Encouraging Hay Consumption

Hi

Yesterday my step-daughters arrived at my house with their rabbit - it had been kept outside full time & not looked after very well at all. He's now living with us and has been to the vet. I have a bit of experience with bunnies as I used to have a Flemish Giant (who sadly died last week & wasn't being replaced!!!) but he never had any problems (he died suddenly & we don't know why). The new bunny (Gerard) has spent his life eating rabbit muesli & the occasional vegetable and has subsequently developed tooth and claw problems - I am trying to get him to eat hay but he doesn't seem to know what to do with it!! He's had some 'nuggets' but I'm reluctant to feed him too many in case he keeps his hunger at bay with them & still avoids the hay. They Hay I am trying to get him to eat is Excel Supa Forage. Any suggestions on how to get him to eat it would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Sudders

rabbits don't cope at all well with change, and the shock of moving house can put them off their food so it's important to let them settle in for a couple of weeks before you try changing anything, or you risk serious illness. I would just leave his food the same as what he's used to for now, although make hay available for him of course Is he managing to chew the rabbit mix OK?

After a couple of weeks just reduce the amount of mix he gets until he's just getting a couple of teaspoons morning and evening, and then mix in a few of the new pellets you want to feed him. If you give him fresh hay twice daily he should get the idea that if he's hungry this will do, but don't introduce new veggies at the same time as all these other changes as rabbits have very delicate tums and are succeptible to stress.

Can he chew the hay at all? Might help if you chop it up small and stir it into his mix

I would say give him time to settlle and cut out the pellets for now to get him eating hay but just make sure the hay is good as it might be that he dont like as ive had some funny bunnies with hay.

ditto all the above. It all has to be gradual.
exel supa forage is good and also burns green oat hay is a good hay. Also dust free hay has a mixture of timothy and meadow hay. Some of these might help to tempt.

HOpe Gerard settles in soon.
xx

the hay experts do a sample selection of different hays....worth a try...he may find one that is sweeter or prefers the texture....www.thehayexperts.co.uk

hope he settles in at his new home....

Maybe try mixing in hay with a bit of normal food, so he hasn't got a choice but to eat it?

Also, remember to try and change from whatever food they were feeding him to what you are now feeding him gradually, wean him off it.