Pet Habitat South Africa

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29 May 2014

Rabbits Need High Quality Hay

Posted By : Guest

Rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas must have diets high in fiber to keep their digestive systems healthy and working properly. Hay provides good digestive health as well as physical and mental stimulation. The two main types of hay are grass hay and legume hay. Grass hay is the better of the two because of its high nutrient content.

Grass hays include teff, eragrostis, timothy and meadow hay. Some legume hays are alfalfa, clover, beans and peas. While legume hays are very tasty to your rabbit, they are high in calories and can cause obesity.

The fiber in hay is essential to a rabbit’s digestive system. If bunnies don’t get a regular supply, their system will slow down, which can lead to fatal gastrointestinal stasis. The trouble is, not all hay is attractive enough for rabbits to want to eat.

Teff and eragrostis are perhaps two of the more widely used hay varieties in South Africa. The major disadvantage of these hays is that the nutritional value can range from good to extremely poor quality. The quality will ultimately depend upon stage of growth when cut, fertilization, and environmental factors.

That’s why Pet Habitat is importing premium quality Newhay timothy hay on a regular basis from England for distribution to reputable pet stores in South Africa. If you take a look at Newhay timothy hay — as well as smelling it — you can see how very different it is from some of the hay you normally find in local pet stores. Newhay timothy hay is a lot greener in colour and is very rich in protein, vitamins and minerals when compared to our local hay which is mostly brown or yellow.

Newhay timothy hay smells sweet and fragrant. There is no dust or mold. The stalks are pliable – they don’t break or crumble when you bend them. And their timothy hay is clean, with no foreign matter like soil, stones or other plants. By sourcing the very best quality timothy hay for rabbits and other small pets and shipping it in a protective packaging, these issues are overcome.

Newhay is the very highest quality of timothy hay specifically for small animals, is fresh, juicy and palatable, meaning that rabbits enjoy eating it and therefore will take in enough on a daily basis to maintain good digestive and dental health. For added variety, taste and texture you may find some delicious extras within your Newhay timothy Hay or Bunny Nature meadow hay, including dandelions, marigolds and chamomile.

Another huge advantage of feeding small animals top quality timothy hay is that they eat all of it. This means wastage is brought down to a minimum, providing owners with the maximum value for their money.

Rabbits enjoy chewing and will chew most of their waking hours. Hay provides dental health as well. A rabbit's teeth are always growing and the constant chewing of hay helps to grind them down and avoid dental problems.

Your rabbit should have fresh hay daily along with fresh drinking water.