How can I encourage my bunny to eat hay?

[Tina99]

Hi guys,

My neutered boy, Pudding (1.5 year-old Lop-Lionhead mix) has not really eaten his hay in the last few months. We have been to the vet and got Fibreplex and Critical Care when he had a lot of really soft cecotrophes that stuck to this bum, fur and cage. The vet said he needs to eat more hay because he hasn’t got enough fiber in his guts. So he was on critical care and Fibreplex for a few days anf
d he was all ok, that was back in June. In the last few days, he has had more soft poos than usual so I am really worried because I can see that he is not eating enough hay again. I use Nature’s Own meadow hay and Readygrass and he has hay in his litter tray, and in three additional hayracks, one above the litter tray so he does have access to hay 24/7.He is drinking normally and I know he is hungry because he ate all his veggies and he would eat the pellets as well but I cut out the pellets. He is playful and cuddly, his usual self apart from the soft poos and not eating hay, he has never been a big hay eater anyway.

[sarahthegemini]

Getting a bun to eat hay can be tricky! When you went to the vet, were they able to rule out dental issues? Sometimes buns stop eating hay if their teeth are overgrown as it can be quite painful for them. Pellets and veggies usually go down well because they use different teeth to chew those. That might be worth investigating if you haven’t already.

Are you in the UK? Or anywhere where it is unusually hot? Sometimes heat can suppress appetite. My bunnies are eating as normal but it’s so hot here, I honestly expected them to not eat as much at all (I’m pleasantly surprised!)

Was it a new bag of hay at all? Maybe a bad batch?

Have you tried other hay types? Orchard is great for picky rabbits, as is oat – I’d recommend if you haven’t tried those already.

[Tina99]

Hi. The vet said his teeth were fine. I tried wheatgrass, oathay as well but he is very picky. It is the same bag, I keep it in a big plastic container and it smells good to me, my other pets eat it as well. I got some timothy hay, I might try it today.

[Tina99]

I forgot to add I am in the UK but here in the South West it was really rainy and a bit chilly this week. When it was really hot they did not eat a lot but never had tummy issues.

[Sr. Melangell]

I’m in the UK, Olly went off his hay when we had the really hot weather but when it rained he ate hay like a horse, sometimes if I put hay in his playpen he won’t go near it, but does when he’s ready, but sometimes I can offer it as a treat, you bunny will eat it when he’s ready, oh and if you have any rain you don’t want, send it our way, thanks

[Dface]

I use hay toppers and dried herbs and things to mix in to encourage them to go to their hay, the stuff sold by rosewood in most petshops
I also used to mist apple juice onto hay occasionally to help ( this shouldnt be done too often, and the ha needs to be completely replaced daily to stop it going mouldy)

[Terra]

I know you said you cut out the pellets but would hiding a small number of them in the hay encourage him to forage and eat some of the hay in the process? Also like others have said, mixing herbs and other tasty things in might encourage foraging.

[Dface]

but would hiding a small number of them in the hay encourage him to forage and eat some of the hay in the process

I’d say keeping the pellets out of his diet would be the better course of action for a bunny that sounds like he may have intermittent soft ceacals.
I know that my rabbit had it and he was never allowed pellets after that because it just ruined his tummy.

Feeding frash grass can sometimes be used as a hay replacement for slow days-but it does need to be introduced slowly

[Sirius&Luna]

There’s loads of great companies in the UK that sell an amazing range of fun hay toppers!

I would also suggest looking into buying farm hay – I buy mine from timothyhay.co.uk and it’s SO much fresher than the stuff in bags. My buns used to only eat readigrass, but now they go crazy for their timothy

[Tina99]

Hi guys. Thanks for all the lovely tips. I tried a different batch of readygrass which seemed to work but he lost interest in it by now. I put different dried herbs and flowers mixed with the usual meadow hay in a bowl and it seemed to be a very successful approach . I am definitely looking into haytoppers online. I buy my hay (usually meadow, readygrass and timothy) from a local farm in Ashurst. We used to live near it so every time we visit relatives, we always stock up on hay.

[Author]

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