getting rabbit to eat more hay

[piperknitsRN]

I’ve been noticing Olive (my thirteen week old bunny) has been favoring her pellets (alfalfa since she’s young and growing) to her timothy hay.  Anything I can do to make it more enticing?  Maybe try orchard grass hay instead?

[Lindsay]

Try making it more fun for her to eat it. We sometimes pack the hay into cardboard toilet tubes to make it like a game to eat it. Monty’s not a big fan of eating hay out of a rack so we take cardboard boxes, cut a hole just big enough for him to fit through in the side and stuff it full of hay so he can climb inside and chomp away. Also he quite likes those hay balls that you can hang from the roof of the cage (if your bun is in a cage or a pen with a top) so it looks more interesting.

You could also mix it in with her pellets so she has to munch through the hay to get the pellets.

[Lindsay]

 by the way, I love the name Olive 🙂

[NaturalRabbit]

It’s easy! Think in the mind of the bunny:

Alfalfa or—————————— Timothy?

ALFALFA!

It might help to hide her pellets deep down underneath the hay. She will probably dig, but that is okay! I’m sure she’ll eat some along the way. And depending on where she came from, she might not even be used to hay yet. For some young rabbits it’s an acquired taste.

[tobyluv]

Orchard grass is a very good hay and a lot of rabbits that don’t care much for Timothy will readily eat the orchard grass. It has a sweeter taste. Other grass hays, such as blue grass, Bermuda, meadow or rye are good too. You could also try another brand of hay from whatever you are getting now. Some rabbits have a clear preference as to the name brand, and some brands are better or fresher than others.

[LoveChaCha]

Chacha has always liked both.. but when she was young, she’d favor pellets over hay.. of course, lol. When I began limiting her pellets at 6 months old, she took a liking to eating more and more hay.

I’d try Orchard as well

[piperknitsRN]

Thanks Guys.  I ordered some orchard today to see how she likes it.  My vague recollection is that Flip-flop liked Orchard hay, too, but she wasn’t as picky.

[NaturalRabbit]

Oh! Forgot to mention… beardless wheat, rye, or oat hay are favorites with some bunnies!
I know it is with my horse (she doesn’t like grass hay much, but I’m an evil mom and make her eat some anyway).

[TriBun]

I’m glad you asked PiperKnits, I’m having the same problem. Also, Rosy is the age where I need to get her off alfalfa hay and onto Timothy hay. She won’t have anything to do with Timothy hay. I had no idea there were more options. Thanks guys!

Earthbunny, you have a horse? That’s awesome

[NaturalRabbit]

Yeah, she is just amazing! Here’s a photo from two nights ago:

 

 

[Trovalsa]

Not trying to go OT, but EarthBunny, she is gorgeous! You lucky. (:

[Tate]

I know this is kinda late BUT, how are you giving her the hay? Is it in the litter box or in a hay rack?
I just switched the hay rack in Fievel’s cage. I had a small hay rack before (http://www.petco.com/product/14603/Super-Pet-Hay-Buffet.aspx). Fievel would eat about half of the hay in it at night, which really isn’t much. Then switched it to an Ikea plastic bag holder (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80010222). Now he eats almost a full rack of hay a night. That has to be at least twice as much hay! So, maybe try switching it up in that way too.

[piperknitsRN]

I give it to her in her litterbox, which seemed to have been working until I switched her to alfalfa pellets (since she’s still young and the vet recommended them until she’s bigger).  I think the alfalfa pellets taste yummier or something.  I even bought her orchard grass, but she likes to play with it rather than eat it.  I do see her nibble on hay when the alfalfa pellets are gone, but not before.  I’l try putting it in a rack and see if she goes for it.

[NaturalRabbit]

Thanks Trovalsa! I think she is the most beautiful horse I have EVER seen <3

[Just1bun]

I have a question along this line…very new, so let me know if I should have posted a separate question. I am also trying to encourage Bambi to eat more Hay. I have cut way back on pellets, but I’m wondering, Should I remove any hay she hasn’t eaten at the end of the day and replace it with new? Will his encourage her to eat more? She never soils it, and I don’t want to waste it, but I want to encourage her to eat more. Definitely going to try the ideas about making the hay more interesting

[Monkeybun]

Just mix the old hay with some new to freshen it up a bit

[Author]

Messages