Hay

[Oliver The Bunny!]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if anyone else has any experience with giving rabbits local hay. I have a 3 year old Netherland dwarf rabbit (he is kept alone but he gets plenty of attention and the vet in my area said Netherland dwarfs tend to be happy alone) and I recently switched him to local hay. I have horses so I just use the grass mix hay we get for them. I’ve read that any hay safe for horses is safe for rabbits, I just wanted to make sure he wouldn’t get sick from it. He eats it alright but he has lost a little weight thieve past few months. I upped his pellet and veggie intake and he is already gaining it back, I think it’s from the winter.

[Bam]

I give and have given my buns local hay for a very long time. I only give pet store hay when I cant get local farm hay. It’s horse hay, a mix of grasses, mainly timothy but not all timothy.  The only observandum with horse hay is that it sometimes contains quite a bit of alfalfa. Alfalfa is good for horses but too rich in protein and calcium for adult rabbits.

A rabbit that gets a lot of human attention can live happily as an only-rabbit. Rabbits as a rule benefit from a same-species friend, but not all rabbits will accept another rabbit.

It’s good that you’re keeping an eye on your buns weight! Weight is a very important indicator of a buns health, since they’re very good at hiding any type of illness or discomfort. Unexplained weightloss in a young-ish bun can be caused by many different things, ranging from easily fixed ones (tiny molar sprs f ex) to more serious ones (f ex kidney or urinary tract problems).

[DanaNM]

I also have given my rabbits only local hay for a very long time. They love it! And grass hay that’s meant for horses is acceptable. Usually timothy is the only thing available in my area. I do check it for weeds as I feed them and remove any I don’t recognize as safe.

It’s good you are paying attention to weight loss. If hay consumption has gone down, it could be he doesn’t like this bale (sometimes there is a weird batch), or it could be something else (like a dental problem).

. . . 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.  

[Oliver The Bunny!]

Thank you! There isn’t much alfalfa in this hay and he seems to like it a lot. He’s already gaining weight back since I upped his food when I noticed. I’ve been watching him closely to make sure he isn’t showing any more symptoms but he seems to be doing fine.

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