I just opened up a new bag of hay. Same store and brand as always. I found the smell to be a bit off; not really the usual strong hay smell, but it also does not smell horrible. It perhaps smells a bit as if some flowers were added. A bit sweet. I also notice that the strands are much shorter than normal.
Spring has just started here, so I figured this is last year's hay, maybe just not as great as usual but if the bunnies eat it I guess that's fine.
I started digging in the bag and I found one specific strand that seemed off. First two pictures are the same strand. It is easier to see in person, but: there us some fluffiness around this hay. Is that a type of mold? Only around this specific strand and not the others? It kinda looks as if it has been gathering dust under the couch for some time. The batch as a whole does not look bad (3rd picture).
Just wondering if I should really throw this away or whether I am paranoid because this is the first time I take such a close look at the hay.
by Dave-it-Zoey