Hay - Alfalfa and Timothy

[SimbasMom]

I have two buns Simba 9 mo male lionhead and Nala 8 week old female lionhead. Simba hasn't been interested in his Timothy hay for the past few months. I recently got some of the cardboard boxes of "variety hay" that include things such as marigold, mint, carrot, and mango. He really liked the marigold one but he always tries to get into the new buns alfalfa when I'm giving her some. I think he favors that hay more. Anyone have suggestions on another hay I can buy for him that might spike his interest once again?

Thanks!
Simba & Nala's Mommy

 

[MikeScone]

Rabbits can be very individual as to what type of hay they like. My Scone MacBunny wouldn't touch Timothy, but Natasha Rabbitova loves it.

I'd try Orchard Grass or Meadow Grass hays. Both my buns liked them. Oat hay is a favorite treat for Natasha - she literally jumps for joy when I bring some out to put in her hay box. Scone used to just eat the immature seed heads, and would scatter the stalks everywhere.

 

[SimbasMom]

I will keep an eye out for those types. Are they readily available at the pet store? I ask because the feed stores in my area sell by the bale and I have no where to store a bale. Especially if he will not eat the hay.

 

[woahlookitsme]

Orchard grass you can usually find at a petstore. I don't know about the others

 

[Chewy-de-Lionhead]

I'll third the orchard grass. Chewy stopped eating the timothy hay, and I was really worried about molt with him being a lionhead. I bought a bag of orchard grass and he gobbles it up. He stops to nibble it even while he's out binkying and zooming. LOL So I know that he likes it. Which is a huge relief for me, because he's in molt now and I'm having to brush him twice a day.

 

[SimbasMom]

@chewy we have yet to go through a molt and that's what worries me since mine are lionheads as well. I will look into orchard grass.

A little off subject but how often should I expect a molt?

 

[Chewy-de-Lionhead]

@chewy we have yet to go through a molt and that's what worries me since mine are lionheads as well. I will look into orchard grass.

A little off subject but how often should I expect a molt?

Chewy will be 6 months on the 17th of May. He's going through the "loosing the baby coat" molt. And my sons lionhead went through it at that age too, although he shaved him at about 5 months, so he didn't have the worries that I do.

I thought that he was self barbering, but when I started really researching molting, I read that they tend to groom more when in molt. Then he started having shiny and very soft fur showing in a strip down his back and I knew that's what it was. Now his entire saddle area is that way. And you can see obvious separation of the new fur and the baby coat. LOL

 

[SimbasMom]

That would explain why we haven't gone through a molt. My fiancé occasionally trims him down leaving his name on his head and rump. Lol.

 

[PABunnyMom]

What kind of clippers do you use to trim their fur? How short do you clip the fur? I have a pair if cordless clippers that I use on my dog. Doesn't the noise from the Clippers scare your bunnies?

 

[SimbasMom]

We use a brush or comb and scissors so he doesn't get scared.

 

[Chewy-de-Lionhead]

What kind of clippers do you use to trim their fur? How short do you clip the fur? I have a pair if cordless clippers that I use on my dog. Doesn't the noise from the Clippers scare your bunnies?

My son used a beard trimmer on his bunny. He had help though, his girlfriend held Ryno and Sean shaved him. LOL

 

[Klelia_Jerry]

I feed my bunny, Meadow Grass hay. I didn't feed him any other type of hay so he habituated it and now he likes it...