How to get bunny to eat more hay

[Trixieandcookies]

Hello! I was just wondering how to make hay more attractive to my bun? She eats just enough but not as much as she used to could this be because she was growing? She is a year and almost 2  months old now. I would like to see her eating more but if this is okay then I don’t think I need to worry. Thank you everyone!

[DanaNM]

What’s the rest of her diet like?

. . . 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.  

[Dface]

Like DanaNM says, it helps to know what the rest of your bunnies diet is like.

Not all hay is equal, and rabbits definitely have preference; there are different types of hay (timothy, oat, meadow, rye etc..these actually even have different nutritional compositions so it does make a difference what you feed-some hays help rabbits gain weight ). Even the same type of hay will taste different depending on the brand you buy! And even if you buy the same brand every time, you’ll find some batches that are harvested at different times of the year will be more or less appetizing.

I used to buy pet shop type hay, but moved to buying from farms online, and have seen a world of difference in how much my rabbits eat (but they now turn their nose up at pet shop hay) and for me it actually was cheaper

You can also encourage hay eating by using hay toppers (which is dried forage that encourages them to rummage around in the hay and eat it as they go ) and placing hay in toys etc

I actually feed two types of hay at a time to try and keep them interested (meadow and timothy or timothy and rye)

[Trixieandcookies]

She has 2 table spoons of pellets a day about a cup and a half of veggies(spring mix) and she has 3 pieces of dried papaya as a treat. The last she was weight which was at the end of April at the vet she weighed about 4.4 pounds.

[Trixieandcookies]

Oh also she eats Timothy hay

[prince dorian the bun]

@Trixieandcookies – how much hay does she eat? I think I was told ideally their size in hay times 2, so a pile of hay 2 times your bun… but I could have gotten that a bit wrong! It’s been a bit since the vet told me that. You could try doing things like toilet paper rolls stuffed with hay and I saw Louie bun had a great idea of using old tissue boxes and such and stuffing with hay. I find they like to forage and though Dorian will eat a decent amount from his litters, he snacks more if if he can find bits here and there. It does make a bit of a mess, lucky for me he is pretty diligent on cleaning up all the bits, but as not all buns are be prepared :D. Oh and I have two litter/hay boxes, I find that helps too. When he get’s deck time I just throw some hay in a shoe box.

[Trixieandcookies]

@princedorinthebun yup I made some and it has made a difference. I am not sure exactly how much she’s eating but reflecting on what you said I actually think she’s eating enough! Because I always put fresh hay on top of the old hay every morning and night until I clean it of course! The hay is usually gone except for the ones she peed on. Thank helps a lot! Thank you 😀

[DanaNM]

It does sound like she’s eating a good amount, but if she’s left with just the pee’d on hay, you should give her even more. 🙂 I like to give my buns hay in both their box and in a rack, just to make sure they always have clean hay available. They usually go for what’s in the box first, then for the rack.

In terms of diet, it sounds fine, but you could prob reduce her pellets and treats a bit to see if that boosts her hay eating even more. Mine only get about 1 tablespoon of pellets per day. Fully grown rabbits don’t need very many pellets, I kind of think of them like a multivitamin.

. . . 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.  

[Wick & Fable]

Timing of non-hay food item feedings can sometimes influence hay eating behavior as well. I think of it like a human child — if children know they’re going to get cake every two hours, they are going to turn their nose up at salads and other healthier foods in-between. Using this to rabbit feeding schedules, it shows the benefit of having as much as as possible where hay is the only food option at the time. You may already have an optimized window, but generally people do an early morning veggie/pellet/treat (combo or one or a subset) and then an evening feeding of the non-hay item(s). This leaves the entire day open to only hay consumption.

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.

[Trixieandcookies]

I also have a rack/bag and it’s always full. I also make sure she is never left with the peed on hay.😀 Thank you everyone for helping and reassuring me!!

[DanaNM]

Haha that picture is so cute!

My bunnies will crawl into their rack sometimes too and it almost looks like they are about to be launched out of a cannon!

. . . 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.  

[Trixieandcookies]

Lol! They sound so cute! Trixie won’t crawl into it but sometimes she’ll fall asleep while eating hay in it🤣. In the picture, that was when the bag was low on hay, even though she had plenty in the box she decided to be lazy and rest in the bag while eating hay lol.

When she was a baby and still small she would do the same exact thing with her food bowls 😂

[Beau Bunny]

What are the rack/bags you all speak of??!! Everything I can find online is so tiny.

[DanaNM]

I used a rack that is meant to hold toilet paper rolls and just clipped it to the condo wall. 🙂  I’ve also seen people use those containers meant to hold spare plastic grocery bags.

. . . 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.  

[Louiethebunny]

I actually sew and make my own hay racks/bags. I sew a basic bag with straps and a hole for hay to be eaten out of and leave the top edge open to stuff hay inside. I also use thumbtacks to attach paper grocery bags to the wall and cut a hole in the front and show hay inside. I also use various boxes like tissue boxes, shoe boxes, etc.

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