more timothy hay and less pellets

[brent]

Any ideas on how to get a rabbit to eat more timothy hay? He nibbles on it a bit but likes his alfalfa free pellets much better! Brent

 

[missyscove]

How old is the rabbit? Decreasing his pellet intake should theoretically increase his hay intake, or switching him to a lower protein timothy-based pellet. You could also try offering different grass hays like orchard, meadow, oat, brome, coastal, etc. to see if he has a preference although I like to feed a mixture of several different kinds.

 

[RabbitGirl101]

Try to put it in toys and things that he has to play with like cardboard toilet paper tubes. I have one rabbit that just nibbles on his hay he refuses to eat a lot. So I just let him be and he has been with me going on for 6 years with no health problems. I make sure he has a higher protein and fiber diet he gets 1/2 cup of pellets and hay. I also give him extra minerals in the water along with apple cider vinegar.

 

[middlemuse]

Aria definitely appreciates having a lot of different ways to eat hay. I try to offer it three or four ways at a time--hay rack, in her litter box, in an egg carton, in a toilet paper tube. If I'm concerned about gi slowdown, I twist her orchard grass into little sticks, which she loves o gobble up. I figure, in the wild, she'd be foraging, so I try to mimic that experience in her cage.


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[brent]

How old is the rabbit? Decreasing his pellet intake should theoretically increase his hay intake, or switching him to a lower protein timothy-based pellet. You could also try offering different grass hays like orchard, meadow, oat, brome, coastal, etc. to see if he has a preference although I like to feed a mixture of several different kinds.

Hip Hop is 12 years old! He gets around very good for his age. This year is the first time that I have had trouble with his molars over-grown. I know the timothy hay would help wear the molars down. I would like to try the other grass hays that you quoted, where do they sell them? Brent :energizerbunny:

 

[nora123]

Hi Brent which pellets have you been feeding him on to get him to 12 years old, I have constant back teeth trouble with my bunnies I think i will put mine on your brand of pellet what are they called.

 

[missyscove]

I get most of my hay from oxbow, but that's in part because I get a vet student discount. I buy their orchard and timothy in 9 lb boxes (although I currently have 25 lb boxes I purchased off a classmate whose rabbit passed away) and buy the small plastic bags of their botanical, meadow and alfalfa (the alfalfa just for a rare treat as it's higher in protein and calcium).
I don't buy their oat hay anymore because in the small bag I've found the strands are just too short to be really useful. I also buy a 3 way blend of oat, barley and wheat from a local rabbit rescue.

You can try ordering online or asking around at your local feed store about other varieties of grass hay. What's available in stores often depends on what they grow in your area.

If you're free-feeding pellets, I would decrease them to about 1/4 cup per 5 lbs of body weight. Having access to fewer pellets may increase his hay intake.

If his molars are causing him pain, he may not want to eat as much hay anyway because his mouth hurts so be sure he's under a vet's care for overgrown teeth.