Ok to give rabbits local hay?

Question

Should it be ok to feed my rabbits/chinchillas hay from my horses barn? Are there any wierd bugs they can catch from it? If there are, is there some way I can sterilize it?

Thanks

Answer 1

yea it would be fine! but just check for bugs any way but i am sure there wont be anything in it!

but just make sure not to give your rabbit straw hays fine but no straw!

Answer 2

It should be perfectly fine if you check the individual bale for freshness. Drop the bale drop a few feet off the ground, and if any dust flies out it's moldy. You should also smell the bale, odd odors are a sign of mold, and so is dampness.

Answer 3

Hay from a barn would not be the ideal thing to feed a chinchilla, and there would be no way in cleaning it. Chinchillas need to be fed timothy hay, not just any regular hay. Mold in hay can cause dangerous diarrhea. If they are rodents in the barn, you never know what could be passed along to the chinchilla.

For the rabbit, however, as long as the hay isn't moldy and is kept fresh, then it should be fine.

Answer 4

Yes there is bacteria in that hay that could make the rabbits sick.The hay probably has all kinds of filth in it including rodent droppings.And ,no you can't sterilize it.This hay is real cheap and probably that's why you want to give it to them,but it's not the best.It's for horses and cows.Small animal hay is clean,long fibered,green and lush. It smells great.check out this website and read about small animal nutrition and the products and hay they offer. http://www.oxbowhay.com/index.sp

Answer 5

It's absolutely fine, and can often be great quality.  Just make sure that it is a grassy hay that is a high quality.  Likely, if it is for your horse it will be nice and green and soft, which is what the little guys prefer.

There is not way you can sterilize it, but if it's stored properly it's no more of a health risk than any other hay you buy.  Afterall, hay is typically stored in a barn/storage area regardless of where you buy it from.  However, if you have rodent problems in the barn I would not suggest using the hay just in case there is something that can be passed along.