Bunny isn’t eating Hay just got 3 days ago

[Liliy]

I’m not sure what happened but my bunny isn’t eating hay even though the person I got from fed him hay she only eats one bite then stopped eating she does eat daily veggies but I need to sit with her to find her properly.  I also tried orchard hay but she just doesn’t wanna eat it. If there is any bunny parent who can help please do I’m worried. My bunny is 5 months old.😥if anyone can help with anything please do appreciate it.

[Bam]

Do you know what type of hay the person you got her from were giving her?  Sometimes young buns get alfalfa hay, which is richer and a lot yummier than grass hay. If your bun is used to getting alfalfa hay, that could be why she isnt intetested in grass hay.

Is she getting pellets, and if so, how much does she get per day?

[Liliy]

The person who I got her from was giving my bunny timothy hay she gets like 1/4 or 1/2 cup of pellets she’s very used to pellets and doesn’t want to eat hay instead of hay she eats pellets and sometimes when she eats she’ll just stop eating I think she eats part by part

[Bam]

How big is she? 1/2 cup of pellets is a lot. If you cut back a little on the evening serving of pellets, maybe she’d be more interested in eating hay during the night. Buns as a rule prefer pellets to hay, and will fill yp on pellets if they get the chance.

How do you serve the hay? Its good to serve hay near the litterbox so the bun can eat while it is pooping 🙂 It is also good to place smaller wads of hay in several places around the bunny area, because rabbits nsturally dedicate a large part of their day to food searching,and they like to eat a little bit here and a little bit there.

 

[Liliy]

Yes I put the hay in the litter box and around her but she doesn’t seem interested she’s not potty trained either so she doesn’t even jump in the litter box to eat hay. I don’t always feed 1/2 cup of pellets it’s normally 1/4 she always seems interested in eating pellets more than the hay. Thanks for your help! She’s around 3-4 pounds I’m not sure though

[Hazel]

What kind of rabbit is she? I’m asking to determine if she’s still growing or not. Growing bunnies should get “unlimited” pellets as long as they still eat enough hay. At 5 months old, depending on the breed she is approaching the age where she can switch to an adult feeding schedule. At around 3 lbs she would be fine with just 1/8 cup of pellets daily, especially since she’s not a great hay eater. Getting less pellets will encourage more hay consumption.

[Liliy]

She’s a Holland lop bunny. For some reason, she doesn’t want to eat hay. She doesn’t drink too much water as well.

[Wick & Fable]

Hay consumption often aligns with water consumption, as hay is very drying (I imagine it’s like eating saltine crackers for humans!), so typically a rabbit will eat a lot of hay, and then drink a lot of water afterwards.

If the rabbit is more inclined to eat pellets, it’s not surprising she’ll overlook hay. Why waste time and energy eating hay when she can wait and eat pellets? I think limiting pellets is important and also how you feed them is important. For example, if she has access to the pellets regularly through the day, she’ll fill up on them instead of eating hay. If she only has limited access to that 1/4c of pellets though, so maybe for an hour in the morning for example, then the entire rest of the day, she needs to eat hay if she’s hungry.

It is actually common  for rabbits to be more interested in pellets than hay, so it’s up to us owners to create an environment and feeding schedule that encourages them to eat as much hay as possible.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Liliy]

Okay, I feed my bunny pellets in the morning with some veggies. She doesn’t bother even touching the hay. I only give her access to pellets once in the morning that’s all

[Author]

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