Hay

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Importance

Hay is the most important part of a rabbit's diet. It is the prime source of fiber to keep his GI tract working properly and also helps grind down their teeth to prevent overgrowth. See Teeth for more information as to what sort of problems a lack of fiber in their diet can cause. Hay can also serve as entertainment, as it takes a while to chew. Some bunnies like digging and rearranging their hay. Rabbits will not gain weight on an unlimited proper hay diet.

However, do note that a rabbit eating only hay is not sufficient for a healthy nutritious diet. Not only can too much indigestible fiber lead to an impacted cecum, but rabbits also receive very little nutrition from hay because it passes so rapidly through the gut.[1] In addition to hay, rabbits require more easily-digested foods from which to obtain the nutrition necessary to maintain their bodies. If a rabbit were fed only hay, it would very slowly become malnourished and eventually die over a period of several months.

The following links contain more information about the importance of hay in a rabbit's diet.

Types

There are many types of hay available on the market, however, rabbits should only be consuming either alfalfa, a legume hay, when young or grass hays when older. Additionally, if you decide to buy by the bale, make sure the hay is horse quality, not cow quality, because horses have comparable sensitivity to rabbits while cows are more tolerant.

Here are some links for more general information and pictures on various types of hay in addition to the rest of the information already provided in this article.

Some hays will also come with a choice of first, second, or third cuttings. The links below provide more information on what this means.

Alfalfa

Alfalfa is a legume hay, not a grass hay. It is also known as lucerne. It is high-fiber like grass hay but also contains more protein, energy and calcium.[2] As a result, alfalfa should only be fed to growing young bunnies under the age of 7 months. For the older bunny, constant alfalfa hay consumption can lead to gummy droppings, weight gain, sludge, and cecal pellets not being eaten.[3]

Alfalfa is typically distinguished by their usually brittle stalks with flat green to brown leaves. Hay can vary from dark lime-green to yellow, green, or brown depending on the season. [3]

The following is crude analysis for various types of alfalfa hay from the 2012 Feed Composition Tables compiled by R.L. Preston, Ph.D.[4]

Name Dry Matter
(%) 		Crude Protein
(%) 		Crude Fiber
(%) 		Calcium
(%)
Alfalfa Cubes 91 18 29 1.30
Alfalfa Fresh 24 19 27 1.35
Alfalfa Hay Early Bloom 90 19 28 1.41
Alfalfa Hay Midbloom 89 17 30 1.40
Alfalfa Hay Full Bloom 88 16 34 1.20
Alfalfa Hay Mature 88 13 38 1.18

Timothy

Timothy hay is the most popular hay fed to rabbits. It looks like a dried fairly wide blade of grass, and its color is a soft green to grey or brown-green. Timothy hay also has "solid cattails" which distinguishes it from Orchard grass which has "broken cattails."[3]

The following is crude analysis for various types of timothy hay from the 2012 Feed Composition Tables compiled by R.L. Preston, Ph.D.[4]

Name Dry Matter
(%) 		Crude Protein
(%) 		Crude Fiber
(%) 		Calcium
(%)
Timothy Fresh Pre-bloom 26 11 31 0.40
Timothy Hay Early Bloom 88 11 32 0.58
Timothy Hay Full Bloom 88 8 34 0.43

Oat Hay

The San Diego House Rabbit Society states,[3]
If bun's diet is high in oat hay, the pellets she produces will be larger, lighter in color, and will look like sawdust if crushed. Many bunnies would benefit from eating more oat hay, an excellent preventative for GI Stasis.

The following is crude analysis for oat hay from the 2012 Feed Composition Tables compiled by R.L. Preston, Ph.D.[4]

Name Dry Matter
(%) 		Crude Protein
(%) 		Crude Fiber
(%) 		Calcium
(%)
Oat Hay 90 10 31 0.40

Bermuda Grass

The following is crude analysis for various types of bermuda grass hay from the 2012 Feed Composition Tables compiled by R.L. Preston, Ph.D.[4]

Name Dry Matter
(%) 		Crude Protein
(%) 		Crude Fiber
(%) 		Calcium
(%)
Bermudagrass Coastal Hay 89 10 30 0.47
Bermudagrass Hay 89 10 29 0.46

Orchard Grass

The following is crude analysis for various types of orchard grass hay from the 2012 Feed Composition Tables compiled by R.L. Preston, Ph.D.[4]

Name Dry Matter
(%) 		Crude Protein
(%) 		Crude Fiber
(%) 		Calcium
(%)
Orchardgrass Fresh Early Bloom 24 14 30 0.33
Orchardgrass Hay 88 10 34 0.32

Other Hay

The following is crude analysis for various types of hay not in the above categories from the 2012 Feed Composition Tables compiled by R.L. Preston, Ph.D.[4] These are all also safe to feed your rabbit if you wish, but please be careful of the higher calcium and protein contents in the legume hays.

Grass Hays

Name Dry Matter
(%) 		Crude Protein
(%) 		Crude Fiber
(%) 		Calcium
(%)
Bahiagrass Hay 90 6 32 0.47
Barley Hay 90 9 28 0.30
Bromegrass Hay 89 10 35 0.40
Canarygrass Hay 91 9 32 0.38
Elephant (Napier) grass hay, chopped 92 9 24 0.35
Fescue KY 31 Hay Early Bloom 88 18 25 0.48
Fescue KY 31 Hay Mature 88 11 30 0.45
Grass Hay 88 10 33 0.60
Kenaf Hay 92 10 31 N/A
Meadow Hay 90 7 33 0.61
Prairie Hay 91 7 34 0.40
Rye Grass Hay 90 10 33 0.45
Sanfoin Hay 88 14 24 N/A
Sudangrass Hay 88 9 36 0.50
Triticale Hay 90 10 34 0.30
Wheat Hay 90 9 29 0.21
Wheatgrass Crested Hay 92 10 33 0.33

Legume Hays

Name Dry Matter
(%) 		Crude Protein
(%) 		Crude Fiber
(%) 		Calcium
(%)
Birdsfoot Trefoil Hay 89 16 31 1.73
Clover Ladino Hay 90 21 22 1.35
Clover Red Hay 88 15 30 1.50
Clover Sweet Hay 91 16 30 1.27
Kudzu Hay 90 16 33 3.00
Lespedeza Hay 92 14 30 1.10
Pea Vine Hay 89 11 32 1.25
Soybean Hay 89 16 33 1.28
Vetch Hay 89 18 30 1.25

Miscellaneous Hays

Name Dry Matter
(%) 		Crude Protein
(%) 		Crude Fiber
(%) 		Calcium
(%)
Kochia Hay 90 14 27 1.00

Straw

Straw is the dried stalks of cereal plants like wheat and a by-product of harvest. If any seeds remain on the stalks, it is by accident. Hay refers to grasses or legume plants cut down fresh and baled for animal feed. Hay bales are usually greener than straw bales, and the plant material finer.[5]

Although rabbits eat it, straw is not recommended because it is low in nutrients and will lead to deficiencies if it is a major part of the diet.[6] However, straw can be safely used as a bedding, especially for outdoor hutches during the winter.

The following is crude analysis for various types of straw from the 2012 Feed Composition Tables compiled by R.L. Preston, Ph.D.[4]

Name Dry Matter
(%) 		Crude Protein
(%) 		Crude Fiber
(%) 		Calcium
(%)
Barley Straw 90 4 42 0.32
Bluegrass Straw 93 6 40 0.20
Fescue (Red) Straw 94 4 41 0.00
Oat Straw 91 4 41 0.24
Pea Vine Straw 89 7 49 0.75
Rice Straw 91 4 38 0.23
Rye Straw 89 4 44 0.24
Soybean Straw 88 5 44 1.59
Wheat Straw 91 3 43 0.17

Below are some links that go into greater detail about the differences between hay and straw.

Quality

Below are some links with more information about choosing good quality hay.

Where to Buy

Pet Store

Pet stores will carry a variety of hay (i.e. Timothy, orchard grass, alfalfa, etc.). Typically, the amount that can be bought will range from about 24 oz up to 5 pounds. Although it is convenient to buy hay at a local pet store, this is often an expensive option. A 64oz bag will usually last a couple of weeks at ~$8. Additionally, most pet store brands offer lower quality hay that is very hard and stalky. The recommended popular hay brand is Oxbow, although this may be quite expensive since they carry a premium price compared to other commercial brands.

Some brands may offer fruit mixed in the hay -- DO NOT BUY THESE. Only buy bags of hay with only hay in them and no other treats. Dried herbs are acceptable, however. You can feed fresh healthy treats on the side, independent of the hay and easily rationed.

Through the Local Rabbit Rescue

If you live in a location with a House Rabbit Society chapter or rescue, check and see if they sell boxes, flakes, or bales of hay at a cheap price! Of course, buying a bale yourself will be cheaper, but if you do not have the space to store it, support your local HRS chapter or rescue! They will most likely sell fresh hay at a better rate than the small bags at pet stores. Your bunny will most likely love and wallow in the fresh hay.

Some examples of House Rabbit Society chapters and rescues that sell hay include the following:

  • San Diego House Rabbit Society, San Diego, CA -- $12 for 7-8lbs of hay.[7]
  • House Rabbit Society Headquarters, Richmond, CA -- $5 for a flake (garbage bag full) of hay.[8]
  • Missouri House Rabbit Society, Kansas City, MO -- $23 for 12.5lbs, $45 for 25lbs, $75 for 40lbs.[9]
  • Lowcountry House Rabbit Society,Charleston, SC -- $17 for 10lbs, $25 for 20lbs.[10]

Online in Bulk

Some bunny owners like buying their hay online in bulk. These suppliers also typically ship much fresher hay than the average commercial brand. When bought in a large enough order, costs can be around $1/lb of hay depending on supplier.

The following is a list of reputable online retailers in the US:

Here are some online dealers in the UK:

By the Bale

Main article: Hay Bale

The cheapest option typically is a bale of hay. One bale, usually ranging from ~70 to 110 lbs depending on type, can feed one rabbit for approximately a year. However, this requires space to properly store the hay as it is easily perishable when wet.

You can obtain a bale of hay at local animal feed stores, select rabbit rescues, or farms. Be sure that if you purchase from a feed store or farm, the hay is horse-quality, not cow-quality. Cows have much more tolerant stomachs while horses are comparable to rabbits.

See Hay Bale for more details on how to split and store hay.

Craigslist Ads and Word of Mouth

Sometimes, you may be able to find private owners that wish to share a purchased bale of hay to make it more manageable. You may be able to get great deals this way. Look for owners of rabbit or guinea pigs as they have similar hay requirements.

How to Store Hay

It is very important to keep hay dry and out of direct sunlight. Dampness will cause mold in the hay, and sunlight may leech out nutrients in the hay over time. The best location to store hay is in a cool indoor location out of direct sunlight.

Some good alternatives are cardboard boxes as well as plastic containers with holes drilled into the sides for air flow. Plastic garbage bags can also be used if you leave the top open for moisture to escape.

If you must store hay outside, invest in a waterproof tarp along with some bricks to keep the hay off the ground to prevent mold.

If properly stored, hay can keep to over two years. However, the hay will lose vitamins A & E after the first year.[12]

The following links contain more information and options on how to properly store hay.

Dispensing Hay

There are many options available to dispense hay to your rabbits. Some owners directly place a layer of hay in the litter box. Other use hay racks to minimize the amount of waste from pee and poop soiling. Commercially made hay racks can be easily found in pet stores and online. If you have extra wire grids left over from making a NIC cube condo for your rabbit, you can easily fashion a hay rack from those, too.

Be careful that your rabbit will not be able to jump in or get his head stuck in the hay dispenser.

Below are some custom made hay racks you can buy online.

The following links provide some options for non-commercial hay racks, either re-purposed household items or DIY solutions.

Below are image galleries of hay racks that people have made.

Not Eating Enough Hay

Rabbits need to have most of their diet consist of hay. If your rabbit does not seem to be eating that much, there is a problem.

Here are some links to read for more information on getting your rabbit to eat more hay.

Further Reading

See Also

References

  1. ↑ Lucille Moore, Rabbit Nutrition and Nutritional Healing
  2. ↑ Atascadero Hay & Feed, Hay
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 San Diego House Rabbit Society, Types of Hays and Grasses
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 BeefMagazine.com, R.L. Preston, Ph.D., 2012 Feed Comp
  5. ↑ Root Simple, My mental glitch: hay vs. straw
  6. ↑ The British Rabbit Council, Anna Meredith, The Importance of Diet in Rabbits
  7. ↑ San Diego House Rabbit Society, Hay Sales throughout San Diego County
  8. ↑ Yelp, House Rabbit Society
  9. ↑ Missouri House Rabbit Society, Products and Services
  10. ↑ Lowcountry House Rabbit Society, Rabbit Hay Sale
  11. ↑ House Rabbit Society, Shop for Rabbit Supplies
  12. ↑ Carey Williams, Ph.D, Ask the Expert -- Farm and Pasture Management > How long can one store hay?
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