Different types of hay : what and why

[MiloTheBunny101]

Remeber to not give too much, you dont want an upset stommac

Definitely

 

[BunbunBannana]

Yup our yard is an old yard with lots of barely surviving weed grass. No pesticides, I LOVE insects

 

[MiloTheBunny101]

Yup our yard is an old yard with lots of barely surviving weed grass. No pesticides, I LOVE insects

So glad this post helped you!

 

[peanutdabunny]

Yup our yard is an old yard with lots of barely surviving weed grass. No pesticides, I LOVE insects

Are you going to try to feed all grass? or like a treat? You will have to start with hay no matter what.( untill 6 months so they can grow )

 

[BunbunBannana]

Are you going to try to feed all grass? or like a treat? You will have to start with hay no matter what.( untill 6 months so they can grow )

A treat. We have some wild bird mix, can I grow grass from that?

 

[peanutdabunny]

I wouldnt, you can get cat grass on amazon,

 

[JBun]

Are you going to try to feed all grass? or like a treat? You will have to start with hay no matter what.( untill 6 months so they can grow )

You don't have to start with hay, no matter what. Hay is grass, dried grass(except for alfalfa).

If you have enough grass growing in your yard, a rabbit can live on that perfectly fine usually. The only considerations are the stage of growth it's at and making sure it's pesticide/herbicide free. Lots of early soft growth grass may cause issues because it's very rich, high in protein, and low in indigestible fiber,. So in that case, slowly introducing into the diet is best, and balancing with a more fibrous grass hay would be good. With the grass that you want your rabbits to eat, a grass that is starting to have a hard stem is about the ideal growth period for them to eat Then it will be a good balance between protein/nutrients and indigestible fiber.

For grass grown indoors, it's a good supplement to the diet, but it's very rich like early growth soft grass outdoors, so would need to be balanced with a medium coarse grass hay.

And yes, rabbits that get fresh grass and forage, will be more prone to contracting parasites. So just like horses that graze, deworming may be necessary at some point. Which is not a big deal to do.

 

[peanutdabunny]

Dont you have to transition? LIke you do with pellets?

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

Apollo absolutely loves fresh grass. Every week, before my brother mows the grass, I will cut as much as I can and put it in a storage tote, and give it to Apollo. I like washing mine because i don't want bugs in my room lol. But yeah, Apollo would prefer to eat fresh grass than any hay.

Dont you have to transition? LIke you do with pellets?

If you haven't fed it before, you might need to. It depend on the rabbit. But I think they meant that you don't need to wait until 6 months

 

[peanutdabunny]

I have heard that mowing the grass also infused oil into the grass, ill try to link the article

 

[peanutdabunny]

."Otherwise, offer fresh grass a couple of times a day but never be tempted to give lawn clippings. These can ferment in the gut and cause serious, sometimes fatal complications."

 

[peanutdabunny]

However, there are specific things you need to watch out for. These are the things you need to consider to prevent it from becoming a negative activity which poses risks:

• Has the grass been treated with any products or chemicals? Weed Killer and other Pesticide and Herbicides products can be fatal to a Rabbit if consumed.
• Have other animals, pets been grazing or using the area in which the grass grows? Could they have urinated/excreted on it?
• Have any wild animals been on/or use the grass?
• Have you recently mowed the grass, or cut it down using a lawnmower?
• Has your Rabbit consumed grass before? Has it been a significant part of their diet?

Source Can Rabbits Eat Grass? [This Is What You Must Be Careful Of]

 

[JBun]

Like I said previously, early growth soft leafy grass, would be better to slowly introduce into the diet and balance out with a more mature fibrous grass hay.

When I talk about fresh grass, this isn't just lawn grass that I'm talking about, but thicker leaf grasses like bermuda, orchard, meadow, etc, that you will see growing in the wild, or as weeds, or in crops. And this thicker leaf weed type fresh grass that is already at a more mature growth stage where the coarse stem is starting to grow or has grown to start a seed head, is just like the hay you buy, but just not dried. Therefore doesn't need to be gradually introduced into the diet.

Fresh grass isn't just lawn grass like kentucky bluegrass. If you're thinking of grass as being lawn grass like kentucky bluegrass, then it's almost always going to be a rich soft growth, so yes, does need to be introduced gradually and limited, balanced with a coarser hay.

 

[peanutdabunny]

@JBun They said they were in the bay area. There is an RHDV2 outbreak there. The rabbit should not be eating grass from outside, or they could die. @BunbunBannana

 

[JBun]

I haven't been commenting based on any particular members location or any risks associated with the virus problem in the US. My comments aren't directed to just that one member asking about fresh grass. I'm talking about the generalities of rabbits eating grass and how it applies to a rabbits diet. My comments are for all members reading. There are members all over the world that read these threads, that may be interested in their rabbits being able to eat fresh grass, and could use a basic explanation of how it works and is applied to the rabbits diet.