Rabbits have very unique digestive anatomy. This means feeding your rabbit the proper diet is imperative to their overall health. That is why we offer a range of hay to give your pet the balanced diet they need.
Why You Should Feed Your Rabbit Hay
Rabbit teeth grow continuously, and to keep them from becoming overgrown, they chew in circular motions. However, this motion only occurs if they spend long periods of time chewing fibrous material. Eating an excessive amount of short-length foods like grain, chaff, and pellets, causes them to chew up and down. Dental disease due to this can occur quickly.
They also need fibrous food to keep their tummies happy! They need it to encourage peristalsis (the movement of the digestive tract). If this slows or stops due to not consuming the proper diet, bloat is quick to develop and is often fatal.
Rabbits also have an organ called the caecum. Fibre is digested here and the nutrients released back into the body. Without high levels of fibre in their diet, this stops and the rabbit will weaken and can die.
Which Hay Is Best for Rabbits?
Your rabbit’s diet should contain 80% good quality grass and hay [1]. The type of hay depends on the age and health of your Rabbit. Rabbits need to eat small amounts frequently. Approximately 30 feeds, of 2 to 8g of food, each day is normal.
Our Oaten Hay and Grass are both perfect options for daily feed, and having both on hand is a great idea as rabbits can often be picky eaters. Our Grass Hay is more than 90% Rye grass. It is similar to Timothy Hay but has higher protein, less calcium and is sweeter, making it perfect for fussy eaters.
Lucerne Hay is also a great choice in small amounts for healthy, adult rabbits, as it contains high amounts of calcium. It can be supplied more often to juvenile rabbits with high energy needs or pregnant and nursing rabbits.
At Barwon Hay, we hand pack every order to ensure your pet gets the best quality hay and grass. Only the freshest, quality hay and grass is sent out. We are involved in all steps from planting to harvest, to ensure your critters are happy with their food.
Supplementing your rabbits’ diet with leafy greens and vegetables will keep your rabbit enriched and interested in their hay! However, it is important that rabbits may have a hard time adjusting to new foods; they should be interested slowly and in small quantities over a period of 2-3 weeks.
Great to see the information on the rabbit’s digestive system.