Oxbow Alfalfa Hay

[Essentia]

Has anyone purchased Oxbow alfalfa in larger quantities? Dr's Foster & Smith has 25lb for $49.99 and free shipping. I have purchased the small bags at petsmart when I only had one or two chins, and they did like that, but it just isn't cost effective going that route anymore. The small bag was promising, but getting a 16oz. bag and 25 lbs is a big difference. I switched from the 9lb bags of Oxbow's Timothy hay because the quality wasn't what I wanted and now I get a bale locally of a Orchard/Clover mix. The quality of the alfalfa bales locally are just crap though, so I'm wondering is the quality of Oxbow's alfalfa any better than their timothy?

I just don't want to waste $49.99. >.<

 

[Andrea]

I ordered 9lbs of timmy and 40oz of orchard grass from F&S before and both are excellent quality. I buy oxbow alfalfa at PetSmart since I only give them a little of it mixed with timmy and orchard grass...the last bag I got was horrible! From the outside it looked okay but most of it was dusty and low quality. I don't know if I'd order so much unless I knew I'd be getting a good bag, which you don't know since you are buying it sight unseen...idk...maybe give it a try in a smaller quantity first?

 

[ticklechin]

Oxbow alfalfa is as inconsistant as it can get, I have bought the 25lbs, the 9lbs, the little bitty bags and every single time its different as far as if its twiggy or leafy, green or brownish, the good thing is they eat it all, regardless.

 

[Essentia]

But I want leafy!

 

[ticklechin]

If you have a local feed store that has alfalfa, take a look at their bales, its what I used to do when I had more chins. They have never turned their noses up at the Oxbow alfalfa like they do with their grass hay.

 

[chinchillasrox]

i used to use Oxbow timothy hay and never had a problem with it exept it is wayy to expincive for me to buy.

 

[Essentia]

I may just break down and drive out to the tractor supply and pick up one of their bales. I've heard it's good quality, so it will probably be worth the 70 mile round trip.

 

[mishellyshel]

i have bought the 25lbs of timmy & 9lbs of alfalfa. the timmy is somewhat inconsistent. i was hoping for 2nd cut and got a lot of hard stalks & worse than that brown clumps.

my chins love the alfalfa, a little inconsistant and a bit stemmy but the leafy parts are leafy and the boys love them.

i went to tractor supply here in Jersey about 1 month ago. got a alfalfa hay bale for under 10 bucks. was SO excited. smelled great. looks green as can be. BUT the leafs are more like dust. none of my chins will really eat it. even guinea pig takes her time eating it and that girl will eat anything! my rescue chin literally stopped eating when i switched her to that. not just stopped eating hay but stopped pellets. it was THE only change i made and for 2 days she didnt eat anything. i put the oxbow back in and BOOM she started eating pellets again. strangest thing. i still use it with my piggie. sometimes i will sprinkle some of the dust on the chinnies hay to get them to eat but i usually find it scattered about.
i did just find a local farm that has 50lb bales of timmy, alfalfa, orcharc for about 18 bucks. picking one up this week. hopefully one of the four legged friends in my house will like it!!
just wanted to share my experience.

 

[ChinsForLife]

I may just break down and drive out to the tractor supply and pick up one of their bales. I've heard it's good quality, so it will probably be worth the 70 mile round trip.

Do you mean DuMOR brand? That's tractor supply brand. That's the alfalfa I got and its SUPER green! I'm very happy with it!

PS: its much more green in person than in the picture

 

[equus_peduus]

Do you mean DuMOR brand? That's tractor supply brand. That's the alfalfa I got and its SUPER green! I'm very happy with it!

PS: its much more green in person than in the picture

(you do realize you replied to a 10 year old post?)

They said they got a bale, so way more than your little bag there. It probably didn't have a "brand" per se. A bale usually weighs in the neighborhood of 50+ lb, it's what, maybe a foot and a half by a copule of feet by 3 feet? Or larger... it's meant for feeding livestock, but if you have enough little guys and/or the storage for it, you can use it for feeding small animals also.

 

[ChinsForLife]

(you do realize you replied to a 10 year old post?)

They said they got a bale, so way more than your little bag there. It probably didn't have a "brand" per se. A bale usually weighs in the neighborhood of 50+ lb, it's what, maybe a foot and a half by a copule of feet by 3 feet? Or larger... it's meant for feeding livestock, but if you have enough little guys and/or the storage for it, you can use it for feeding small animals also.

Yes I know its old.

Oh ok. I actually don't have a chin yet, I'm picking him up on April 18. I'm determined to get everything right.

 

[equus_peduus]

Yes I know its old.

Well, things like brand quality can change over time, especially something as seasonally changeable as hay, so pulling up a thread like this isn't very useful

Oh ok. I actually don't have a chin yet, I'm picking him up on April 18. I'm determined to get everything right.

There isn't really an "everything right" when it comes to pet care. There's a "do the best you can" (which it seems you've been working on), and there's a "these things really important," and there's even a few "this is really bad don't do it," but like so many things in life, you'll find that there are multiple "right" ways to do a thing.

Pet care is one of those things - every animal is different, every owner is different, every family is different. As long as you are providing the species-appropriate basics, anything else you do will be based on your best judgment based on the information you have available to you at the time, making the best decisions you can for you, your pet, and your family.

 

[ChinsForLife]

Well, things like brand quality can change over time, especially something as seasonally changeable as hay, so pulling up a thread like this isn't very useful


There isn't really an "everything right" when it comes to pet care. There's a "do the best you can" (which it seems you've been working on), and there's a "these things really important," and there's even a few "this is really bad don't do it," but like so many things in life, you'll find that there are multiple "right" ways to do a thing.

Pet care is one of those things - every animal is different, every owner is different, every family is different. As long as you are providing the species-appropriate basics, anything else you do will be based on your best judgment based on the information you have available to you at the time, making the best decisions you can for you, your pet, and your family.

Yes, I know. That's what I mean.