What is the safest/best timmy hay feeder out there?

[Grumbles]

Do the j-feeders that are on the outside of the cage work fine for hay?

I know ceramic bowls or terracotta pots work also but I was thinking a j-feeder might keep it more contained?

Any thoughts?

Thanks! :dance3:

**Also on that note, what's the best timothy hay out there?

 

[Marie5656]

Never used the j feeder. I did use the V shaped wire rack when I first got Trixie, but found she seemed to have trouble getting the hay out. So Now I just use a small bowl. I cut it up into "finger-food" sized pieces and she does well. Of course it still gets all over at times, but it works for us.

 

[feistychins]

If you use a hay rack that hooks onto the the outside of your cage and the chin eats the hay through the wire, then that is ok.

Here is a link to what it looks like
http://www.rabbitmart.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-16564

 

[Blue Eternity]

i had one of the j-feeders attached to the outide of my chinchillas cages, and it actually made quite a mess! not on the outside, but she'd always pull waaaay too much and spill it all over the floor of her cage. i'd have a lot of cleaning to do every morning! plus it wasted a lot of hay because she wouldn't eat it once it hit the ground.

now i use a pot type thing (one of the ceramic chinchilla bath house things, i think superpet makes them) and it actually does the job well. noelle doesn't spill or waste as much and its heavy so she cant tip it over. i'd highly reccomend the dust house as a hay holder, it works very very well for me and my girl.

:heart: grace + noelle

 

[iayla]

I have wooden hay boxes made by various people. Other than one group who digs out all their hay & uses the box as a bed, it works well for everyone else. For the newest rescue chins that dont have a hay box yet, I stuff timothy hay into an empty oatmeal canister and they love pulling out bits of hay, as well as chewing on the tube.

As for what kind of Timothy hay, most will tell you 2nd cut is best (not as stalky as 1st cut, not as leafy as 3rd cut). Brands will vary a bit, but I buy mine from a local farm now that I have more than 20 chins to feed.
~Barb~

 

[Grumbles]

I never relized Oxbow Animal Health is less than an hour away.
Hmm...
:dance3:

 

[Essentia]

Oh...lucky you!

 

[sublime5981]

I use Bass Equipment's hay racks. www.bassequipment.com/Feeders/Feeding+Equipment+/default.aspx
I cut and filed my cage wire so that the spacing at the rack is 1/2" x 1" and they have no problem getting the hay out. One chin has 1" x 2" wire and always seems to pull out all the hay. Not sure if it is due to the wire spacing or just her thing. LOL
As for the hay itself, I buy 2nd cut from Kleenmama's.