So we all know that feeding our small pets timothy hay is one of the most vital things we can do. But have you ever stopped to think a little more about the hay that’s so neatly packaged and delivered to your door for your pet to eat?
After all, it takes a whole lot of effort (and the miraculous work of Mother Nature) to provide your box of nutrition that keeps your little ones healthy.
So the first stage is of course the seeding. Timothy grass grows best in humid, temperate areas with severe winters. The primary growing season is from April through October, and the grass grows to around 39 inches in height, thanks to the wonders of the sun, wind and rain.
image via http://www.dailyrecordnews.com/
When fully grown, and when weather conditions are right, the grass is cut. It’s allowed to dry in the sun, and is turned a good few times (by large machines) to ensure the drying is even. And then comes the baling. Massive baling machines trail across swathes of prime arable land, picking up the hay that will eventually become lunch for your pet.
These bales are then stored to allow the timothy hay to further dry out. Lastly, the hay is generally sold on the market whether it be for horses, cattle or – our favorite group – small pets. And of course that’s where we come into play. Small Pet Select searches up and down the west coast for the only the highest grade of timothy hay, selected specifically for the unique needs of small animals.
Once we find the perfect hay, we bring it into our facility where it is stored in bale form until ordered. The hay is then packaged in manageable sized boxes (the same day you place the order) and it’s these that arrive at your door. And the next stage is one that you well know: a happy rabbit, guinea pig or chinchilla munching into the most natural food that he can – timothy hay.
The fibrous stalks, once chewed up, ensure that enough water is drawn into your pet’s digestive system to keep the gut in constant motion. The nutrients contained in the timothy hay are absorbed through the gut wall and delivered by the blood stream to the various areas of the body. And the rest? Well, that carries on through the small and large bowel, and comes out in your pet’s cage as poop!
But here’s betting that you don’t normally think of it as a form of those beautiful fields of timothy hay that you see flowing in the wind. With a little imagination, even the yuckiest part of looking after your pet can take on much nicer connotations.
So here’s to timothy hay – in every single one of its forms…
The post From Pasture to Poop: The Lifecycle of Timothy Hay appeared first on Small Pet Select.