I think as a baby, he’s probably not really going to start “expecting” food just yet since he’ll have unlimited (but measured) pellets until about 6-9 months. Hay is always available, 24/7, of course.

My bunnies get their veggies in the morning, and THAT is what they expect. When I get up, they are sitting and waiting by their empty veggie bowl, or Max will flip the bowl in the air if it stays empty too long (like if I decide to sleep in on the weekend). They only get pellets in the evening, so by 8pm, they are sitting next to their empty pellet bowl. They definitely know what they get fed when and I think they find comfort in the routine. Bunnies love consistency.

Something you can start now is a trigger word for when you feed. I say “num-nums” and wherever bunnies are, they come running to see what I have. I like feeding veggies and pellets separately (12 hours apart) b/c I feel it helps with their digestion (esp. for my finicky mini rex) and it gives them something to look forward to morning and night.

It took Oliver, who we got as a baby, to adjust to our routine, but now he definitely knows when feeding time is. We separate his pellets into two feedings, and he gets a salad in the morning when we wake up (around 6-7) and at night (usually around 7). Rabbits take comfort in routine. Even our new bunny, Dorie, who we’ve had for a little over a week, expects to have her food right on time. She gets VERY impatient if we decide to sleep in! (Which really sucks because her xpen is set up in the bedroom, lol.)

You are doing the right thing now by having unlimited pellets/hay, since he is so young. Eventually you can start reducing his pellet intake and putting him on a feeding schedule. You’ll soon find that he’ll get to know your hay bag, though. Oliver goes nuts when he sees me dragging it into his room.