Dismal hay eater

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This topic has 12sd replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 11 months ago by bunnytowne.

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- 03/12/2009 at 7:40 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  Jersey is and always has been, a dismal hay eater. What can I do to get her eating more? I believe she gets enough fibre but would like her to get more. Especially during a molt. Also, I constantly worry we’re heading toward molar spurs.
  
  I’ve tried different types with no differance. Currently I offer Oat hay and Meadow hay. I can source Oxbow Timothy hay online from a distributor here but frankly, paying $30+ for 2 1/2 lbs is not within the budget. Besides, it feels wrong to buy imported hay when I live in a country where agriculture is it’s primary industry. One my family has been involved in for 4 generations.
  
  I can get hay, I just can’t get her to eat it. Should I deny her all pellets? She currently has 1 tbsp morning and evening.
- 03/13/2009 at 5:38 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  I don’t think 1 tsp of pellets is a problem.
  
  I have the same situation with my rabbit Pepe and have yet to solve it – he’d rather bite me than chew on hay.
  
  I do know some people will put the hay in those toilet rolls and that can encourage them to play and eat – I actually should try this with Pepe too since he does chew on the toilet rolls.
- 03/13/2009 at 7:37 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  For financial reasons, I recently reduced the veggies my bunnies get (from 6 cups shared to 4-5 cups shared). Since reducing them just that small amount, their hay intake has skyrocketed. I can hardly keep their container filled now. Just a thought… I wouldn’t eliminate the pellets, she doesn’t get much now anyways. Depending on how you serve hay, can you sprinkle some of the pellets into the hay container so she has to dig thru the hay to eat them.
  
  Oh yeah… and you have that nifty grated litterbox, mine eat more hay if it is accessible from the litterbox. Can she sit in the litterbox and eat hay at the same time?
- 03/15/2009 at 5:08 AM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  That’s pretty much where she has eaten it from. I recently started cutting it in half and putting it in her food bowl. She always goes to check out the food bowl first. I found if I did that last thing at night, she’s eat a bit from that in the morning, but not really much.
  
  Just to clarify, she has 1 Tablespoon pellets in the morning and again in the evening. I really don’t think that would fill her up a great deal so I am reluctant to reduce these. She’ll go all day without eating much until the 2nd serve of pellets. I give her willow and she grazes for a bit outside in the afternoon/early evening.
  
  I feed her veggies about 8 pm. That’s interesting about Max and Meadow! I do notice after a small portion of greens, Jersey will seek more food and nibble on hay. Maybe I should try splitting up her green portions and feed a bit in the morning…
  
  Also like the idea of making getting the hay a bit more of a challenge. Knowing her, if I make it appear bunny proofed (as if she’s not meant to have it) she’ll likely find it irresistable! Bit of reverse psychology…It’s like getting children to eat vegetables!
- 03/15/2009 at 8:15 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  Have you tried feeding all the pellets in the morning? That little bit of pellets in the evening may be holding her over until morning. Maybe if all she got at night was hay, she’d be forced to eat more of it?
- 03/15/2009 at 8:53 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  I haven’t. I do notice she’ll leave a few pellets in the morning then go back for them later. In the evening, even after grazing, she’ll polish of her pellets most of the time. I think I’ll try less pellets in morn (she expects them and I’m weak so I’ll still give them) along with a small serve of greens. Maybe the greens stimulate the appetite and she’ll go for hay then.
  
  She’s also free range except for overnight. I think this affects things also. She’ll find a spot to snooze most of the day without endevouring out to look for food unless it’s treats. I must pay attention to the times I do see her eating hay to try find a pattern. I think she just doesn’t like it! I mean, you offer other stuff they’re a fan of and they’ll make room for it. I’ve done the hay and apple juice thing before and she’s eaten more but I really don’t want her to have the added sugar. I’ve thought about using ‘juice’ from romaine lettuce (sounds crazy) but am wary of bacteria growth. Also, having to do that all the time will be a right pain but if I have too…
- 03/16/2009 at 6:24 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  Mine are like that too. They are away from their pen for hours a day, not using the potty, not eating, not drinking. Maybe it goes back to natural rabbit behavior? They leave the security of “home-base” for hours a day only to return at night?
- 03/16/2009 at 12:37 PM
  riibu
  Participant
  60 posts
  I struggled with the hay issue for about three months with Owen before we got into a mutually agreeable groove. I couldn’t get him to eat ANY hay until I ordered from American Pet Diner, but then he dove right into that stuff! With him eating that finally I adjusted his feeding schedule so that he gets his salad and pellets only in the morning; the rest of the day he has to eat hay. He was a bit stubborn about it at first, but now he spends the evenings just absolutely devouring his hay (it’s rather adorable).
  
  Good luck!
- 03/16/2009 at 5:18 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  Have heard American Pet Diner Timothy Gold is popular. Unfortunately, I cannot get that sort of thing here. Another thing I forgot to mention is Jersey’s pellets and Lucerne (Alfalfa) based as that is all that is readily available here. Its 16.5% protein, 21% fibre. Protein probably fills her up.
- 03/24/2009 at 12:15 AM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  More wonderings… I’m actually thinking maybe I should try Jersey with some alfalfa(lucerne) hay. She’s never had this before but has alfalfa based pellets. I could reduce these a little more and I have reduced her veggies in the last week but no interest in hay still. I figure if she’s having alfalfa through her pellets anyway, may as get her chewing on it in hay form instead. Better for fibre & teeth. If she goes for it, I could then begin to gradually mix it with other types.
  
  I know it can be fattening and caused extra cecal production but I have just discovered she has lost some weight (possibly a pound) so feel alfalfa may not be a bad thing right now.
  
  Opinions?
- 03/24/2009 at 8:09 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  I think it’s better she get alfalfa hay than no hay, so might as well give that a try.
- 03/24/2009 at 1:01 PM
  (dig)x(me)x(now)
  Participant
  2517 posts
  When I had this problem before, I used those compacted hay cubes or hay cakes. You can find ones that are pure timothy or timothy melded together with alfalfa (which is much more tempting). Frankie took to these a lot faster than actual hay. I guess they seem more like a treat or a chew toy and really do keep him occupied still if he’s being naughty.
- 03/29/2009 at 10:45 AM
  bunnytowne
  Participant
  7538 posts
  timmy/alfalfa cubes. Hmm I may have to try that.
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