Hay should be added to your rabbits diet at least once a week. This is problematic because if they dont curb their appetite with hay theyre more likely to overeat pellets.

Why Eating Hay Is Essential For Rabbits Peters

But while rabbits require a special high-fiber dietthink high-quality Timothy hay fresh vegetables and herbshamster food will do little to nothing for your bunnys nutrition.

What happens if rabbits don't eat hay. I get my hay fresh from feed stores that sell it to people with horses. I try and keep at least three or four kinds of hay around all the time for my bunnies. Dont skimp on the hay a ball about the same size as your bunny per day is a great guide.

Chewing hay grinds their ever-growing teeth down to a safe level Rabbits teeth continually grow including all of their back ones did you know rabbits have 28 teeth. If rabbits are not allowed to eat hay they can get very ill from eating contaminated hay. When you give rabbits hay you must always keep.

Regarding bedding its affordable comfortable and warm for your rabbits and it can be very effective at soaking up waste and moistureThis makes the whole cleaning process considerably easier. Your rabbit will be able to produce a healthy balance of fecal pellets the cocoa puff poops and cecotropes the poops your rabbit reingests. As a result my rabbits will eat a lot of hay every day.

Rabbits typically poop while eating so placing the hay rack above the litter box will positively reinforce them to eat while using the bathroom. Good gut strength is necessary for these animals to digest food properly and avoid serious health problems. Then I supplement the stuff I buy at the feed stores with specialty hays that I obtain online.

Recheck the milling date on the feed. GI Stasis see below. The next thing I check is whats coming out of my rabbit which is much more important than what is going in in my opinion.

If your rabbit wont eat hay If you notice your rabbit is not eating hay you must take your rabbit to the vet as soon as possible as there are several diseases that can diminish its appetite and require veterinary attention even though your pet has had all of its vaccinations. Also because it is highly attractive to rabbits it will discourage them from eating their own hay and grass-based diet. Course fiber such as hay keeps the digestive gut muscles strong.

Hay serves multiple purposes the main ones being bedding and food. My bunnies will not eat that stuff. This means your rabbit will be able to gain nutrients from their diet while they also keep their gut moving at a steady pace.

My rabbit is also very lazy and I think he likes his pellets too much and eating hay is more work. Oxbow Timothy hay or Oxbow hay cakes are excellent choices. If you own rabbits youll soon learn that hay is one of the most useful beneficial and versatile substances.

If a rabbit doesnt eat enough hay then this can slow down the rabbits intestinal functions and cause serious problems eg. Dont feed Lucernealfalfa hay this is commonly available but is just far too high in calcium and protein and too low in fibre for adult rabbits. My other rabbit eats whatever hay I give her.

Maybe the feed is stale or has another problem. Or theyll steal poisonous foods such as chocolate or cookies. Giving your rabbit fresh hay every few days will keep their teeth healthy.

Our food offers little or no nutritional value for rabbits and our high-fat sugary foods will lead very quickly to serious weight gain. Certainly if a rabbit that normally eats hay abruptly stops doing so he should be examined by a rabbit-savvy veterinarian as soon as possible to ensure nothing is wrong such as a dental problem or gastrointestinal upset. I dont 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.

An abundance of hay keeps the bacteria in a rabbits gut healthy. Gastrointestinal Stasis GI Stasis is a potentially deadly condition that is the result of your rabbits digestive system slowing down or stopping completely. Blockages can often be fatal.

Science also confirms the need for hay in a rabbits diet. Rabbits and Hay. Walnuts are high in fat not fiber which can cause your rabbit uncomfortable indigestion.

If your little bun is neglecting to eat their hay and not even touching their water it may be the way you set up their cage. Sometimes rabbits dont take an interest in hay. If your rabbit does not like hay or is not eating enough hay dont give up.

When your rabbit doesnt eat hay with a high enough fiber bad bacteria can build up in their intestines and release gas into their system. Rabbits are prone to both conditions. To be on the safe side open a new bag.