Bunny doesn’t seem to like hay

[JenandLudwig]

Hi everyone! 

So Ludwig seems to be really picky with his hay. I originally got him Timothy hay which he kind of picked at then really didn’t eat at all. I tried some orchard grass hay from Oxbow but it was expensive and he did eat it at first, then just stopped eating that as well. He loves his Timothy pellets though and gets a little less than a 1/4 cup morning and night. He also loves his veggies and treats – it’s just the hay he doesn’t seem to care for.  I had put it in a hay rack above his litter box but he never ate it from there (I’m thinking it might be a little high so it’s an uncomfortable angle for his head) so I put a ton of it towards the back of his litter box instead. That’s the only place I’ve seen him eat the hay (when he has eaten it). 

He’s been perfectly fine health wise and is a very happy little fellow – he’s grooming my arm now – but I know hay is an essential part of their diet. Do you guys have any tips or is it normal that some buns just don’t eat hay?

[Bunny Hugger]

You could try providing a mix of hay. I give my bun a mix of 3 types and he seems to enjoy digging his head around to pick out his favourite. I also find he eats the most when I leave out the whole bag of hay – he hops right in it and happily eats forever (this seems to be the only way I can get him to eat Timothy hay lately!). Something similar would be giving him a big pile so he could bury himself in it. Also try some “fun’ ways e.g. hay stuffed in a paper bag or empty toilet paper rolls.

[JenandLudwig]

I have tried stuffing the hay in toys but he’s only interested for a little bit. I’ll try mixing the hay or putting it in a pile! 

[tobyluv]

You may have to keep trying different types and brands of hay to find some that your rabbit likes. Some rabbits like softer hay, such as second or third cutting of Timothy. American Pet Diner Timothy Gold is a second cutting, and it’s always green and fragrant. You can either buy it from various places online or now Petco carries it. It is $6 for a 24 oz bag, or might be less if it’s on sale. Other rabbits might like oat hay or botanical hay. You can also buy topppers to put on hay, they are dried flowers and herbs. The BB store sells those. A tiny sprinkling of alfalfa on top of the Timothy might entice your rabbit to eat his hay.

[Coco the Lionhead Bunny]

Hello! I’m having the exact same problem with my bunny Coco. He eats his pellets, greens and treats but HATES hay. I’ve tried Meadow hay, Timothy hay, Oat hay, Orchard hay, and much more. He also tried different brands of hay such as One Ear Up (someone on Binky Bunny suggested it), Oxbow, Kaytee, Vitacraft, etc. He hates all the brands. Finally, I came up with a few tricks to get him to eat his hay. First of all, whenever he gets his veggies, I wrap some hay around them and hand feed them to him. That way, he has to eat some hay in order to get to the vegetable. Another thing I did, was not feed him pellets for 2 days, and finally he ate a little hay. Another thing I did, was stuff hay into his favorite toys and while he was playing with them, he ate a little hay. Lastly, a few days ago I went to PetSmart to purchase Coco some toys and treats for Christmas. So, I picked up a pack of Timothy Twists which are made with 100% pure Timothy hay. I have one to him and he LOVED it. Except, the only downfall to these are that they are a little pricey. But anyways, I think he enjoyed them because they were put into a “toy” form. I guess he is just not really fond of loose hay.

[JenandLudwig]

These are some great ideas! Never thought about feeding the hay along with the veggies. Thank you! 

[Coco the Lionhead Bunny]

Posted By JenandLudwig on 12/20/2015 4:27 PM

These are some great ideas! Never thought about feeding the hay along with the veggies. Thank you! 

No problem!

[Author]

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