No incissors = cut hay into small pieces?

[Karla]

i keep posting these incissors-related questions, but I think once I have an answer to this one, I am fully covered 

So, since Jack is missing his incissors, I cut his veggies into small pieces. He has never wanted to eat hay, but that is supposed to change now: he is on a hay diet now, and there is no way out for him. I cut all the hay into small pieces, because I have a feeling that it might be the reason why he never has eaten hay. But is it really necessary? Do you guys who have rabbits without incissors cut the hay as well just like the veggies? 

[jerseygirl]

I just had a look back at your other thread about his food just after surgery. BB mentioned that she’d seen shelter bunnies without their incisors that managed normal hay . As he hasn’t been a hay eater, I’m wondering if you should experiment with different lengths of hay and type (i.e. 1st cut or the softer 2nd & 3rd cut hays). If you find it’s going to be very small peices he manages best, then maybe look at buying chaff – though I don’t know if that meets their nutritional needs. It may be though, that the mid size peices are easier for him to pick up with the lips.

[Karla]

I should have checked that one out myself, sorry. I’m really no good with the search function here. Well, that is great.

So there is really no excuse for him. I am right now mixing his hay with meadow mixes and oat hay, which I will slowly cut down until he is perfectly fine with regular hay. Hopefully, I can trick him into eating more hay this way.

Thanks, Jerseygirl.

[jerseygirl]

No worries, I just found it thru your profile as it was quicker.

If Jack ends up off pellets permanently, you could always keep the meadow and oat in his hay portions for the variety. Keep things interesting.

[Sarita]

That’s what I understand as well, they should be able to manage the hay without having it cut up.

[Elrohwen]

There’s a bun at the shelter I work at who doesn’t have incisors and he eats normal hay. In fact, I usually forget which bun he is because he doesn’t get any special diet at all (at least from my end, I think the shelter owner gives him some veggies every day that the other buns don’t usually get)

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I agree They don’t really cut hay with their front incisors anyway-it gets sucked in and ground down with back teeth so they should be fine I bet thou-trouble with veggies like apples and cutting a peice off-will likely have to chop those kind of solid veggies-but parsley and cilantro would be ok whole (I’m guessing)

[kralspace]

My Toby’s front teeth are crooked so he can’t bite off chunks of carrots or celery so I cut and shred those up for him, but he’s fine on everything else. He likes to get long parsely, cilantro, hay, etc and spool them in just like the rest of them. He can handle small pieces of apples and bananas fine too.

[MarkBun]

Yup, only hard/large veggies need to be cut. Hay, pellets, parsley or other grassy/leafy greens are just fine.

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