Sunday, June 5, 2016

Hay, You!

Hay isn't just for horses! Bun buns are all about the hay! Well, most are but some need a little help getting the taste for it. Usually it's because of possible dental issues or maybe their past, but some bunnies just don't seem to want hay. In this post we'll be focusing on those who do love the stuff!!

Bunnies need hay and lots of it. As I mentioned briefly in a previous post (Want a Bunny? Here's What You Need to Know), hay is crucial for their digestive health and keeps their continuously growing teeth trim and healthy. Hay should be available in unlimited amounts, but if you can't do that the general rule of thumb is that a bunny should eat a ball of hay as big as he/she is daily. For Gizmo & Ebony we buy a 60 lb. box of timothy hay every few months, sometimes 2.5 months. They ALWAYS have hay available to them.

Timothy hay should be the main type of hay but there are other hays that you can mix in with it such as orchard grass, oat and Bermuda grass. Just be sure to introduce any type of new food (hay included) to your bun slowly. Their digestive systems need time to adjust to something new. Stay away from alfalfa hay UNLESS your bun is young or has a medical condition (diagnosed by your bunny savvy vet, of course). If you have a bunny younger than 6 months and doesn't need his/her mother for nutrition anymore, then feeding alfalfa hay is fine. Once your bun has reached 6 months of age then it will be time to transition him/her to timothy hay. Start mixing the two hays, just make sure you do this slowly so you don't upset bunny's digestive system. If you think your bunny may be too difficult when it comes to switching from alfalfa to timothy, then it is safe to feed young bunnies timothy instead of alfalfa, just make sure they have alfalfa based pellets.

Why shouldn't adult bunnies (6 months or older) have alfalfa? Well the answer is simple. Alfalfa is high in calcium and protein, which can lead to bladder issues as well as obesity in adult buns. Alfalfa is also lower in fiber, which is not suited for adult buns.

Always choose good quality hay. Make sure the hay is nice and green and has a good aroma. Don't choose brown hay or moldy hay.

Not only is hay good for bunnies for many reasons, but it also helps them with their litter box training. Bunnies LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to eat hay while they use the bathroom. So if you have hay near or in the litter boxes that really helps them learn where they are supposed to use the bathroom. Gizmo & Ebony have a rack of hay on each side of their corner litter boxes in the living room.


The picture above is of Gizmo's space, but Ebony always likes to hop in and share Giz's hay! But as you can see, there's a hay rack in the front and back for them. Ebony's area is set up exactly the same way. The green portion you see is the top of the litter box. Of course, neither of them are in the litter box in the above picture! They're just having a snack, not doing their business!! ;)


And the other litter box, placed in their play room, is a large pan from the bottom of an old cage. I always line the entire bottom with the litter (paper bedding) and then place hay in the front and leave the backside uncovered with hay. I'm paranoid about them eliminating themselves on the hay and then eating it, so I only do the giant litter box with half and half.

You may have noticed lots of hay in the floor in the pictures. It's impossible to keep the floor vacuumed with bunnies running around that CONSTANTLY eat hay!! But I wouldn't have it any other way! I love them so much!

I hope this post about hay has been helpful!! We're still getting the hang of things here in Blogville and hope we can post more soon!! Thanks for visiting!!

13 comments:

  1. So nice to meet you. I'm a friend of Speedy the Cheeky House Rabbit.

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    1. So bunderful to meet you!! Thank you so much for hopping by to see us!!

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  2. Me loves this!! Me knows about alfalfa haw cuz it makes horses hot and high protein....Me and Mommy didn't know this about bunnies. Love you, Ebony and Gizmo!
    Your friend,
    Bob

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    1. Gizmo & Ebony: Hiya, Bob!! So hoppy yous came by to check out ours newest post!! Fank goodness mommy typed all dis or ours paws would bees sooooo tired!! Wees so hoppy yous learned somefing new bouts bun buns!! Dat bees so supa dupa pawsome!! Dat bees what wees hoped wif dis blog....dat somepawdy would learn somefing new!! YAY!! Wees love yous Bob!! Mwwwwwwaaaaaah!!

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  3. waves two ewe gizmo & ebony ☺☺☺ .....we think ewe both R doin a grate job with yur blog; de info heer iz awesum for bunz & ther peepulz !!! we troo lee dinna noe bout de alfalfa...we haza friend who haza bun....we will tell em ta chex out thiz post ♥♥♥ happee day two all ☺☺☺

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    1. OMB!! Wees so hoppy yous learned somefing about us bun buns! Dat bees what wees wanna hear!! <3 <3 ~Gizmo & Ebony

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  4. I was wondering where or how do you store the hay so I doesn't get bugs or old.? This probably sounds dumb but I am in Florida so humid I someday want a bunny but I am worried that the hay bring tiny little bugs in. Do u store it in a bag in the plastic tub? Where can u buy clean hay? I been to fed store and they are messy and kinda outdoor like.

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    1. I order Gizmo & Ebony's hay from Small Pet Select. It all comes in boxes but I buy the biggest box. Putting it in a plastic tub will cause mold. It just needs to stay dry and out of sunlight but also needs to stay ventilated. So I just leave it in the box it came in since cardboard can breathe. Small Pet Select usually has good hay and great customer service. I've had a couple of issues but they have fixed the problem both times without any hassle. :)

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    2. Oh and I keep the hay indoors too. :)

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  5. Great post Gizmo and Ebony,I see my pals are visiting and love you to,xx Speedy

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    1. Gizmo & Ebony: Fanks Speedy!! Wees meeting all kinds of new fwiends!!

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