As you may know, hay is harvested once each year over the span of the summer months and that harvest is stored at the farm (our warehouse can’t hold it all at once). We receive new batches of hay every 4-6 weeks to get us to next year’s harvest where the process begins all over again!
The quality and characteristics of the hay vary slightly from batch to batch based on multiple factors. (Sometimes we all forget that hay is actually grown in the ground and is susceptible to the whims of nature!)
We realized that doing an annual harvest report on only the first batch of hay from that season’s harvest was more of an initial analysis. It was great at giving us an early glimpse into the anticipated quality for the year, but not a guarantee of what each batch would be.
It was with that in mind that we wanted to provide you with a more realistic description of what the hay looks and feels like as each new batch arrives from the farm. Ensuring you have the most accurate information available when you place your order and allowing you to make informed choices with confidence!
At Rabbit Hole Hay, we want to continue to improve our customer service so your small pets are taken care of and you can give them the life they deserve!
Environmental Notes:
The 2023 harvest is one for the books so far! We’ve had an amazing rainy winter and spring, which allowed the beginning stages of growth to thrive creating a wonderful first cut for harvest . This summer has been cooler with temperatures with some rain and heavy cloud coverage in August which has allowed our hay to grow to its full potential.
Glossary:
See a term you're unfamiliar with? Check out our glossary of terms.
Coarse Timothy Hay
Hay Description:
This is just great hay! This latest batch of Coarse Timothy Hay has a generous amount of long thick stems, on average of 8-12 inches, with an abundance of long seed heads. It contains small pockets of flat and wide leaf content for the small pet who likes a bit of variety.
The color is light green.
Features:
Because of this batch’s great thick stems, this hay is perfect to help file down pesky overgrown incisors.
We found a few small pockets of brome in this batch. This is nothing to worry about as brome is edible, natural, and many small pets like to nibble on it. However, as it’s not a primary feature of our Coarse Timothy Hay, our warehouse team will work diligently to remove as much as possible before hand-packing the hay.
Our Recommendations:
If the Coarse Timothy is a bit too coarse for you, we recommend our Medium Timothy variety which contains thinner stems and less seed heads.
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If you’re looking for more leaf content, but would like to keep the stems and stalks we recommend two options:
Try out the Medium Timothy Hay
Grab some Soft Timothy (mostly leaves) to mix into your Coarse Timothy for some variety
Medium Timothy Hay
We are in the process of taking inventory and creating detailed and accurate reports for all our current hay in stock. Check back next week for an update.
Soft Timothy Hay
We are in the process of taking inventory and creating detailed and accurate reports for all our current hay in stock. Check back next week for an update.
Coarse Orchard Grass
Hay Description:
Just the coarse hay we needed with the thickest stems we’ve seen in a year! This batch of hay’s texture is coarse, with an abundance of stems, open seed heads and long leaves. This grass is very long, on average 12 or so inches, with long leaves scattered throughout.
The color is blue-green, with minimal to no brown leaf. The leaf crush and dust is also minimal.
Features:
This year’s Coarse Orchard Grass harvest is definitely different from 2022’s softer hay texture.
Our Recommendations:
If you liked the texture of the Coarse Orchard Grass this past year (2022 harvest) we recommend making the switch to Soft Orchard Grass ASAP. You may also want to switch to the Soft Orchard variety if your bun isn't interested in as many stems or seed heads.
This batch will allow our small pets who may need something coarser to help file those teeth down to achieve better dental health.
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On the other hand, if your pet has certain dental issues where typically they would need something much softer, it may be best to skip this batch and try our Soft Orchard Grass.
Please consult with your veterinarian if you have questions about your small pets dental health.
Soft Orchard Grass
Hay Description:
We’re so happy with this latest batch of Soft Orchard Grass! It’s fragrant with long leaves averaging 8-12 inches and minimal to no stems and seed heads.
The color is a light blue-green with minimal brown leaf (a big improvement from our 2022 harvest!).
Features:
This year’s texture is very similar to 2022 so there won’t be any surprises there. Compared to Coarse Orchard Grass, this is VERY soft.
Helpful reminder that Alfalfa can grow with Orchard Grass and may appear from time to time in your shipments. It’s minimal and doesn’t do any harm, but we want to let you know in case you see it within your order.
Our Recommendations:
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This batch is perfect for those small pets who need to munch on something softer. Typically those who have dental issues like soft teeth, no teeth, etc.
Please consult with your veterinarian if you have questions about your pets dental health.
Mountain Hay
We are in the process of taking inventory and creating detailed and accurate reports for all our current hay in stock. Check back next week for an update.
Alfalfa Hay
We are in the process of taking inventory and creating detailed and accurate reports for all our current hay in stock. Check back next week for an update.
Oat Hay
We are in the process of taking inventory and creating detailed and accurate reports for all our current hay in stock. Check back next week for an update.
Glossary:
Brome is edible and natural, typically found in our Mountain Grass blend. Many small pets like to nibble on this, so it’s nothing to worry about.
