Hay Racks - what’s the point?

[YOHONOMOTO]

I set up a vertical wire hay rack thinking it would keep the cage from becoming a mess. The rabbits just pull out all the hay and spread it in the cage and soil it anyway. So what’s the point of the hay rack? Has anyone found a good set up to where they don’t make as much of a mess?

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Only one of mine have one but she has a floor cage so the bottom is already pine shavings


What I like to do is fill empty toilet paper rolls with hay and they like those
Two of my other cages have hay wheels but they drop lose hay

One of my breeding bucks has an empty small box with hay in it and it lasts him a while and he doesn't make a mess
It's one of these (But empty of course)

 

[jaxmarblebuns]

they are probably bored. If you add some chew toys it may remedy that; hanging bird toys work well. You can also make your own which would be cheeper.

 

[YOHONOMOTO]

they are probably bored. If you add some chew toys it may remedy that; hanging bird toys work well. You can also make your own which would be cheeper.

Great idea! Thanks

 

[Preitler]

If they get it out too easily, that happens. You can add horizontal bars so when they pull a strand out it's not a handful that comes with it.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

If they get it out too easily, that happens. You can add horizontal bars so when they pull a strand out it's not a handful that comes with it.

The one I have has horizontal bars

 

[Rabbits by Accident]

I make plastic hayracks that I mount on the exterior of the cages.



They can pull the hay in through the cage bars, and there is no hay that falls outside the cage. It works really well and has cut down a lot on wasted hay. You can use just about any plastic container that you can cut in half. More pics/info here

 

[user8584]

I would say it is the nature of caged rabbits to pull hay. They are selective browsers, and the hay is a natural floor for them. They are just making their space homie.

 

[robeyw]

I think it varies a lot with the individual rabbit and the hay. Journey pulls it from wherever it is but only to eat it (but she rejects some for reasons not known to me and it ends up on the floor) but eats more from a box on the floor and the rejects stay in the box. Midnight won't eat from a vertical rack, will eat from an above floor pan but prefers to eat off the floor. Some hay packs too much to suit a rack. Here is one with vertical spring wire 2" apart and a troff to catch hay pulled in error but you see the rejects on the ground.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Well I might as well add it since the post's been pulled up
I was wrong, my hay rack does have vertical bars, but the hay is put in horizontal so it's less likely to fall out too much

 

[MnCanary]

I've found that my rabbits eat more hay if I just toss in a handful. When I fed it with a hay rack, they ate less hay. Yes, their is some waste. I want my rabbits to eat all the hay they want, because that seems to help avoid a lot of digestive issues. So....l accept the mess and the waste.

 

[HTAcres]

I've found that my rabbits eat more hay if I just toss in a handful. When I fed it with a hay rack, they ate less hay. Yes, their is some waste. I want my rabbits to eat all the hay they want, because that seems to help avoid a lot of digestive issues. So....l accept the mess and the waste.

Pretty much me too. And my daughter who helps me prefers to do it that way. I saw someone "catch" it in the door but she didn't like that either.

 

[user 8990]

Been thinking about this issue a lot recently. Seems my horse feeding philosophy is carrying over to the rabbits. All the hay all the time and pellets to supplement. So I put it in the litter box with pine pellets on the bottom and hay gets put on top. They mostly urinate in the box but it keeps the hay in one place. For the most part but every rabbit is different. The waste doesn’t bother me as much as the fines getting into the fur of my fuzzy Lop and Angoras and that makes grooming a nightmare.

There has to be a good functional rack out there. I just haven’t found it.

 

[Olbunny]

I've tried many things. Found that they will eat more if it's easier. The price of hay compared to what it took to get friers is hay is cheap. Rabbits like to chew. Hay keeps them happy.
I try to only feed what they eat in a day plus a bit. And use the hat to absorb the urine. Then everything gets composed n mulched. Best potting soil around and great side dressing for the garden. It all gets used one way or another. No waste.
Just the cost of doing business

 

[Keag]

I just toss the hay in their enclosure. I could care less about wasted hay. They chose what they want, soil some, move it about. I buy bales for my horses so it is not expensive like store bought hay. I clean it out when I clean out their litter boxes & that is at least 2x weekly, more for some. I love it for the Does that are kindling & make great nest for their kits, no nest boxes. Clean one on top & dirty one on bottom in pictures. Doe & nest in the White kennel.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Noticed this the other day, in my one hay rack, since it has vertical bars, I put the hay in where it lays horizontally

 

[Estrella]

they are probably bored. If you add some chew toys it may remedy that; hanging bird toys work well. You can also make your own which would be cheeper.

This is what I’m currently doing! Put out a post to my friends & family to see if anyone’s pruning apple trees yet lol! They have been enjoying stick creations !

 

[Estrella]

I make plastic hayracks that I mount on the exterior of the cages.

View attachment 30171

They can pull the hay in through the cage bars, and there is no hay that falls outside the cage. It works really well and has cut down a lot on wasted hay. You can use just about any plastic container that you can cut in half. More pics/info here

Great blog you have there!

 

[Cindy in SD]

I set up a vertical wire hay rack thinking it would keep the cage from becoming a mess. The rabbits just pull out all the hay and spread it in the cage and soil it anyway. So what’s the point of the hay rack? Has anyone found a good set up to where they don’t make as much of a mess?

I just take a little hay from my two ewelings' hayrack and plunk it on top of the rabbit cages. They eat it from below. Whatever hits the ground ends up as bedding for the sheep girls. The chickens (who also live in the barn and can pass through the wire to the sheep) scratch around and eat (yes, they do ) the rabbit and sheep droppings.

The bedding eventually makes its way to the garden. I pick extra cabbage leaves, flowers, bolted lettuce etc. and weeds from the garden. That's mostly what the rabbits eat, at least in summer. I also cut grass for them with my pocket knife while I'm sitting out with the sheep. It goes on top of their cages too, and if there's too much for them to eat right away, it dries there and turns into hay.

 

[HTAcres]

I just take a little hay from my two ewelings' hayrack and plunk it on top of the rabbit cages. They eat it from below. Whatever hits the ground ends up as bedding for the sheep girls. The chickens (who also live in the barn and can pass through the wire to the sheep) scratch around and eat (yes, they do ) the rabbit and sheep droppings.

The bedding eventually makes its way to the garden. I pick extra cabbage leaves, flowers, bolted lettuce etc. and weeds from the garden. That's mostly what the rabbits eat, at least in summer. I also cut grass for them with my pocket knife while I'm sitting out with the sheep. It goes on top of their cages too, and if there's too much for them to eat right away, it dries there and turns into hay.

I need to remember this idea of putting it on top of the cage! Of course, it can be very windy here but most would stay there long enough. lol