Not Eating Enough Hay

[BunnyMomma]

Hello all! I got a second bunny on November 5th (Gizmo) and have had my first bunny since August 1 (Shadow). Shadow now eats so well, he eats a bunch of hay since we have found one he really likes. Gizmo has not been eating much hay at all! The previous owner was feeding him very unhealthy food and fed him more of it than he should have had and Kaytee hay. I slowly switched his food out and now he eats Oxbow Simple Harvest Adult Rabbit Pellets, the same as Shadow. Shadow eats Oxbow Timothy Meadow Hay and I have tried Gizmo on that hay, as well as the hay he is use to and he still just isn’t eating much of it. Any suggestions or reasons he may not be eating nearly enough hay? Thank you!!

[Asriel and Bombur]

He could be having teeth issues, or he could simply just be fussy and you might need to try a bunch of different hays before you find one he likes.

[Sonn]

Do you have access to different types of hay? One of my past rabbits would only eat orchard grass hay at first. I eventually got him to take timothy hay by mixing it in.

[Wick & Fable]

I like to think of hay for rabbits like salad for young children — If there are other things available or if they weren’t exposed to it in the beginning, they are unlikely to just pick it up because, intuitively, it’s the healthiest and most important option for them.

So you have a rabbit that’s used to not eating hay, and instead, has been accustomed only having things that probably taste better than hay.

Part of it may just be time. He might be reserving some stomach room because he thinks he’ll get some yummy fiesta pellets in a bit, so it could be some time before he gives in and says “fine, I’ll try out this Hay business.”. Finding the “right” hay for a rabbit can be tricky, but also remember to give each new hay some time. Maybe he will really like Kaytee, but he needs some time to taste some strands and see how it makes him feel. Personally and anectdotally, I know many people have positive experiences with Oxbow Orchard Hay, but I understand it is also more expensive.

Keep at it and don’t give up!

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.

[Josh]

Im having the same issue and its been weird, one month he didn’t eat much hay, then the next month he ate tons and now hes back to barely touching it. Could it be his hay rack? I noticed he eats more of his hay when I put it below the hay rack (Its still not that much, but its noticeably more) Thoughts?

[A Happy Herd of Hares]

He may be picky!
Magpie has an underbite and when she first broke her teeth and got the underbite, she wouldn’t eat hay.
This’ll sound bad, but I took away all pellets until she started eating hay again and then slowly introduced them again.

[Wick & Fable]

There is difficulty with hay racks for some rabbits. Think about foraging in the wild — they aren’t usually barred off from the grass and can really poke their head around. Hay piles get messy, but rabbits find it easier to search through them, I find.

It could be the quality of the hay. Perhaps it’s a sign you need to freshen it up, if you aren’t already, or maybe it’s that batch of hay just isn’t as good, which occurs naturally with hay providers because… nature.

I highly recommend you create your own topic Josh! This way you can get more customized responses to your concern.

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.

[Q8bunny]

With my picky fosters, a few things helped increase hay consumption:

– try a variety of hays and brands

– refresh it often (add a small handful) and/or have multiple hay stations

– make it fun (in a little basket, in a rack, in a toilet paper roll, etc)

– make it the primary food source (so minimal amounts of other foods and zero treats until you see improvement)

– as a last resort, Sherwood makes a pellet that’s mostly hay (in the blue bag) for picky hay eaters

[Author]

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