Oat hay has a similar nutritional value to Timothy hay and Orchard grass, it is great as a companion forage hay.  Your rabbit, guinea pig, chinchilla and other small herbivores will love the immature oat grain that is concealed within the seed head and the fibre in the leaf stem making this very palitable.  It is a great source of fibre and makes a nice healthy change to your pets diet.

Depending on the maturity of the Oat hay when it is harvested will affect the seed head, if it is harvested at early bloom stage the oat kernel is not mature.  The seed heads consist of oat husks which are high in fibre, it is at this stage that Oxbow harvest the Oat hay to ensure that it is at its best so its colour is light green/tan with flaky out husks at the top.  Even though there is no oat kernal present it smells like oats and this makes it very popular with small pets!