hay should be noticeably darker green than Coarse or Medium Timothy Hay.
Stems/Stalks: The stems of Soft hay should be very thin, less than 1/32nd of an inch, if any at all. Generally when stems are found within Soft Timothy Hay they are almost completely wrapped in leaves, making them appear thicker, but if you peel off the leaves you will find that they are very thin underneath. Any stems (stalks) that are present should be solid, almost ‘wiry’ in feel.
Leaves: Soft Timothy Hay should be almost entirely leaves, at a glance it should look to just be leaves. Only upon closer inspection can you find a few seed heads and/or stems.
Seed Heads/Flowers: The seed heads, also called flowers, should be rare. But, if you do happen to find some they will either be underdeveloped and a bright light green in color, or they will be fully developed with purple wisps, generally no longer than 1-2 inches. Generally the seed heads in Soft Timothy Hay should be few in number, if any. If the hay is from a second cut,you may find more than if the hay is from a third cut.
Our goal is to offer the highest quality hay, however, all naturally grown and harvested hay holds minor imperfections such as dust, weeds, leaf crush, and brown leaf. The ideal version of Soft Timothy Hay would have none of these.
Soft Timothy Hay: 2023 Harvest Report
The 2023 Ultra Premium Soft Timothy Hay we have in stock is currently a second cut. This hay was specifically chosen from a high mountain field for its unique qualities that allow it to be a really great Soft Timothy Hay.
Here is the report on what we have in stock:
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
Harvest: Second cut of pure Timothy Hay, it was harvested in July and August of 2023.
Location: Northern California
Color: Deep green
Stems/Stalks: Minimal stem content. Those that are present are about 7-8” inches on average.
Leaves: Majority of flat and wide leaves, averaging around 6-7” inches in length.
Seed Heads/Flowers: Fully developed, averaging at 2.5" in length.
Leaf Crush: Minimal
Weeds: None.
Brown Leaf: Light.
Dust: None.
Initial Analysis Summary: This year's Soft Timothy Hay is a great example of what Soft Timothy Hay should be. Although the leaves are a bit shorter this year, it has minimal seed heads and stems, and we find it works well for Soft Timothy Hay loving pets. The only reason it doesn't receive a 10/10 is the length of the leaves may be a concern for some customers.
Important to Know About Harvest Reports
Our Harvest Reports update yearly, and are a first glance and analysis of the newly harvested hay. This is what we are hoping (and anticipating) the rest of the year's hay will look like. Yet, nature's quirks make hay-growing and harvesting unique and can lead to a bit of unpredictability with every new batch of hay we receive. As new hay batches from this harvest comes in, typically every 4 to 6 weeks, we'll update you on any changes through our Fresh From The Hopper.
Order 2023 Soft Timothy Hay Below!
Want to know about our other hays? Read our Harvest Reports!
