Wasting Hay

[TacoBunny]

Hey there,

I know this may be something that all bunnies do, but I thought I'd check just in-case.

This has been happening for a while now, since my bun worked out he could dig into the hay in his hay dispenser. He pulls ALL the hay down into the litter tray and inevitably it ends up underneath him. While he'll eat half of that, of course he will then soil on the other half. Once he's done that he can smell it's not fresh and will not eat the hay that's been sat on.

He's wasting so much hay I'm not really sure what can help. I tried getting another round dispenser with a door that lets out only a few strands at a time, after ten minutes he'd managed to get it off the wall and had somehow opened the door on it and had his head inside. *sigh*

Does anyone have any other hay dispenser ideas ?

 

[Blue eyes]

Well you want bunny to eat lots and lots of hay, so any dispenser that requires too much work from bunny to get it out will only result in less hay eating. That would not be good.

Expect lots of wasted hay. Even if bunny wasn't pulling a bunch out and soiling it, he'd still be picking through what he thinks are "choice strands." So he'll waste a certain amount no matter what.
This is why I buy hay by the bale. It is incredibly cheap that way and I don't have to give hay waste a second thought.

From what others have posted, there are bales available of different sizes and half bales as well. The photo below is one of our full bales of timothy hay. Our timothy is priced higher than what I've seen quoted by other members who live in different areas, but the bale in the photo cost me about $24 and lasts me a minimum of 8 months (for 2 rabbits). [that's no more than $3 per month!]

I am overly generous with hay and put it deliberately into their litter box at least twice per day.

 

[TacoBunny]

That is true, he does definitely sort through the best bits of hay!

Thanks for the advice
I will look into hay bales but I suspect I shall just have to deal with half the hay going in the bin every day -_-

 

[Blue eyes]

One good thing is that, as you said, they won't eat the soiled hay. I remember (in my earlier days with rabbits) being encouraged to offer hay by putting it directly in the litter box. I resisted for fear of them eating soiled hay.

But once I tried offering it this way, I never looked back. It is just so easy and convenient to put the hay in the box. I don't use a dispenser or anything - just put it right in the box. Perhaps that is the way your little fella likes it too?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We have a hanging manger like the ones sold by Fosters and Smith. I hang it next to the litter box so they reach over and eat it out of the top. Works best with ours and while they can empty it and scatter the hay around, they mostly don't. Nikki, our avatar used to sleep in it on top of the hay when she was little.

 

[TacoBunny]

Hmm I think perhaps I will end up just putting it into the litter tray, sometimes I do a combination of hay rack and litter tray just to keep him interested and doing something, while I'm out.

The ball dispenser kinda worked for keeping him amused but it made a hell of a mess

The hanging manger does sound like a good idea though, might give it a try!