Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Being that I live here in Texas, I can get hay for 4 dollars a bushel. Is there a reason why I should not use hey in my rodent enclosures?

Thanks as always,
Miller
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Miller
0.1 Florida King
1.0 Chow Chow
0.2 Cats
1.1 Eastern Kings

I used alfalfa with great success a couple of years ago. Unfortunatly, a bale was 12 or 14 dollars here in L.A. After that, I used alfalfa pellets, which I liked even better. It also made excellent compost, thereby turning waste into use. Dust and mold are the only two big NO NOs that I know of. All hay has some dust, of course, just make sure its within reason. I never tried any of the other hays. For those who are unfamiliar, hay is different than straw, which is the stalks of wheat. Straw is waxy, hollow, stiff and useless for small animal bedding.

DeMak I

Thanks DeMak for the info! Do you know where I can order alfalfa pellets?

Thanks,
Miller
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Miller
0.1 Florida King
1.0 Chow Chow
0.2 Cats
1.1 Eastern Kings

Sorry, I didn't mean to be vague. Rabbit pellets are alfalfa. Horse pellets are also, but they are bigger, like 3/8" diam.
DeMak

Thanks for he clarification. I have not seen it in bulk at my LPS. Do/did you order yours online?

Miller
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Miller
0.1 Florida King
1.0 Chow Chow
0.2 Cats
1.1 Eastern Kings

Timothy hay may be better for bedding for rodents, they may eat some of it too. The only thing to watch for would be insects that are in the hay. I buy timothy hay for my guinea pigs and my house has little grey/black motled moths flying all around, not a huge number, but enough to deffinitely notice its not one I am seeing several times a day. Not sure if mites or anything like that may cause problems but I haven't noticed that in my guinea pigs, though I don't house them on the hay, they get to eat it.

The biggest problem with hay is that it will mold and rot if it gets wet. So, you may have to clean as often or n ot more often than with shavings or other forms of bedding with rats/mice.

Sounds like the hay may be a bit too much work/problems. I Think I am will try the alfalf pellets. I hope I can find it in bulk cheap. By the way, a few days after i posted the halt in production I noticed some of my females buldging. One that was not showing even had three babies! Anyway thanks as always for your reply.

Miller
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Miller
0.1 Florida King
1.0 Chow Chow
0.2 Cats
1.1 Eastern Kings

I am no rodent expert, but my mice like to run around in the alfalfa that I put in their ten-gallon tanks. It grows as a volunter plant in my yard. {I don't have a real garden, just weeds.}

So, if you have a yard and don't mind the weedy look, you could grow your own. Using fresh alfalfa cuts down on the dust considerably. You can get alfalfa seeds at a health food store, the kind used for sprouts.

Lynn

My friends: 1 Wandering Garter Snake; 1 Great Basin Gopher Snake; 1 Goldfish (left over Garter food - too big); A 1:1 Mouse Tank plus their eleven 3-week old pups; A 1:3 Mouse Tank a mother two daughters and a son; A 1:5 Mouse Tank a brother and his sisters plus an unknown number of pinkies.