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Hay blocks any good for rabbits?

Hi All,

I have recently rescued a rabbit and his previous owner didn't give him hay :cry:

I'm trying to encourage him to eat hay and lay off the carrots as that's all he was used to eating alongside with muesli.

I have moved him onto pellets and limited his carrot intake to 2 pound coin sizes a day.

I looking to try him with some hay blocks. Are these suitable for him?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Equiblox-Original-Block-Fulmart-Horse-Forage-Feed-Supplement-Treats-12-kg/173116373798?epid=1754163640&hash=item284e8a3b26:g:Uw4AAOSw5ZtaZwuN:rk:1:pf:0
 
I give mine hay cubes, although I buy ones specifically for rabbits and other small furries. I would guess they're similar but don't know if a horsey one would have any major differences. Hopefully someone can help!
 
Hi, welcome to the forum :wave: Well done for adopting a rescue rabbit :love:

Hay blocks are OK for rabbits, but I would get one specifically for rabbits. You might also find that your rabbit does not like them - mine don't :roll: The one you have linked to is 50% Alfalfa hay, which is really too rich to be fed as a normal diet. It is used if you want to put weight on a rabbit, or sometimes for very young rabbits. Also, I'm confused at the size. In the main advert it states it is 12kg, which is a big block :), but lower down in the description it gives it as 1kg.

If I were you I would concentrate on feeding a variety of different hays to establish one that your rabbit likes. Personally I would also cut out the carrot completely. Perhaps try feeding some herbs or forage instead.
 
Hi. My two wouldn’t eat Timothy hay but as soon as I gave medow hay that they addored they started eating the Timothy ( still not their favourite tho ).
Yo might find once you find some thing he really likes that he may eat more of the hay you have.
Hope you can get him munching soon.
 
hi, welcome to RU :wave:

yea tbh id def cut out the carrot. its not a necessity and should be a treat. its very high in sugars and calcium which aren't great for the bun. usually most people only suggest a pound coin size piece of carrot/fruit per week as a treat, not every day. it wouldn't do him any harm to just stop it, it probably be better health wise for him

dried forage however is great and can be fed frequently. it makes hay interesting and encourages natural foraging behaviour. I offer a mix of different types, roots, dried leaves twigs, flowers & so fourth. you can find them in pets at home for rather cheap (and they often have deals on). I would stay away from any seed forage (bad) and any fruit/veggie forage. they'll be high in sugars and wouldn't be great for an everyday additive type of thing.

if he hasn't been fed any hay, I do have to wonder though if his teeth are in a fit state? the back ones are often the ones that cause the issues as they are grinded down by hay, which is a side to side motion. pellet and veggies make a rabbit do an up and down motion, which is why in dental buns they might be willing to eat hard things such as pellet, but not hay. if his teeth are in a sorry state, they'll need to be operated on. no amount of different hays will tempt him to eat if its painful.

hay cookies are good but they make a mess and can get quite costly. for the amount that they need a pack isn't gong to last long. rabbits should be eating their size in hay per day, so depending on the size of a rabbit a pack may only last 1-2 days. I often offer mine as a on the side / treat. while they hay cookies do make a side to side motion when they eat, its only small pieces. I would imagine that a long strand of hay may be much better, but thats purely speculation. but as said, those are rich in alfa hay and meant for horses, so not ideal. the ones commonly used for rabbits are these:
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/woodlands-hay-cookies-1kg
https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-small-animal-meadow-hay-rolls-7pk-1kg/p/0280986

tbh with you, I wouldn't bother with the hays in pets at home. they're often old and not great quality, they don't smell nice and they don't look fresh either. they're often chopped, so short strands of hay. it makes a huge mess and often buns seem to prefer longer strands of hay! if you can, I would suggest seeing if there is an equine stores around you as they'll sell big bags of baled hay, probably from last years crop. that way you know its fresh, and it works out cheaper too. or, farms around you may be worth a shot as they often have hay, and its well worth the money.

if not, you do have https://www.timothyhay.co.uk but they are closed for christmas now.. they have timothy hay and oat hay, even different cuts. its always great quality.
you also have https://www.hay-and-straw.co.uk - my personal go too. mine love the ings hay and I often rotate between ings and timothy hay.
 
My rabbit Juno doesn't seem to know what to do with normal hay, she would only put it in her mouth when her teeth were hurting but just hold it there and not eat, before she got her pulpectomy (she doesn't need dentals anymore). She gets hay cookies either from Wilkos when we've run out or mostly I buy the 6.5kg pack from The Hay Experts: https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/meadow-hay-cookies-bulk-box-rosewood.html
And also she gets three fiba first sticks per day, occasionally an extra one, and now she has a lovely coat and a nice lean shape to her. She eats any greens and the tiny amount of rabbit food I give them per day, so it's mostly the hay cookies and fiba first that keep her going and looking/feeling well. I would recommend the hay cookies. Mess is nothing when it means your rabbit is eating hay. Try a small box from Wilko and if they eat it then get the big one from Hay Experts as it works out cheaper :)
 
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