# What kind of Hay do you give your rabbit?



## CountryGirl (Jul 14, 2010)

Can I just do Timothy hay or do I need to add other kinds? What other kinds can I feed? Does it need to be a mix or just one kind? Also how much?


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## bunchsbunnybarn (Jul 19, 2010)

Rabbit feed is all a rabbit really needs, besides fresh water.
I do give mine Timothy-it gives them something to chew on.
Do not give rabbits alfalfa. They get enough of that in the feed.


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## glenolam (Jul 19, 2010)

When I had rabbits (New Zealand and Florida Whites) I would use Timothy hay as their bedding in the "bedroom" of the hutch and keep rabbit pellets out free choice.  It wasn't the most cost-effective method; I would stuff their bedrooms full of the hay and they'd eat a little hole in it.  They'd continue to eat the hay until they didn't care to any more, but usually I would clean it out by that point anyway for more fresh hay.


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## Catalina (Jul 19, 2010)

I give mine orchard hay.


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## Citylife (Jul 19, 2010)

I have Florida Whites and give them an alfalfa hay on a daily basis.  I am mindful not to give them to much as I do not want them to get fat.  I would see NO reason why timothy hay would not be perfectly fine for them.

The lady with 4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits, their kits, a lizard and a kitten the dogs found in the yard...........  He needs a NEW home.


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## ChickenPotPie (Oct 3, 2010)

Quality pelleted feed like Purina Show or the like is all that is needed but if you're wondering what is the best hay for rabbits nutritionally, timothy is it.  Orchard grass and oat grass are also good.  Some people like blends but I don't know enough about hays to know what blends to give.  

So, if you can find it and it's affordable go for timothy.  I gave my rabbits orchard and good oat grass hay until I found a place that actually sold timothy by the bale.  Now I'm back to giving orchard because we moved.    The rabbits do well on either of those top three - timothy, orchard, oat.  

I don't give alfalfa hay.  As said above, they get it already in their feed.


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## Emmetts Dairy (Oct 4, 2010)

When I got my rabbit "Phineas" (californian)  my vet told me Only Timothy hay...and no more than 1/2 c of rabbit feed a day.  But I guess it would depend on what your using it for.  

Mine is strickly a spoiled pet!!!


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## momofonly (Oct 16, 2010)

My vet also said to only give Timothy hay- and I had already bought a bale of hay from the feed store! I don't know what kind it is,  but they said it's "feed" hay and someone in front of me was buying it for her horses.

I only have one rabbit, and I had already transferred the feed store hay to four plastic containers that we bought just for storing hay.

So I use the feed store hay in her litter box. The expensive timothy hay which is something like $10 or $15 for a small bag I put in the hay feeder.


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## Beekissed (Oct 16, 2010)

I always used any old good hay I could buy...it never seemed to harm my rabbits.  I always kept their hay feeders full each night...they love to nibble at night.

Anyone give mineral wheels to their rabbits?  We usually did this mostly in the summer.


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## TheSheepGirl (Oct 17, 2010)

The feed store hay is most likely a good hay for rabbits. They mainly need the hay for roughage in their diets and for added fiber during molting. The expensive timothy hay is good, but not at all cost effective, because of the price and the fact that you are njot buying it in bulk or as a bale.

Rabbit pellets contain all of the nutrition that rabbits need. The type of hay should not effect the health of the rabbit. Just be sure the hay is not moldy of spoiled and is fresh and smells good.

We have fed alfalfa in the past without any problems, but the high protien is not needed in rabbit hay.

The feed store hay should be just fine for them to eat and will save you a ton of money since it is way cheaper.

We have used mineral weels in the past, but they were never used before they started to grow the gunk on the outside. Your rabbit feed contains all of the minerals that your rabbits need.


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## Heartlandrabbitry (Oct 29, 2010)

I feed my rabbits Orchard grass and/or grass hay. For some reason they won't touch Timothy :/


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## Hooligan Farm (Oct 29, 2010)

I give mine pellets and timothy grass hay. There's a place by my job that I can get a 50lbs bale for $8. I have one that won't really touch it and likes when I give him straw to chew on.


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## rabbitgeek (Feb 19, 2011)

We usually fed oat hay. We use the same hay as filling for nestboxes. It gives the kits something to nibble on as they grow.

If there was no oat hay, we would feed grass hay or grass/timothy blend. Generally whatever hay was good for horses was usually safe for the rabbits. 

Have a good day!


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## hops-the-bunny (Feb 20, 2011)

iv only had mine for acouple weeks but i heard u give them alfalfa till they get about 6 months then timothy hay. is this not true. they also always have pellet in the cage. (they are between 7 and 12 weeks)


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## therealsilkiechick (Feb 20, 2011)

if u feed a pro, show or complete feed, hay should be in the pellets so hay is not needed not all pellets have it so check labels. timithy is what we use although it is not needed i still give it to all of them anyways so they have something to keep them busy. i like to hide it in tp and paper towel rolls, mac and cheese box ect and then all have it in the cages as well. 

alfalfa causes kidney damage if i remember right due to the high protein i think it is or calcium can't remember. i've also been told to much will give them the runs. i've always been told to never feed it or very little as a treat only so i don't use it. 

i've tried the mineral and salt blocks mine have never used them really. we feed purina complete or show mixed with clean oats, free hay and sometimes i use rabbit nutri-drops as well.


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## tortoise (Feb 20, 2011)

bunchsbunnybarn said:
			
		

> Rabbit feed is all a rabbit really needs, besides fresh water.


This is NOT true for all breeds.  Angoras NEED hay to help prevent wool block.  I feed "grass hay" - we get it from a friend who has horses.  I also feed hay cubes.

Alfalfa hay does not necessarily cause kidney damage.  Diets too high in protein can over time.  It is a potential issue in pet house rabbits that live to their maximum life expectancies (10 yrs +).  For rabbits raised for breeding and meat it is not a problem.


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## therealsilkiechick (Feb 20, 2011)

i agree i always make sure the angoras have  hay but i also use a wool block paste as well that i get from petco.


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## tortoise (Feb 20, 2011)

therealsilkiechick said:
			
		

> i agree i always make sure the angoras have  hay but i also use a wool block paste as well that i get from petco.


How do you use the paste?  I have some but never used successfully.

I also have a wool block kit here with gut mobility injections (can't remember the drug name), lactated ringers fo subQ fluids, don't remember what else.

Should also note that if the urine looks like mustard, that's time to change diet or consult the vet.


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## dbunni (Feb 21, 2011)

Wool block pastes should only be used in time of extreme necessity on Angoras. They slow down the digestive process with the coating of the oils.  The wool may or may not pass, but the bunny will cut down on the amount of nutrients ingested and often loose conditioning.  I have seen this happen countless times in Angoras.  Have a friend who use to treat with paste once a month and could never understand why her rabbits went backwards a bit during this time.  She was continually complaining about the condition of her animals.  We worked on a new diet and she never had that problem again.  Water, hay, fruits & grains, pellets, grooming & a clean house ... the best solution for wool issues.


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## Mitransplant (Mar 15, 2011)

Could someone PLEASE explain the different kinds of hay to me and what they look like and where to get them? I have "hay" out on our 20 acres but not sure what it is and what Timothy hay is that a lot of you talk about. I would really appreciate any help here. THANKS.


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## rabbitlady4433 (Mar 15, 2011)

I feed Prairie Hay- is this the same thing as Orchard?  It is basically the only option I have from my feed store.  I had almost bought the stuff they feed horses, but the lady there said that prairie hay was "finer" than that so that's what I buy.  My rabbits have been on it for a year with no problems.  And at $6 a bale, affordable!


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## terri9630 (Mar 16, 2011)

Mitransplant said:
			
		

> Could someone PLEASE explain the different kinds of hay to me and what they look like and where to get them? I have "hay" out on our 20 acres but not sure what it is and what Timothy hay is that a lot of you talk about. I would really appreciate any help here. THANKS.


Different types of hay are just different types of grass.  Some types of hay have regional names as well.  Alfalfa is a clover, timothy is a grass, bermuda is a grass, straw is usually they left over stalk of a grain crop.  Any type of grass/crop can be baled.  Check the local livestock feed stores and see what they have.   It is cheaper to buy by the bale than at the pet store in small packages.

As for what is in your pasture, it depends on what is growing.  Did you plant something specific or is it just a natural mix?  When we had cattle in S. Tx we just baled what grew in the field and that is what we fed during the summer.  Down there you feed in the summer, grass grows in the fall/winter most years.


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## hoodat (Mar 16, 2011)

I keep timothy hay available for my rabbits at all times but I also feed a lot of weeds and grass out of my garden and they really don't pay much attention to the hay excpt when they get bored and amuse themselves by strewing it around.


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## Mitransplant (Mar 16, 2011)

terri9630
I have only lived here for 5 years and the land has been cut and baled since before I moved to it. It is whatever grew I guess. I have been using the hay for the chickens and was wondering it that would be good enough for the rabbits or if I needed to buy the Timothy. I will let them out in a protected cage in the summer to eat what is on the ground that we mow as a yard, no fertilizer or anything on it. I let three chickens out daily to eat what they want free range. I have to many hawks to let the better layers out. Don't care about the three, they don't lay regularly and if the hawks don't get them I might let the others out this summer.
I haven't seen they guy who cuts the field to see if he has planted anything or just let the field grow but will ask. Will also try and find the Timothy one of my trips out since I have plenty of time before getting the bunnies.  THANK YOU all for answering my questions.


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## tortoise (Mar 16, 2011)

Any hay is OK.  Alfalfa hay is higher protein, but it's not a huge difference.  As long as rabbit's urine doesn't have sediment (looks like mustard) then there's no problem.


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## BackyardCritters (Mar 19, 2011)

we feed a fescue mix.  Luckily DH square baled about 150 bales last year and it has came in handy when feeding the bunnies and calves.  The rabbits really like it.  I also sometimes feed wheat straw with lespedeza mixed in-they really liked that too.


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## Ozark Daisy (Mar 20, 2011)

Timothy hay is perfectly fine.
I wish I had a good source for it.
I just give my rabbits the hay that we bale around our farm. They seem to like it.
Brome hay does not seem to be on the top of their list of favourite foods. I think it has to much fiber in it.


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## hoodat (Mar 20, 2011)

Fiber is one of the main reasons for hay but if they won't eat it that's a moot point. You'll have to find a hay they will accept. The reason for fiber is to keep things moving along in the digestive tract. Hair can mat in the digestive system and cause blockage if they don't have fiber to move it out. They can't spit up hairballs like a cat.


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## nicktide (Mar 27, 2011)

More and more vets and other experts are not recommending pellets.  They are almost entirely alfalfa which is extremely high in calcium.  If your rabbit has a litter box (some of my rabbits do) there will be a coating of calcium in it.  I feed my rabbits timothy hay, as much as they want.  for pregenant and lactating does, i give them half timothy and half alfalfa to increase the protein.  my basic rabbit feed mix is 1.5 part crimped oats, 1.5 part wheat and 1 part pellets.  Some rabbits cant be given the mix becaus ethey dig out their favorite but most eat what they get.

BTW.  This also saves me a good bit of cash.  $4 per 45 lb bale of hay, 7.50 per 50 lbs wheat or oats.


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## flemish lops (Mar 28, 2011)

Does any one give oak or maple leaves to there rabbits? I get a few leaves in the hay that I give my rabbits and was woundering if the leaves are ok for them.


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## rabbitgeek (Apr 11, 2011)

flemish lops said:
			
		

> Does any one give oak or maple leaves to there rabbits? I get a few leaves in the hay that I give my rabbits and was woundering if the leaves are ok for them.


A few oak or maple leaves won't hurt them.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios


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## rabbitgeek (Apr 11, 2011)

Usually I gave oat hay or grass hay.

I also use it as nesting material in the nest boxes instead of straw. The kits can start nibbling on it as they grow. And I don't have store a separate bale of straw.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios


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