is my bun eating enough hay??!!

[peachy-keen]

Ive had my little angel for about a month now i got her from a rescue in austin texas( link here ) and i am just not sure she is eating enough hay! she gets a 1/4 cup of pellets every morning and she usually takes almost all day to eat them and i give her a bunch af fresh new hay every day but it is like she hardly touches it! i tried hand feeding i tried putting it in toys (cardboard tubes , veggie balls,hay racks) but im just not sure she is getting enough everyone around seems to say that their bun goes through it like mad and i couldnt get her to eat it! She eats and poops fine and hasnt had any problems with her tummy. Is it possible that my bunny just isnt overly fond of the hay ? I bought her the same hay she ate at the rescue so its not like it is a change for her…

Also on a semi-related note i started to notice that when she hops up on my bed she is CONSTANTLY licking my pillows and my blankets is that a normal behavior like mmm this smells like mommy *lick or is she lacking something in her diet like salt?

[Sarita]

How much does she weigh? Maybe even 1/4 cup of pellets is too much. Does she get any greens?

Licking the pillow….it’s a pretty common thing – not entirely sure what it means but probably because it does smell like you. She gets plenty of salt from her pellets.

[Elrohwen]

It could be that she’s getting too many pellets – 1/4c can be too much for a small adult rabbit.

Have you tried different types of hay? Some rabbits are picky.

Also, has she seen a vet to have her teeth checked? Mild dental issues can cause them to stop eating hay, though they’ll often continue to eat other foods.

[peachy-keen]

she is a medium sized rabbit i would say maybe five pounds and no i havent tried any other types of hay right now she is eating timothy what other kinds do you reccomend?

[LittlePuffyTail]

My buns mainly eat Timothy but sometimes I add in some Orchard Grass and/or Oat Hay. I feed Oxbow Hay. They also have a botanical blend with herbs and flowers in it that is good for enticing fussy buns to eat hay.

[Linette]

Mine wasn’t much of a hay eater but I decided it was time he learn! He’s about 10 weeks into “project hay” and I can see it having an effect.

I bought several types of non alphalfa hay. and I began to put some in all the places he hangs out. Litter box, next to his feeder, in his house where he naps, under the tables where he likes to sleep. Basically always have some convenient, and he got to nibbling a bit while he hung out, because it was convenient etc.

Also helped to get him some fresh grass, which is one step away from hay and he took to that more readily then getting used to browsing….ate more hay as he developed the taste and habit for it.

I admit the house looked like a barn for several weeks, but now that I see his patterns I can see where to put the hay and where to not bother.

[NuggetBuns]

1/4 cup of pellets per day for a 5lb rabbit should be fine. I agree to try different types of hay and different brands too. I find that the cheaper the brand (like Kaytee), the dustier and browner/older the hay is. I order mine online so anytime I run out before my shipment arrives, my buns get stuck with Kaytee and they won’t even look at it. They’re never interested in Oxbow either and I’ve tried several varieties. They’re so spoiled, they only like fresh second cut timothy hay from American Pet Diner. I call it crack hay because the buns act so crazy when I refill their hay box, and I’d like to think they’re happy to see me… but I know they just want their hay.

[peachy-keen]

the hay i got was straight from her shelter and it looks pretty green but i have seen places online to order and i think i am going to try that next i just was worried because i got a five pound bag of hay and im not even half of the way through with it she eats plenty of greens ( parsley,Cilantro,Bok Choy) and i thought maybe she was filling up on those so i started waiting until the end of the day to give her her greens but that didn’t have an effect either i did notice the other day she was picking out the hay she wanted the more grass like strands and she threw out the more straw like ones so i think im going to try second cutting hay

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