how often to feed hay

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

I got tired of sweeping out piles of hay weekly that easily amounted to two plus flakes, so I finally just started giving hay once a day. I still have a little bit of waste, but it's nothing compared to what it used to be! I can sweep out weekly and have less than 1/2 a flake of hay in the pile.

If I also give a smaller handful, and this works too. I supplement by giving fresh grass, dandelion leaves, etc. in the summer and they prefer the fresh stuff over the hay anyway. They get a little more hay in the winter, but it's still just once a day.

Emily

 

[WildWolf]

I got shredded hay and put it in their old pellet feeder. They have greens and grain, and now hay. They haven't wasted any of it so far!

 

[Amy]

Wild Wolf-If you use the pellet feeder for the hay, do you put the grain in a crock? I was thinking about doing the same, but I've been using the pellet feeder for the grain.
We only have 3 rabbits, until they start breeding. It seems like a bale of hay lasts a long time, which is good because I paid $18 for alfalfa/grass mix-regular size bale, which is a lot more than some of you pay. What drops out goes to the chickens below, which helps add to their deep litter bedding, what they don't eat will eventually be composted and in the garden mixed with rabbit and chicken manure. Can't wait to use it on my garden!!!

 

[scottdigital]

How about making a cube out of wire? say 1 by 1 or 1 1/2 inch holes. stuff it with hay and then use small clips to latch it closed. Would that maybe help with the wasted hay? I wonder if our pig would eat the hay waste?

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

If I can get a new camera (aka, if I win a cheap used camera on Ebay today) I'll get pictures of my MacGyver-style hayracks I made for my two arched cages. I took a chunk of spare wire mesh, j-clipped the bottom to the outside of the cage, and got a leash-clip like for a dog's leash and hooked it to the top. That way I can stick a flake of hay against the back of the cage, and it's like a giant hayrack that takes no actual cage space.

I kinda thought I'm a clever little thing for thinking of it.

 

[Disney]

How about making a cube out of wire? say 1 by 1 or 1 1/2 inch holes. stuff it with hay and then use small clips to latch it closed. Would that maybe help with the wasted hay? I wonder if our pig would eat the hay waste?

We have these in the holland.
They are small sized so you don't have to stuff a big pile each time, just little chunks and wait till its all gone and refill it.

 

[akane]

Be careful with things like that. The idea has been tried in many forms here and I've seen many a dead rabbit or guinea pig who shoved their head in the ball or hay wheel and got stuck. They keep trying to market them at petland and traumatizing people who find the dead guinea pigs in the pens with them.

 

[WildWolf]

Wild Wolf-If you use the pellet feeder for the hay, do you put the grain in a crock?

I have 2 mutt sisters (I think they have at least 1/2 mini rex in them) and I have two pellet feeders- one for hay and one for grain. Although, I'm starting to hand feed the grain to get them used to being handled (every time they allow me to put my hand under them, they get grain) and whatever they don't eat (about half) I put in the pellet feeder.

 

[Disney]

Be careful with things like that. The idea has been tried in many forms here and I've seen many a dead rabbit or guinea pig who shoved their head in the ball or hay wheel and got stuck. They keep trying to market them at petland and traumatizing people who find the dead guinea pigs in the pens with them.

Oh that's awful.. honestly i never heard that happen before so i wasn't aware but there is always a risk with these kind of things.
But i think it would be safe if you make sure it's high enough the rabbit has to stand on his hind legs to reach the hay.
It will be a little effort for him to eat out of it and that will make it less attractive to try play with it.
And make sure it's firm enough to hold it's place without falling down.

 

[Mac_]

I just keep hay on top of the cages as long as the rabbits are big enough to reach that high.

Between the 2 cages for a doe and babies, I left a 4" gap with a 1/2" x 1/2" wire floor to put a flake of hay.

In both scenarios the rabbits manage to pull it into the cage a piece at a time. There is still some waste, but a lot less than when I just put a fistfull into the cage. My Am Chinchilllas seem to prefer greens 1st, hay 2nd, and pellets 3rd.

Mac

 

[WildWolf]

Both my mutt does (I think they have mini rex) prefer greens, then grain, then hay, then pellets.