How to waste less hay and feed rabbits enough?

[royalbun]

I adopted a bonded rabbit pair on saturday and have been trying to see what works best for them care-wise. They have a litter box that hay goes in, but no matter how i put the litter and hay, they sit on the hat and poop all over it, so I can’t tell which is soiled and which hay is not. I don’t want to be throwing out so much hay. So I made a hay rack for them. They’re not really using it though. They’re choosing the litter hay over the rack. What can I do?

[DanaNM]

Some hay waste is unavoidable with bunnies, but they are pretty good at finding the pieces they haven’t peed on yet. I find mine also eat way more of what’s in the box vs. the rack. I could give it to them only in the rack… but I want them to eat as much hay as possible so I don’t mind some waste. For that reason it’s important for me personally to find a cheaper source of hay (pet stores are ridiculous). One tip is to find a hay supplier that sells bales and ask if you can pick up the loose hay that collects around the bales.

All of that said, what’s your hay rack like? Some seem to like the hay “hopper” style more as the opening is larger so they can select their favorite pieces. I also noticed mine eat more hay from the rack when I don’t stuff it as full and I refill it more often.

. . . 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.  

[royalbun]

As you can see from my reply to Louie’s owner, I changed the box shape and suddenly everything works, hoping it continues to. 😅 Right now they get Small Pet Select, but I’m willing to give it a shot of giving them farm hay. I’m just concerned about the virus (they’re vaxed but still) or the quality, thus them not eating it. There’s a feed store near me that sells hay bales but it’s all yellow and sits outside in the weather.

[Louiethebunny]

Louie used to be very picky with hay, eating a healthy amount but leaving a lot of waste, so I ended up tossing a LOT away after dumping his litter box. I ended up switching to hay sourced from a farm which is MUCH cheaper than the Oxbow timothy hay I used to purchase. After adopting Lola, I noticed she was much less picky, eating nearly all the hay in the litter box until only the soiled bits were left. Now that Louie and Lola live together I’m unsure of whether Louie has picked up her habits or if she just finishes all the hay Louie leaves behind. In the end, I’m much happier with the farm hay as it is much cheaper and higher quality as well, and wasting a little bit doesn’t make me feel too guilty.

[royalbun]

Thanks for your input! Glad your buns are eating well 🐰

In an attempt to make it easier for them to reach the hay racks I made, I switched their litterbox to a wider shorter one, but they STILL refused to eat the hay not in the box, so I last ditch effort removed the racks and just pushed the hay to one side that i wanted them eating while having the rest be litter. And for some reason even though I’d originally tried this position in the other box, this time it worked! Accidental blessing!

[DanaNM]

Glad you found something that works!

 

. . . 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.  

[LBJ10]

My problem is floor hay is somehow better than box hay. Of course, not all of the hay dragged out onto the floor gets eaten… so yeah, lots of waste. I end up picking it all up when it’s time to vacuum.

[pinkiemarie]

My bunnies don’t like eating hay out of a rack either but now when they hear me going to the hay they stand up and beg and I’m expected to hold it in the air so they can pick the best pieces. Bunnies are silly.

 

Anyhow our local farm supply store sells compressed bales of Timothy hay for about $17 for 50 lbs. It can be dusty but it’s cheap so it isn’t a big deal if they potty on it. I have a very large rubbermade container that fits one compressed bale perfectly and I left leave the lid cracked so it won’t get mildewy.

[royalbun]

Update: It’s easiest to waste less hay if you clean the hay/litter pan near daily. I’ve learned that I can leave them to eat all the hay they havent peed on, and I’ll be able to tell the remaining hay is soiled by how little there is left. I dunno how helpful this is, but basically though you wanna make sure they have unlimited hay, it’s okay to let them pick through it til you really need to add more. As long as you see they’ll still eating from the box and not having a hard time finding edible hay in it, then they’re good.

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