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I am wasting so much hay!

CuBar

Warren Scout
Since having Barney I have had to start putting hay in the litter trays to encourage him to use them but i am ending up emptying the whole litter tray twice a day because the hay is pooped on and not very nice, I feel i am wasting so much. Cuba used to just use a litter tray with wood pellets in and have her hay seperately in another box. How do I stop so much wastage, i dont want to put less in in case they run out while im not there. Also I am getting through stacks of wood pellets, any alterantives?
:wave:
 
I would prefer to waste the hay rather than dentals. Im the same as you and I have a lot of wastage. Mine is really expensive, but I want them to continue eating a lot and they do this whilst sitting in their litter trays indoors. I change 2/3 times daily as mine drink a lot of water and they can become quite wet.
 
Twice a day I put a fresh bundle of hay at one end of a big, underbed storage box tray or similar, which contains megazorb. They do sift through it and gradually push the uneaten hay to the back of the tray, where it gets pooped on, but meanwhile they've eaten about half of it, maybe more, and of course it keeps them busy - hay is the best bunny toy you can have! Scientific studies showed that rabbits with hay to dig through were less likely to get neurotic problems due to boredom, so it's worth the money. If yours aren't eating any of it though, maybe you could find some they are more enthusiastic about? Farm shops and markets often have nice, long, green hay. :)

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why not buy some cheap hay, eg the P@H stuff or similar, and use that just for litter trays, and keep the nicer stuff in a hayrack.

Mine don't like hay in their trays, they chuck it out :lol: :lol:
 
Since having Barney I have had to start putting hay in the litter trays to encourage him to use them but i am ending up emptying the whole litter tray twice a day because the hay is pooped on and not very nice, I feel i am wasting so much. Cuba used to just use a litter tray with wood pellets in and have her hay seperately in another box. How do I stop so much wastage, i dont want to put less in in case they run out while im not there. Also I am getting through stacks of wood pellets, any alterantives?
:wave:


Is there any way you could put a small hay rack up next to a litter tray filled with another substrate :? If you position the hay rack so as any hay that falls out will fall into the litter tray :?

Janex
 
Elve, how do you find the Megazorb? Do they eat it and does it stink, heard varying stories? I was thinking of getting some to put first in the litter tray, then paper and then the hay.
 
Where do you buy megazorb from? is it expensive? Thanks for all your suggestions, I will try them out :D
 
I get it online from ukpetsupplies, but it's cheaper if you can drive to a local supplier as it's only about £5 for a gigantic, 75l (or however much - huge) sack. It's brilliant - really absorbent. It doesn't have that nice 'pine' fragrance that shavings have, but the wierd smelling ones aren't in distribution now, unless you get a really old bag. The dust dies down after a minute - I hold my breath when I fill the trays, but it doesn't kick up any dust when they use it. Nice and soft too.
This is a list of their outlets http://www.northerncropdriers.co.uk/stockists.htm
 
Where do you get your hay from? If you can buy it by the bale it's so much cheaper than wasting some won't really matter - I get a bale for about £3.60!
 
Megazorb is so cost efficient - I fly thru litter bedding and this stuff at least lasts two weeks with three bunsters. It can smell depending where its been kept by the seller. This latest bag I got doesn't really smell at all.

I recycle hay - so the hay they haven't eaten out of their hay troughs I then put on top of the litter trays after cleaning with a bit more fresh too. They always gobble it all up and I want them to be happy eating lots of hay...Its psychological as well as physical for bunnies.

You haven't had Barney long so don't worry too much just yet - he will start copying your lady bun in her habbits soon enough. Beatrix wasn't litter trained but Darcy and Annie have shown her how!:D
 
Is there any way you could put a small hay rack up next to a litter tray filled with another substrate :? If you position the hay rack so as any hay that falls out will fall into the litter tray :?

Janex

That's what I was going to suggest.
Also, if you are changing the litter trays twice a day, then I don't see why you couldn't use just a thick layer of newspaper.
 
I wouldn't change the litter tray twice a day if it were me. Mine get fresh hay on top of their litter tray morning and night and I change it every other day. They rummage in the hay, eat it and poop on it. Probably doesn't seem nice to us but rabbits don't seem to mind it. I also have a hay rack (a half hanging basket container from Wilkos) but they just take the hay out of that, lie on it and poop on it anyway!! I also use cheaper chopped hay from P@H in the base of the litter tray, then topped with meadow hay
 
I also have a hay rack (a half hanging basket container from Wilkos) but they just take the hay out of that, lie on it and poop on it anyway!!

Ditto :lol: I've never worked out who the phantom hay rack destroyer is of my two, but I suspect Frankie ;) Fresh hay is always, always dragged out within an hour :lol:

I clean litter trays daily: there is some hay wasted this way, but they also eat plenty and I'm happy with that!
 
I wouldn't change the litter tray twice a day if it were me. Mine get fresh hay on top of their litter tray morning and night and I change it every other day. They rummage in the hay, eat it and poop on it. Probably doesn't seem nice to us but rabbits don't seem to mind it.
They are house rabbits and at the moment Barney has rather smelly poo's, think he's still a bit hormonal after being neutered. So they need changing for my benefit really, iv just put hay on top of 1 litter tray today and then put some separate in a feeding bowl, seems to have worked better, the other litter trays have been used. but that may be cuba as she always just goes in the tray and eats hay seperately. hopefully she will teach barney to do that too :D
 
I put a think layer of wood pellets in then a big layer of shreaded paper and a load of hay over the top. He has the hay topped up before I go to bed and I clean it every morning. I waste a fair bit but I would rather that than he eat or jump around in his poo.
 
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