Hay storage

shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
Rabbit Talk Forum

Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
M

mytdogs

Well-known member
Joined
May 21, 2010
Messages
89
Reaction score
1
Location
Sunny, FL
Hi all,

i am new to rabbits. I am trying to stay away from pellets. I need to know what to store the hay in. I am in super hot & humid FL. The Buns are on my sun porch- basically the walls are floor to ceiling windows. i try to keep them open but then rain can blow in- like it did last week & everything gets wet :( .

I am planning on setting up one side/corner with the windows closed & some sort of storage for the hay- any suggestions? I was thinking maybe a plastic clothes basket? That way air can circulate but the hay will be protected underneath. I have my oats, BOSS & alfalfa cubes in metal cans.

Sorry for such an elementary question but while I've always dreamed of farming I am a city girl just starting out.

Thanks!
Cindy with the D*gs & Buns in FL
 
How much hay are you storing at a time, Cindy? If less than a square bale, you might be better going with a net and hanging it like a sling or hammock. The hay would get air circulation on all sides. I did something similar with our home harvested hay - grass and alfalfa - making the sling out of an old cotton bedsheet. It worked well and kept the hay off the rabbitry floor. It was pretty easy to pull down on the nearest side to take hay out.
 
The "humid " part is what's going to get you in trouble down there. Here's what I do:(it does get humid here in the summer). The bales are outside, stacked, under a tarp. The tarp is OVER them, but doesn't wrap them up so they get plenty of air. I have a garbage can that I take out and put a few flakes of hay in when I need more. I wheel THAT inside to the rabbits and feed out of that for a week or so.

I like the sling idea. specially if you're short on space. the cotton would breathe well, too.
 
It was dead easy too. All I did was tie a knot in each corner and zip-tie the knots to nails hammered into the walls at an angle. In your home, however, you might want to go for something a bit classier. :roll:
 
Thanks for the great ideas. I think I will try the hay net when i can get one. I just got my rabbits & only have 3 right now so I just use one compressed alfalfa/grass bale at a time.

I am leaning more towards using the alfalfa cubes because they are so much easier to store- also the buns waste so much hay. It is constantly piled up underneath the cage.


Cindy with the D*gs & Buns in FL
 
Cindy - the very act of eating hay - picking the best pieces - chewing on it and contemplating life seems to be better for rabbits than just hay cubes
I figure the waste is a good sign they were able to pick and choose through the hay

do you feed no pellets at all? if so you really need to work out a com[plete diet for your rabbits that has more than hay in it
 
Brody wrote:
Cindy - the very act of eating hay - picking the best pieces - chewing on it and contemplating life seems to be better for rabbits than just hay cubes I figure the waste is a good sign they were able to pick and choose through the hay

Now me:
Yes I understand environmental enrichment but it seems like the best part (most nutritious) of the Alfalfa (the leaves) are all spilled thru the wire onto the pan below. Seems like they can chew on plain old cheap coastal hay for entertainment and actually get the benefit of the protein in the alfalfa as a cube.

Brody asked:
do you feed no pellets at all? if so you really need to work out a complete diet for your rabbits that has more than hay in it

Me again:
Yes I realize that the diet needs to be complete....I think I mentioned in the original post- in addition to the Alfalfa, I feed oats & black oil Sunflower seeds- So far I haven't located any wheat or barley but I am looking. Also, I am continuing to supplement with the pellets that came with the buns when I got them a few weeks ago but I do not plan on buying any more. The rabbits don't really seem to like them anyway.

Thanks for the input! :D
Cindy with the D*gs & Buns in FL
 
Are you feeding fresh greens, Mytdogs? Phase them in slowly if the buns are not accustomed to them, but they are IMO an essential part of a natural diet. You will probably need to offer a salt/mineral supplement too once they are no longer getting pellets.
 
MaggieJ":149khkb2 said:
Are you feeding fresh greens, Mytdogs? Phase them in slowly if the buns are not accustomed to them, but they are IMO an essential part of a natural diet. You will probably need to offer a salt/mineral supplement too once they are no longer getting pellets.
Click to expand...

Yes I am offering some fresh greens/treats but as you said- slowly. They have tried spring mix so far & 2 of the 3 are willing to eat it. I have also given a tiny pieces of baby carrot & 2 of the the 3 (a different 2- Ricky, the buckling, is very adventurous) seem to like that as well. I am afraid to offer too much just yet since Eighteen is due this week & Six is due in a couple weeks. I don't want to rock the boat & that is why I am still using the pellets. They have a mineral wheel available too.

Thanks!
Cindy with the D*gs & Buns in FL
 
I'm thinking I like the laundry basket idea. I get the square bales of hay, and before long, it's all over my garage, especially the grass hay. I need something to keep it contained. It's dry here, so I don't have to worry about the moisture.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top