Hay Report: Coarse Timothy Hay [2019]
Written by The Rabbit Hole Hay Team
We are beginning the transition of changing our Timothy Hay product names to new ones. Up until now, we've used the product names: First Cut, Second Cut, and Third Cut Timothy Hay. We'll soon be replacing these product names with: Coarse, Medium, and Soft Timothy Hay.
Why The Name Change?
The main reason behind this transition is because we want your experience with our products to be more consistent and for you to receive what you expect with each box of Timothy Hay. While referring to a cut of hay by the order in which it was harvested from the field (first, second, and third) is an accurate and precise way to reference it, it does nothing to describe the quality and texture you want to buy.
We have found over the last six years that we often used terms like soft, coarse, and leafy to accurately describe the texture of the hay to our customers. It got us thinking, what if we change the name to something everyone understands?
What is Coarse Timothy Hay Then?
Coarse Timothy Hay is almost always harvested from the first cut. However, in the past we have inspected and rejected beautiful second cut hay because it was ‘too coarse.’ Which is extremely silly as we know you would’ve loved it!
Moving forward we will provide you with the highest quality hay we can find that meets the standards for what Coarse Timothy Hay should be, regardless if it’s from the first or second cut.
Coarse Timothy Hay should have these qualities:
Harvest: First or second cut of pure Timothy Hay
Color: Described as a mint or olive green. Earlier in the season the hay grows quickly, resulting in a lighter green color.
Stems/Stalks: The stems of Coarse Hay are one of the most notable features of the hay. It should have fully developed stalks (stems), many of which will be hollow. The hollow-ness will cause the hay to feel stiff and rough, which is why we are calling it Coarse.
Leaves: The leaves should be broad and less than half of the total amount of hay.
Seed Heads/Flowers: The seed heads, also called flowers, should be fully developed and will generally be between 2-3 inches long on average with small purple wisps.
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 Coarse Timothy Hay would have none of these.
October 2019 Coarse Timothy Hay Report
The 2019 Ultra Premium Coarse Timothy Hay we have in stock is currently a first cut. We hand-selected this batch because we knew it would be what you and your small pet were looking for in a Coarse Timothy Hay.
Here is the report on what we have in stock:
Overall Rating: 9/10
Harvest: First cut of pure Timothy Hay, it was harvested in July of 2019.
Location: Northern California
Color: Mint Green
Stems/Stalks: Averaging 10-15" in length and up to 3/8" in diameter
Leaves: There are a moderate amount of leaves with the leaf length up to 8"
Seed Heads/Flowers: Fully developed with fine purple blossoms, averaging at 3” in length.
Leaf Crush: Very minimal
Weeds: None
Brown Leaf: Very slight, average brown leaf length 2-3"
Dust: None
(The photo to the left is to describe what we mean when we rate Dust at none. After we sifted through and picked out all the stems, leaves, seed heads, leaf crush, weeds and brown leaves, this was the "dust" left over.)
Summary: This year’s Coarse Timothy Hay is a near perfect example of what Coarse Timothy Hay should be. It checks off all the requirements and looks great doing it! The only reason that it doesn’t receive a 10/10 is the small amount of brown leaf in it.
Order Coarse Timothy Hay Below!
Ultra Premium Coarse Timothy Hay
Our Coarse Timothy Hay contains mostly stems, long seed heads, and leaves. This grade of hay comes from the first harvest of Timothy Hay or an exceptionally coarse second harvest. The key to this grade of premium hay is that it’s made up entirely of coarse stems and leaves.
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