rabbit not eating much hay?

Rabbits usually aren't as enthusiastic about hay as guinea pigs are, but there are ways to encourage them to eat more. Try offering different types of grass hay such as timothy, orchard grass, brome, oat, rye, etc... You can also put a pile in the litterbox since many rabbits seem to like to munch and poo at the same time.

Offering hay in creative ways may also help such as stuffing a toilet paper roll with hay, putting hay in a basket or small box, suspend a clump of hay from the top of the cage, using one of the many different types of commercial hay racks, putting a huge pile in the middle of the cage, etc...

I have a hay corner for my rabbits. They love fresh hay, but still don't eat as much as the piggies. I just make sure they have hay all the time, and they eat at their leisure. My grand-daughters rabbit likes hay also. They give him a couple of hands full each day. He too is a nibbler but he does eat it. Just keep trying.

Our bunnies love their hay! I don't know the comparison between cavy consumption versus bunny consumption, but I notice that at night, our bunnies will eat hay like crazy! And then, during the day, they only munch at intervals.

What else are you feeding your bunny? If you're feeding your bunny too many pellets, he/she may not be as interested in hay as he/she should be. As an adult, a bunny's pellet diet should be limited. How much are you feeding him/her?

As long as your bunny is producing healthy poops, he/she should be OK (sorry if that was too much information!). If you're really worried or as a last resort, you can lightly spray his/her hay with apple juice to entice him/her to eat. Make sure it's 100% natural and preferably not from concentrate! You can find small quantities in jars in the baby aisle at your grocery store.

She isn't adult yet (just turned 5 months) so getting unlimited pellets. Will she start eating more hay at 6 months where I limit her pellets? I have found putting some at the front of her litter tray works well too.

vics2004 said:

She isn't adult yet (just turned 5 months) so getting unlimited pellets. Will she start eating more hay at 6 months where I limit her pellets? I have found putting some at the front of her litter tray works well too.

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We adopted both of our bunnies as adults, so I can't tell you for sure from experience, but I do know that this is what other bunny owners have done (lowered their diet of pellets to encourage more hay consumption). Let's hope once she's an adult and doesn't have unlimited pellets, she'll eat more hay! I think that putting her hay in front of her litter tray is also great! It's natural for them to graze and poop at the same time, silly rabbits.

Also, thanks for the thanks. :cheerful: