What kind of Hay do you give your rabbit?

[Heartlandrabbitry]

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

 

[Hooligan Farm]

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.

 

[rabbitgeek]

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!

 

[hops-the-bunny]

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)

 

[therealsilkiechick]

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.

 

[tortoise]

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.

 

[therealsilkiechick]

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.

 

[tortoise]

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.

 

[dbunni]

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.

 

[Mitransplant]

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.