Hay racks?

[MaddieRabbits]

Helloo,

So I’m viewing my dwarfie rabbit next week and I’m running through everything in my head but the main thing that I seem to be thinking about is the bunny room.

I’m no longer going to have any metal bars in the environment like those in the cage as I’m not going to be using X-pens or anything so I’m going to have to make a few amendments. For example, I wont be able to use a water bottle so I’m going to use a water bowl for bun, which I’ve heard that they tend to prefer anyway. Another thing I thought of was the hay rack. I have one of those very small, triangular metal barred racks that you can hook on to a cage and I always used that for my past rabbits but its such a hassle to use. First of all, the hooks are too tight and have to be forced on to the cage which makes daily refilling an absolute pain and secondly it makes an absolute mess, I suppose most hay racks would but I have seen homemade ones such as baskets with holes in and they don’t have as big gaps so the hay doesn’t just scatter allover the place. Either way, now that my next rabbit will be living in its own room rather than an indoor cage I’m going to have to find a new form of hay feeder. I’ve been trying to think of things I could use or make but besides the plastic container idea I’m a bit lost. I know I can just put a box down and fill it but from past experiences the rabbits tend to just use it as a bed/toilet rather than a kitchen!  Plus, they seem to enjoy having a bit of a challenge to get it rather than it just being in plain sight, or it isn’t fun for them. So I was wondering if anyone has any cool, efficient, fancy shop bought or home made hay racks? I’ve seen some cool ones on YouTube from time to time that people have made but I can’t remember quite where I actually saw them. I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone says! 

[Azerane]

I use a bathroom caddy for a hay rack, it’s just a rectangular wire basket that I attach to the cage with bulldog clips. I hate it I fill it attached to the cage (I bring hay inside in a little tub and fill from that as needed). But the hay does go everywhere, and because it’s just wire on the sides, Apollo likes to sit outside the litter tray and pull all the hay out there to eat. When I had my previous bun, Bandit, I just used to put the hay in his litter tray at one end. However with two bunnies now, the litter tray gets a little squishy with hay taking up part of one end, so I don’t do that anymore, it worked well for Bandit though.

I’ve seen people use plastic bag holders as hay racks, particularly the ones from Ikea, random google image: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/53/51/38/535138a50b5296d4761e2d6187587cea.jpg

However what I would like, is a wooden box style rack with a couple of holes towards the bottom. I plan to make one myself but can’t afford the materials right now. However you could essentially do the same with any sort of plastic storage tub, attach it to the side of the cage, cut some holes for bunny to eat hay from and then just refill it while it’s attached. You would just need to make sure the edges of the cut plastic weren’t sharp.

[MaddieRabbits]

Haha I totally agree Azerane. The metal wire ones are so messy, hay seems to stray off all over the place doesn’t it! I love the wooden box idea, something where you can lift the lid and just fill the box with a few round holes at the front. That sounds good fun to make too! I think I’ll have a go at making one with my dad, Ill definitely show you guys if I do go ahead and do it.

[MaddieRabbits]

I’ve just been browsing and found some really cute ideas for homemade wooden hay racks. My favorite is by far the rack joint on the a litter box, however I do suppose this could only be used if your bunny has its own room due to the size. Here are some pics of what I found:

[LittlePuffyTail]

I would be worried that my bunnies would chew the wood. Very pretty hay racks, though.

[MaddieRabbits]

I suppose thats just one of the cons of it. It really depends on the rabbit, I’ve had bunnies that didnt really tend to chew wood or furniture unless it was something that made a noise or that they can throw around but I’ve also had a rabbit who just destroyed anything within her power!  If you’re someone who enjoys making things like these hay racks I think it would be okay as if they managed to wreck them you could always make another but it really depends.

[Violet]

I’ve made a bunch of these and love them. It keeps the mess down to a minimum.
http://www.natashalh.com/how-to-make-a-fabric-guinea-pig-or-bunny-hay-sackbag-tutorial/

[MaddieRabbits]

Super pretty! Have you got any pics of your own? 

[Author]

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