Introducing new hay

[qtipthebun]

When I got the Tipster her coastal hay this weekend, she seemed to really like it. This morning, all she'd done was pull the coastal hay out of the tray to get to the few pieces of timothy I'd thrown in.

Is there a good way to transition her? She was eating it fine the night before. Should I just stop putting in the timothy hay? Or should I put in mostly timothy with a little coastal?

 

[BunMommaD]

Sometimes cookie picks through his hay for the little bits he wants at the moment. (we feed a mixed hay with leaves and such) but he always ends up going back later and eating the stuff he pushed aside at first. Maybe at that moment she just felt like some Timothy? And she'll eat the other later?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

I changed everyone from Timothy to Orchard Grass with no problems. I'd just eliminate Timothy so there's no conflict.

 

[qtipthebun]

I hope she eats it. I was replacing her timothy hay about three times a day; she was eating that much of it. This one, she goes through the same amount once every two days....I see her nomming on it, but it doesn't seem to go away. Maybe I'm just being neurotic and because it's thinner, it looks like more?

 

[BunMommaD]

Maybe it's more filling? So she doesn't need as much? I'm sure she'll get. Used to it.

 

[qtipthebun]

Who knows what she's thinking....she's sitting in there right now chowing down. So I guess I should just be happy that I'm not refilling the hay tray every three hours!

 

[ldoerr]

You are lucky that your rabbit will even eat hay. Beauty has been off hay for over a month. Shiny Things has gone off hay for the past few days to a week. I origanaly was feeding some left over 2 year old Timothy hay, but that ran out. I then bought a bale of Costal (only thing I could get in Brenham). Neither one would touch it. Then I bought a bale if Timothy and hauled it 1.5hrs. Shiny Things would eat it but Beauty still will not eat it. Then I was at Petsmart and they were having a sale on Vitakraft hay ($3 for a 28oz bag) so I bought a bag of the Orchard grass and a bag of the Timothy. Shiny Things LOVES the orchard grass, but not the Timothy. Beauty will not touch either. It is getting me worried. So just be lucky that your rabbit will eat some hay.

 

[qtipthebun]

Hay worries resolved. I just watched her nom hay for 20 minutes straight. I think this hay is just a lot thinner so it takes a lot more to fit in the tray. I wonder how a creature that size can consume so much hay....

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Same with orchard over the timothy when we switched.