What can replace hay?

[Hyupoi]

I live in Lima, Peru and I can't find a place where they sell hay. So for now, I'm feeding my 8-week bunnies pellets and corn leaves. Yesterday, I gave them carrots but then I read you can't feed them that until they are 1 year old. Can they eat alfalfa though? I've caught them eating cardboard, newspapers and some clovers from my mom's plants. Also, I don't see them drinking much water. Their bowl is always full and can't get them to learn how to use the bottle. Help me please? Thank you.

 

[mistyjr]

Is there any Farm Stores by you?? Or A Store that you get your household stuff/clothes ect??

 

[Kim1218]

I believe alfalfa hay is fine until they are about 6 months old, then they should be gradually switched over to timothy hay, oat hay, or grass hay. I don't think clover will hurt them, nor will cardboard or newspapers. Not sure about corn leaves, though. To get them interested in the water bottle, maybe you could rub a piece of fruit on the end to get them to try it? I don't use a bowl for water because it gets yucky so easily. Hope that helps!

 

[elrohwen]

Alfalfa hay will be fine since they are young. If you really can't find any type of grass hay, then it will have to do when they're older too. It's better than no hay.

Can you find horse hay? Any baled hay meant for horses should be good enough for bunnies. You may be able to buy a bale from a local riding stable.

As far as water goes, if you're offering a bowl and a bottle, they are probably drinking when you're not looking. You can flavor the water with a bit of vanilla or natural fruit juice to see if that will entice them to drink more, but they're probably drinking as much as they need alread.

 

[Runestonez]

Corn leaves can be used in a pinch...
I would suggest trying drying them out first...dried out they are straight fibre...I use these to mix things up a bit for our bunns during the winter when the veggie pickins get a little slim and the hay isn't the best!

Danielle

 

[Hyupoi]

Guess I'll have to go out of the city. Hopefully next weekend 'cause I have classes.

Maybe, they do drink when I'm not looking but why is the bowl full? If they do drink, they drink only a little.

How do I dry out corn leaves? Just put them under the sun? ><

Thanks for your replies.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

You can try picking some different types of grasses. Longer ones are better and no pesticides. Dry they out (leave them in the sun and try once or twice a day for a couple days) and feed like hay. Hay is basically dried grass. You would need to do it often or do larger amounts. Hay bales around here are usually 50-65 pounds and that lasts me about 3-4 months.

I would second looking for horse hay. A riding stable might allow you to take the stuff off the floor or the small amounts they won't use. They might even sell you a full bale. I would try to get it with less that 15% alfalfa, especially when your buns are a bit older.

 

[Pipp]

I think you have mulberry leaves in your area that are pretty plentiful?

They've done studies where bunnies were fed those instead of alfalfa and they ended up healthier than the alfalfa bunnies.



sas :bunnydance:

 

[Runestonez]

You can leave them out in the sun...or hubby and I string them on string and hang then from the rafters/ceiling in our house and let them dry for a few days...
Just be sure to keep an eye out for mold!
Corn leaves can have mold in the folds sometimes and you definately want to avoid any mouldy corn leaves!

Danielle

 

[jcottonl02]

Hyupoi wrote:

Yesterday, I gave them carrots but then I read you can't feed them that until they are 1 year old.

Carrots are absolutely fine to feed from about 3 months onwards. Carrots do, however, have quite a high sugar content, so don't feed them carrots every day.

I would leave your buns a few more weeks before introducing veggies to their diet- their main diet should be hay, and high fibre pellets at the moment. Alfalfa should be fine while they are young- or the many great suggestions made too, for when they are older, if you cannot find Timothy or other hays.

When you do start introducing your buns to veggies (House rabbit society recommends 2cups a day per 6lbs of bunny at the very least), do so very slowly, and only introduce one at a time, so if you know what agrees with ur bun and what doesn't.

Check out some of the 'safe fruit and veggies' lists around:

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/safefoods.htm

http://www.adoptarabbit.com/articles/packet/abcvegi.html

Some veggies have to be given with caution though: carrots (not every day), broccoli and cabbage maybe only once or twice a week, as it can cause gas, no tomato greens, no pips or stones of any kind etc.

Jen

 

[Pipp]

I'm agreeing less and less everyday with a lot of the usual rabbit info, and I really don't agree with the no-veggies-for-young bunnies rule.

It's being misinterpreted, although I understand why it's pushed.

Kits should be fed a varied diet while still in the nest box (as should the mothers), and that includes hay, grass, pellets and bits of veggies.

However, as some breeders and pet stores feed mothers and babies just pellets, and young bunnies arriving to new homes shouldn't have sudden diet changes, they especially may not tolerate a change to veggies.

Always best to find out a bunny's diet history. So if they were deprived of fresh vegetation in the nest box, keep depriving them until they're sturdier.

If you have any control over the babies, feed the mom a mix of dry and fresh vegetation (aka hay, grass, greens, vegetables) and pellets and let the kits dig in when they're ready.


sas :bunnydance:

 

[bunnybunbunb]

Pipp wrote:

I'm agreeing less and less everyday with a lot of the usual rabbit info, and I really don't agree with the no-veggies-for-young bunnies rule.

It's being misinterpreted, although I understand why it's pushed.

Kits should be fed a varied diet while still in the nest box (as should the mothers), and that includes hay, grass, pellets and bits of veggies.

However, as some breeders and pet stores feed mothers and babies just pellets, and young bunnies arriving to new homes shouldn't have sudden diet changes, they especially may not tolerate a change to veggies.

Always best to find out a bunny's diet history. So if they were deprived of fresh vegetation in the nest box, keep depriving them until they're sturdier.

If you have any control over the babies, feed the mom a mix of dry and fresh vegetation (aka hay, grass, greens, vegetables) and pellets and let the kits dig in when they're ready.


sas :bunnydance:

Agreed. I start my babies on veg the same time I start pellets, two weeks. I just toss a little in their nest and let them do their thing. I have babies from last year that I did this with and no problems from them. They actually matured faster than I have ever had babies mature. It is all about how they are started.

 

[tamsin]

Yes, I agree - babies should eat fresh foods from scratch the issue is when they don't and then you combine moving from breeder to pet shop to home with a big change in diet.

Regarding hay, it is actually just a convenient way of feeding grass so if you have access to fresh grass you can feed that instead. Introduce it gradually though if your bun isn't used to it.

 

[jcottonl02]

I've never had any problem with any veggies- both my buns get a large bowl of at least three different veggies a day, and some fresh fruit treats daily- Benji was already on veggies when I got him, so that was fine. Pippin had only ever had a diet of hay, when I got him, so I had to slowly introduce pellets, grass, veggies etc., so I was cautious. At 8 weeks I started him on pellets for the first time, then a week or so later I introduced him to grass, and then a week later I started on the veggies.
I think the only reason people tend to err on the side of caution when introducing their new buns to veggies is because a) you don't want to introduce them to too fast if you have a rabbit that is slightly sensitive to them (and you don't know until you start feeding veggies)
b) if they haven't had them previously then you must be cautious, otherwise you run the risk of them being quite a danger to them.

I personally would always be cautious (slightly over cautious perhaps) when introducing new foods to buns, especially something as watery as vegetables. If they gorge themselves on veggies because of never having had them before, that could be a potential serious danger to a young rabbit. Introducing them slowly, one by one, however, can eliminate this problem, and show you any potential problems they can have with certain veggies. It can't hurt to be slightly cautious, but it can hurt to be slightly hasty.

Just my opinion

 

[Hyupoi]

Ok then I'll introduce some new veggies to my bunnies each day in small amounts. But no fruits yet right? I can't wait till I give them bananas. Everyone says they are most bunnies fav food? o: I noticed Maki likes veggies more... I rarely see her eating pellets. She's thinner than Suki.

I'll put some corn leaves under the sun tomorrow and let them dry out. I'm buyinh alfalfa tomorrow too. :biggrin:

Thanks everyone.