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How to Make Bunny Eat More HAY

makatibunny

Young Bun
Hi! My bunny is about 8 months old and i've noticed he eats hay only when the veggies and pellets are totally cleaned out from his bowl..

usually he "starves" himself and ignores the hay, and prefers to wait til i bring the bowl of veggies and pellets to him..

i want to encourage him to eat more hay.. but cant stand that he resorts to "bunny-anorexia" LOL.. what should i do? TIA!:)
 
How much veggies & pellets are you feeding him & how often?
What sort of hay are you feeding & have you tried any other different types?
 
a handful of leafy greens and carrots around 8am...

then about a quarter cup of pellets around 4pm.. by this time he devours the pellets like crazy...

then by 730am he's already ringing his bell demanding to be fed his veggies!

i've only fed him timothy hay but now considering introducing oat hay.. supply of hay is quite difficult to get in my area so my choices are limited..
 
Sorry I stupidly didn't read your details.:eek:ops

Some people have had success by making a thick soup from the pellets & pouring it over the hay, so bunny has to eat hay to get his mushy pellets ;).
Gradually cut down on the amount you pour over the hay over a few weeks. Most adult buns only need about an eggcupful of pellets daily, but a few need a little more to maintain weight.

I think I'd give the pellet mush on the hay in the morning when he's hungriest.
Try gradually reducing the veg too. If you can get hold of fresh cooking herbs out there, & substitute some for the veg - great. My bun adores corriander leaves.
Please keep us updated with how you get on.
 
ooh, the pellet mush sounds like a wild plan, just wonder if he'll go for it, hehe..

i definitely can get parsley, mint and coriander around here!

so do i gradually introduce the herby leaves and slowly take out the leafy greens and carrots from his diet? and do the herbs help in making him eat more hay, or is it just much healthful than the usual veggies?
 
ooh, the pellet mush sounds like a wild plan, just wonder if he'll go for it, hehe..

i definitely can get parsley, mint and coriander around here!

so do i gradually introduce the herby leaves and slowly take out the leafy greens and carrots from his diet? and do the herbs help in making him eat more hay, or is it just much healthful than the usual veggies?

Yes you introduce herbs slowly 1 at a time. They've got a good selecion of the minerals & vitamins a bun needs, but they are lower in starch & protein than human veg. This encourages the bun to eat more hay/grass. It's hard work getting the nutrients out of hay & they depend on bacteria in the caecum to do most of the digestive work for them, so they need to eat a lot. You also have to make the changes very slowly to allow the right bacteria in the caecum to build up.

The mush is real subterfuge.:lol: I once tried mixing hay cut into 1/4" strips into my bun's wild plant "veg". He spat each tiny piece out in a neat pile beside his bowl! :lol: He's got certain problems though.

A young bun tends to adopt this low fiber diet from habit. If we take it slowly he should build up the bacteria naturally.;)
 
thanks for all the advice! i was always wondering why some owners were only feeding them herbs when there are so many other leafy greens out there! :D
 
thanks for all the advice! i was always wondering why some owners were only feeding them herbs when there are so many other leafy greens out there! :D

I only feed herbs so brassicas (cabbage, spring greens, etc) give Mischa and Nutmeg gas so I find it easiest to stick with what I know. I do add rocket and kale and carrot tops and then in summer nice weeds from the allotment.
 
my vet also keeps telling me -- to give a bit of tough love and not give in to the demanding bunny..

will resisting the urge to feed him herbs/veggies and pellets more often - result in him eating more hay in the end? or will it just be torturing the poor guy?

last thing i want is a resentful bun..! :evil:
 
my vet also keeps telling me -- to give a bit of tough love and not give in to the demanding bunny..

will resisting the urge to feed him herbs/veggies and pellets more often - result in him eating more hay in the end? or will it just be torturing the poor guy?

last thing i want is a resentful bun..! :evil:

It worked with Mini ;)

I know it feels awful but assuming their teeth are all ok then it is probably for the best.
 
ok, it's breakfast time now here..

..i've just done the pellet mush mixed with hay and stuck in a few leafy greens to make it more enticing.. the bunny inspected the bowl, looked at me with a "wth mom?? face" and has now refused his breakfast...!:shock:

i am avoiding eye-contact for now. *sigh*
 
a handful of leafy greens and carrots around 8am...

then about a quarter cup of pellets around 4pm.. by this time he devours the pellets like crazy...

then by 730am he's already ringing his bell demanding to be fed his veggies!

i've only fed him timothy hay but now considering introducing oat hay.. supply of hay is quite difficult to get in my area so my choices are limited..

Aww that's so cute- i'm going to have to get some bells for my lot!
 
Have you thought of buying hay online? Lots of people do it as most pet shop hay is generally not great quality.

I used to get timothy hay from petco bec my mom lived near one before, then when she moved, i found a local seller who imported the same brand. Since i've read that switching to other hay may cause upset stomach i haven't really looked into other types or brands.. I've been using the Kaytee brand of timothy hay. He used to eat more, now he just nibbles on a straw or two..

Another option is getting hay from the local horse stables, they have oat hay in bales, but the freshness and quality may be questionable?

What other brands/types of hay are recommended and proven "delicious"?;)

NOW, I am hoping the hunger pangs will eventually get the better of him and he folds soon, its now a battle between mama's tough love vs bunny-sad-face.. must. not. fold....:?
 
sorry didnt realise you didnt live in the UK, you might have a little more problem finding sites but I am sure they exist.

Baled hay is generally fresher and better quality than pet shop hay. Smell it and make sure it smells fresh and not damp.

My bunny loves oat hay, alpine meadow and readigrass the best. It often depends on the individual tastes of each bunny but I have heard that no bunny will turn down readigrass. Just make sure you feed it in moderation as it is a little high in calcium (I feed a handful every other day). Bunnies tend to prefer certain brands to others as well, the only way to see which ones is to try them out!

ETA: Also I have never heard of hay upsetting a bunny's stomach but I may be wrong. Hes much more likely to get digestive problems on a diet with no hay, so its worth trying as many different types as you can. Introduce one at a time so you can see which he likes best, and if it does cause soft poos then just take it away again, simples :)
 
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the pellet mush mixed with the hay was a fail.. he tried to nibble but eventually ignored it the whole day.. so mama folded and gave him a nice clean bowl of fresh pellets, leafy greens and carrots, but this time only half the serving that i usually give on a daily basis.. only 1 tablespoon of pellets, etc.. when he cleaned up the bowl he eventually nibbled on some hay, as if saying "see, i'm not THAT spoiled..!"

at dinner i decided to introduce celery to his diet, since i've read it was high in fiber, i chopped 5 thin slices from the stalk and he absolutely loved it! was scared to give him more than 5 tiny slices - i'm terrified of poopy butt!! but i will gradually increase celery definitely! i figured -- if he's not eating enough hay now at least celery would a be good supplement for fiber, am i right?

i also decided to order a 24oz bag of oat hay and plan to combine it with his timothy hay, hopefully he'll like it!!:)
 
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Celery is fine as long as you cut it across the stalk. (The long fibers are a bit difficult for some buns to chew properly)
 
Celery is fine as long as you cut it across the stalk. (The long fibers are a bit difficult for some buns to chew properly)

yup thats what i did! like cuts you would do for a salad! he loves it, i'm resisting the urge to feed him more of it..

next week i want to introduce herbs like parsley and coriander, do herbs help in wearing down the teeth too like hay? or its just a good alternative to leafy greens?
 
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