How do I get my rabbit to eat more hay?

[Dasher]

My 4 year old rabbit hardly eats any hay, probably only a few pieces a day. I’ve been giving him timothy hay but I got some orchard grass, oat hay, and botanical hay to see if he would like those but he only eats a few pieces. I don’t know if part of it is because when he was young I never gave him much hay so a small bag of hay lasted him a year until I realized I needed to give him more. My other rabbit eats whatever hay I give her. My rabbit is also very lazy and I think he likes his pellets too much and eating hay is more work. I tried cutting back on pellets but I stopped because I think he was starving himself. He loves fresh grass when I give it to him but I can’t always be pulling out grass to give to him. Maybe I could try 2nd cut timothy hay? I’m just not sure that he will eat any hay no matter what I give him. I one time tried putting blue berry juice on his hay because he loves blueberries but still refused to eat it. Any advice for this picky rabbit?

[Wick & Fable]

Firstly, cut down on pellets and only do one serving of pellets once a day. If it’s spaced out, he’s likely to starve himself waiting for the next serving.

Cut out the fresh hay, because this is also contributing to him ignoring the hay.

He’s learned that he does not need to eat this last-resort (hay) food because he’ll always be offered better alternatives. I’d suggest one AM and one PM offering of any non-hay food, but during the day, only hay.

To make hay more appealing outside of eliminating other options, you can consistently swap the hay for more fresh hay. Rabbits rarely just sit in their litter box and indiscriminately eat hay– they sniff the enter pile to find the “best” strands, which may be just a few. Then they leave, and after a while, come back to eat the “second best” strands… Eventually, what is left, large or small, is the rejects that they didn’t really want to eat. For your sake, I say put those rejects in a bin (don’t throw away unless they’re soiled), and replace all he hay with fresh hay from the bag. This way, the hay selection process can start over again. Once his hay appetite is better, you can incorporate reject hay piles into the fresh hay so he’s more likely to eat them. Hay from the bag holds onto it’s scent longer, so it is naturally more appealing.

You can add hierarchy to the mix to make hay more interesting. Usually, Timothy is the default, but orchard is the favorite. Offer Timothy only in the day, and in the evening, cycle in orchard hay. Then your rabbit is excited because this mediocre food has been upgraded!

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.

[Dasher]

Thanks! I’ll try that and see how it goes.

[tobyluv]

You can try second or third cutting timothy. Also try different brands of hay. Rabbits can have favorites. Some rabbits prefer softer hay, which would be more like the fresh grass that he likes. One of the hays that my rabbits get is American Pet Diner Timothy Gold, a second cutting of timothy.

You could also try sprinkling a tiny bit of alfalfa over his timothy or other hay. It’s so fragrant, most rabbits love it, and the little bits filter down through the rest of the hay, so it might entice him to eat not only the alfalfa but the other hay too.

I assume that he doesn’t have any trouble eating greens or anything else. Sometimes when a rabbit doesn’t eat a certain food, it may be due to dental issues, but it sounds like your rabbit just isn’t too fond of hay.

[Deleted User]

My rabbit won’t eat her hay either, and she’s very young. I got her on July 25th and she was around 9 weeks then. She loves Timothy and Alfalfa but won’t eat Orchard, and I need to finish the bag. After she finishes the Orchard grass hay then I’ll switch her to Timothy with some Alfalfa for extra nutrition. I’m going to try to sprinkle some Alfalfa on her Orchard hay and she what happens.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By ColorfulBun on 9/24/2017 8:03 AM

My rabbit won’t eat her hay either, and she’s very young. I got her on July 25th and she was around 9 weeks then. She loves Timothy and Alfalfa but won’t eat Orchard, and I need to finish the bag. After she finishes the Orchard grass hay then I’ll switch her to Timothy with some Alfalfa for extra nutrition. I’m going to try to sprinkle some Alfalfa on her Orchard hay and she what happens.

If she won’t eat the Orchard, why not just forget about it and get her the hay she likes? You won’t be able to force her to eat it and she can’t go without eating hay…

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Dasher on 9/22/2017 11:08 PM

My 4 year old rabbit hardly eats any hay, probably only a few pieces a day. I’ve been giving him timothy hay but I got some orchard grass, oat hay, and botanical hay to see if he would like those but he only eats a few pieces. I don’t know if part of it is because when he was young I never gave him much hay so a small bag of hay lasted him a year until I realized I needed to give him more. My other rabbit eats whatever hay I give her. My rabbit is also very lazy and I think he likes his pellets too much and eating hay is more work. I tried cutting back on pellets but I stopped because I think he was starving himself. He loves fresh grass when I give it to him but I can’t always be pulling out grass to give to him. Maybe I could try 2nd cut timothy hay? I’m just not sure that he will eat any hay no matter what I give him. I one time tried putting blue berry juice on his hay because he loves blueberries but still refused to eat it. Any advice for this picky rabbit?

Unfortunately, it might be very tricky getting him to eat hay as he isn’t used to it. Not to worry, it can be done, it just requires a lot of perseverance I would perhaps try getting a sampler pack of a few different types to test out so you won’t have to spend too much trying to find one he likes. Or just buy small bags. I would try different types of hay as well as different brands. And try offering it in fun ways. My rabbits love their hay but they also love the novelty of eating it from a plant pot, or having it stuffed in tunnels (ones they can also throw around)

Have you tried hand feeding? Some rabbits consider anything hand fed to be a treat. Buttercup will often have a big ole munch and she’d still accept a piece of hay if I hand it to her afterwards. She especially loves being offered treats whilst she’s laying down 

[Deleted User]

She is eating hay, it just has to be fresh or mixed with other hay. She does need to eat more of it though. I feed her her favorites by hand if she hasn’t eaten much of the Orchard. I need to use up the bag of Orchard because it was pretty expensive.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By ColorfulBun on 9/24/2017 8:44 AM


She is eating hay, it just has to be fresh or mixed with other hay. She does need to eat more of it though. I feed her her favorites by hand if she hasn’t eaten much of the Orchard. I need to use up the bag of Orchard because it was pretty expensive.

That’s good then. You could always put the Orchard in the litter box so it kind of acts as a litter substrate. That way it’s not totally wasted. Or just keep mixing it!

[Dasher]

I try hand feeding hay to my rabbit and sometimes he eats a few pieces but he is more interested in trying to get the hay to pet him. I’ve tried a few differnt brands and kinds of hay but I just think he is a stubborn rabbit. He eats pellets and veggies fine so I doubt he has any dental issues.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Dasher on 9/24/2017 1:19 PM

I try hand feeding hay to my rabbit and sometimes he eats a few pieces but he is more interested in trying to get the hay to pet him. I’ve tried a few differnt brands and kinds of hay but I just think he is a stubborn rabbit. He eats pellets and veggies fine so I doubt he has any dental issues.

Actually, he could very well have dental issues. The teeth and movement needed to eat veggies and pellets are different to those needed to chew hay.

[Dasher]

Maybe when I get him neutered I can have the vet take a look at his teeth.

[Wick & Fable]

Depending on how long it is, I’d go for the appointment now. Rabbit molar spurs grow literally lateral into their cheeks, driving into them at each chew and gashing to create holes and scars. If they grow out at the roots, they will create a permanent hole in the jaw which leads to even more severe issues.

Rabbits are silent sufferers. Some rabbits don’t seem to show any pain even though it’s terrible, while others show it right away. I recommend seeing a vet so you know the extent. It’s best to grind the molars asap to prevent any damage.

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.

[Dasher]

The thing is my parents aren’t going to want to take my rabbit to the vet unless we are sure there is something wrong with him so I’m just going to have to wait until he gets neutered to get him checked but thanks for the advice.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Dasher on 9/25/2017 5:52 AM

The thing is my parents aren’t going to want to take my rabbit to the vet unless we are sure there is something wrong with him so I’m just going to have to wait until he gets neutered to get him checked but thanks for the advice.

Your parents are being very irresponsible. He clearly needs his teeth looking at. That poor bun could seriously be in pain and discomfort and you won’t know til he gets his teeth looked at thoroughly by a vet. Are your parents seriously okay with the possibility that he’s suffering in silence?

As Wick explained, he could even end up basically chewing through his cheeks if his molars grow that long. You need to get teeth issues ruled out first and foremost and then focus on getting him to eat hay. 

Sorry to say but if your parents aren’t prepared to seek veterinary help, he should be re homed to somebody that actually will. He is a living creature that feels pain just like humans. To ignore that is downright disgusting. 

[Dasher]

My rabbit ate a lot more hay today than he usually does! He still has a long ways to go but he’s making progress.

[Dasher]

So my rabbit is eating a lot of hay now. I’m just not sure if I should cut back more on the pellets because i’ve seen different recommendations for how much pellets they should get. My bun is about 4.5 pounds and gets 1/4 cup of pellets per day. Is this a good amount or is it too much?

[SuperBunnyto]

I had a picky eater, as well. I started buying floral hay (that is, orchard hay mixed with timothy with bits and pieces of flowers) and I started buying different types of hay and offering them at the same time for variety. 

I also use hay toppers regularly, herbs that you can sprinkle on top of the hay or offer on their own. 

Lastly, I started giving them fresh wheatgrass about once a week/ week and a half, and believe it or not that really got my buns interested in their hay. As in, they will eat their wheatgrass and then make a beeline for the hay. I used to buy it already planted, but you can buy the seeds and plant it yourself. It’s easy and fast to grow (I use organic, non-gmo hard red wheatgrass seed). They only thing I have to say for wheatgrass, though, is that, like any other new vegetable your are introducing, you should start with smaller amounts, as it is a rich type of grass. And, if you’re going to grow it yourself, make sure you pick a well ventilated area, as wheatgrass can get moldy in areas with poor ventilation.

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