omg im going to go crazy!

[fantaysah]

My two buns love their Timothy hay and pellets. Problem is i got the expensive stuff from the pet store and at the rate they fly through it i want afford it. I bought a bale of alfalfa/Timothy which they refused to eat and instead peed on so i made that the litter and bought a bale of plain Timothy from the next county over.well when i cleaned their house i put it in a hay rack and so far they have no interest. Should i give them more pellets and wait it out and they will eat it or what? Why are rabbits such butt heads? Also could i do anything to make it more enticing ? Its the same kind of hay just the pet store stuff is prettier smells the same too.

 

[fantaysah]

i just saw online that someone suggests misting the hay with fruit juice... is this safe? i know if i start they will probably devour the hay but it would end up being one of those situations where if its not misted they still aren't going to eat it.

 

[mdith4him]

Adding fruit juice just seems like a lot of extra sugar that they don't need. My rabbit, Nibbles, wouldn't eat hay (at least not very much) and I asked what to do about it. People suggested changing whatever I had the hay in. I put it in a paper bag and now he goes through it like crazy. Maybe just changing the way you give it to them will make it more appealing. You could put it on a plate, hang it from a hay ball or hay rack, stuff an empty egg carton with it...

 

[LakeCondo]

could you clarify what you mean by prettier hay?

 

[fantaysah]

the pet store version is a tad greener, and is completely dust free and has these odd little weed things hanging in it. the hay bale i got is a little dryer and doesnt have these weed things they look like grain stalks. ...

could rubbing and apple on the hay from the outside of the hay rack help?

 

[JimD]

I used to mist Benji's hay with chamomile tea and he loved it.
You have to be careful to mist it lightly and then take out whatever they don't eat so it doesn't get moldy.

After I started buying from Sweet Meadow Farm, I rarely have a problem with my buns not eating it.
I buy a bulk box (35 lbs) and it's always second cut....soft, green, smells great.
It's also got some other "meadow" hay stuff in it, like clover, that they like.

 

[fantaysah]

Well this is the third bale I've gotten and they do t like it. And my daughter says they are barely eating the pert store kid as well she's been digging it out of the litter box every morning to they aren't really eating hay at all. They are just throwing it around. What kind of tea? How do i prepare it etc.

 

[JimD]

fantaysah wrote:

What kind of tea? How do i prepare it etc.

Chamomile tea.
It's an herbal tea. You can get it in any grocery store.
I buy the Celestial Seasons brand.

I brew a big mug of it using two tea bags. Let it steep for about 5 minutes.

Let it cool down and then put it in a spray bottle.
I store it in the refrigerator between uses.

 

[fantaysah]

Will try this and see. I think the problem is they didn't eat hay where I got them from just pellets.

 

[dimples1967]

Make sure the hay is green, not brown. It's been so dry here the past two summers, the hay has not been good.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We get orchard grass from Drs. Foster and Smith. Peter was the same when he came to us. Don't think he knew what it was or just wanted to live on Pellets. I cut way back on the pellets and loaded his rack--the next day his hay rack was almost empty and he's one of my most prolific hay eaters now.

 

[SweetPeasMom]

I buy the pet store hay as a "treat hay" (cos Sweetpea eats it fast) that I have in a little container.

Apple juice in a spray bottle would never hurt the hay or rabbits. Anything to help the rabbit eat is a good thing.


:bunnynurse:

 

[fantaysah]

I mixed some fresh grass in it and it tricked them into eating a small amount. I am going to try the juice and tea tomorrow i know they need the hay and they are still babes so no veggies yet. Don't want them just living off of pellets