Why is timothy hay so expensive?

Unlike other types of hay that are readily available, there is a limited supply of timothy hay as there are not as many farmers who choose to grow timothy hay. If farmers do choose to grow timothy hay, the real expense comes with the distribution costs.  By the time the nicely packaged plastic wrapped timothy hay arrives in the store, it has been harvested, packaged, sold, distributed and transported creating an expensive process for such a small product.

To cut down on costs, you could purchase timothy hay directly from a farmer. Of course this solution only works if you live near a farmer who plants timothy hay and is willing to deal with individual pet owners. Most farmers sell timothy hay by the ton (not the pound) and many individual buyers can not handle that much hay at once.

When considering whether or not to purchase timothy hay from a small boutique store or from a national chain, for many pet owners it comes down to dollars and cents.

Here is a quick breakdown of what you can expect to pay for timothy hay at several national retailers:

How much is timothy hay at Petco?

Not counting any current sales promotions, Petco offers a 48 oz. bag of Kaytee Timothy Hay for $11.29.  Currently It looks to be on sale on their online store for $9.99, but that is not including the shipping.

How much is timothy hay at Petsmart?

 If you live near a Petsmart, then a 48 oz. bag of Kaytee Timothy Hay will cost about $10.  Oxbow Timothy Hay is currently listed at $12.99 for 48oz in the Petsmart online store (not inclucing shipping).  However, this size package is sometimes sold in physical stores for a little bit less.

How much is timothy hay at Walmart?

If you can find Kaytee timothy hay at Walmart (not all of the stores will carry the same brands) it will cost around $10.00 for a 48 oz bag.

Considering this range of prices, you are paying somewhere in the range of $2.50 – $4 per lb for a basic timothy hay. Small Pet Select offers 8 lbs of Timothy Hay for $24.99. That comes down to $3.12 per pound.

With Timothy Hay…Quality Is Important To Consider…

In summary, finding a high quality timothy hay that your pet will enjoy is not easy and it is not cheap, unless you happen to live near a farmer that produces hay and had a nice harvest season and is willing to sell to you.  But unfortunately this is just not possible for everyone. For most people, this means shopping for hay at a Pet store such as Petco or Petsmart, or other large big box stores such as Wal-Mart and Target.

If you are someone that buys your timothy hay from one of these places, we would love for you to give us a shot.  Although our product is not the cheapest option on the market, we do deliver on quality…and given that hay should be the main course in a healthy diet it does make a tremendous difference.  The pets tend to waste less and eat more when they are fed a high quality hay, and they will continue happily munching away on it all day long.  This promotes good digestive and dental health, which also helps to keep avoid those expensive trips to the veterinarian.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TIMOTHY HAY PRODUCT

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