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Help with bunnies not eating hay!

spinecho

Warren Scout
Hi.

I have 2 outdoor bonded minilops (almost 3 years old).
They're healthy and happy but they just won't eat hay!!! I give them loads of hay every day and with every clean of their litter box and shed (they're spoilt!!) I throw away so much hay!
Every morning they have a plate of vegetables (cabbage leafs, kale, peppers, etc) and a very small amount (egg cup full between them) of muesli. And nothing else except hay, which they don't seem to eat.

I've tried all different varieties of hay, put it in the litter box, in a feeding tray and in their favourite resting spot but all they seem to do is move it about and not eat it!!!

I know muesli is frowned upon but that's what they were reared on by the breeder we got them from and we've kept to same make. They don't have much and it's a treat!
Tried them on pellets which they steadfastly refused to eat!

Any advice would be gratefully received [emoji4]
 
They are obviously filling up on vegetables so try cutting them down slowly until they get hungry enough to eat the hay. Do they eat grass because this is better than hay, but it doesn't sound like they do. Have you tried Readigrass? but first I would give less veg. Are they overweight as bunnies which are won't eat hay. There must be a reason. Have they always been like this, or maybe it's a teeth problem.
 
I agree with Tonibun. If it wasn’t a problem with the teeth before, the lack of hay eating will very likely mean they need dentals, so I would take them to a rabbit savvy vet to get their teeth and mouths checked. Also I would get some different varieties of hay, the hay experts, and hay and straw.co.uk both do sample packs. My bunny eats far more hay now he’s having hay he loves.
 
They are obviously filling up on vegetables so try cutting them down slowly until they get hungry enough to eat the hay. Do they eat grass because this is better than hay, but it doesn't sound like they do. Have you tried Readigrass? but first I would give less veg. Are they overweight as bunnies which are won't eat hay. There must be a reason. Have they always been like this, or maybe it's a teeth problem.
They do have access to grass via a catflap and run, but as you say they prefer grass and so has demolished this...so I'm in process of returfing!

In the meantime they have no grass :-( hence the hay.

I'll cut down the veg in the interim.
 
I agree with Tonibun. If it wasn’t a problem with the teeth before, the lack of hay eating will very likely mean they need dentals, so I would take them to a rabbit savvy vet to get their teeth and mouths checked. Also I would get some different varieties of hay, the hay experts, and hay and straw.co.uk both do sample packs. My bunny eats far more hay now he’s having hay he loves.
Thanks... I've had their teeth checked and A-OK.

Guess they're fussy bunnies...[emoji23]
 
Not fussy really, rabbits like to spend a lot of time grazing on hay (or grass if they are lucky) and will do this if they are hungry enough.
 
Sorry to jump on your thread but I have the same issue. One of my rabbits, Angus, eats lots of hay, the other rabbit, Beans doesn’t touch it. They live separately so that’s not the issue but I’m not sure what to do about Beans. Is it bad to not give him anything else other than a small amount of pellets and then just hay? I know it may seem silly but I’m concerned he’ll starve himself. I’ve tried readigrass and he liked it but seems to have gone off it now, I get hay from the pet shop near me and it’s very green and Angus loves it but Beans has never been a big hay eater
 
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