Hay help/tips please. U/D introduction. U/D OMG!!!!

Thumper's hay has finally arrived (I know, I know, should have gone to hay experts. Lesson learned )

Despite her always having hay, she has never eaten it but I'm trying her with this green oat hay because she's not had this one before.

Any tips on how I can encourage her to eat it? How can I make her understand that it is food and not something to lie on? I don't think just putting it in her bowl will do the job.

Maybe you can't teach an old bun new tricks, but I'm going to try again anyway.

Any ideas greatly received

you clould try grating some nuggies on top?

Good luck x x

^^ this worked for stewie

Cut back on other food and play with the hay in front of him - sometimes they just need a bit of encouragement. Take a nice thick strand and just rub it qround his mouth, he may bite!

When I was teaching Stewie to eat hay, I'd find a big strand, and put one end in my mouth, give him the other - and he really took to that, and I got a kiss in the middle!

Thanks guys I'm going to give it a go soon, just letting her wake up properly first. She's all sleepy face and dirty looks just now

Gotta love her

As you know, I'm a bit fussy with hay too. Humum has found I'm more likely to eat it if it is put into the bowl I normally get veggies in and presented to me as a 'food', rather than put into the bed or hayrack.

When we have bunnies that are not keen on their hay we sprinkle some dried herbs on the hay and they usually forage for the herbs and end up nibbling on the hay as well

Sparky wrote:As you know, I'm a bit fussy with hay too. Humum has found I'm more likely to eat it if it is put into the bowl I normally get veggies in and presented to me as a 'food', rather than put into the bed or hayrack.

Thanks sparky, will try that

Tuckerbunnies wrote:When we have bunnies that are not keen on their hay we sprinkle some dried herbs on the hay and they usually forage for the herbs and end up nibbling on the hay as well

Would plantain do Maysie? She loves that!

Well, she's not horrified by it like she is by meadow hay, excel herbage etc etc etc.

She's actually quite interested in it.

Feeling quietly optimistic

I had to laugh out loud at this ^^^^^ The quiet optimism of a bunny owner.

Hope she just does the sensible things and scoffs it.

NickieM wrote:I had to laugh out loud at this ^^^^^ The quiet optimism of a bunny owner.

You don't take anything at face value with a bun do ya

Definitely not with your Thumper you don't! Just don't look happy or she'll get suspicious.

NickieM wrote:Just don't look happy or she'll get suspicious.

I think you've cracked it! Try forbidding her from eating it!

Oh Thumper your antics do make me giggle

Sparky wrote:

NickieM wrote:Just don't look happy or she'll get suspicious.

I think you've cracked it! Try forbidding her from eating it!

You two might just be on to something!

OMG!!!! She just ate a bit!!!!

THUMPER just ate a bit of HAY!!!!!

I think I might faint again

Yay Thumper

Don't let her see you're happy or she will stop!

I'm not going to kid myself, she doesn't love it.

Maybe in time....

Wow! Go thumper!!!!

(dont tell her I said that) - did she eat any more??

yay thumper!!!

wot i usually do for magnum is in the morning for breakfast he has plantain, dandilion and hay all mixed up in his food bowl...i wont lie he eats the other 2 first then the hay when he realises theres nothing else left. When he's eaten his hay he gets his pellets in his treat ball.

That way i know he's at least eating a handful, and the stuff out his litter tray...yet he wont eat the hey from his hay rack!

Hope thumper gets the taste for it x

Thumper2001 wrote:

Sparky wrote:As you know, I'm a bit fussy with hay too. Humum has found I'm more likely to eat it if it is put into the bowl I normally get veggies in and presented to me as a 'food', rather than put into the bed or hayrack.

Thanks sparky, will try that

Tuckerbunnies wrote:When we have bunnies that are not keen on their hay we sprinkle some dried herbs on the hay and they usually forage for the herbs and end up nibbling on the hay as well

Would plantain do Maysie? She loves that!

Yes we use Plantain

Katieb wrote:Wow! Go thumper!!!!

(dont tell her I said that) - did she eat any more??

I don't think she did but its hard to tell because it was everywhere his morning. I think she was probably trying to get every last piece of plantain out of the basket

Well, come on, you didn't REALLY think it was going to be that easy ...... it's Thumper!

NickieM wrote:Well, come on, you didn't REALLY think it was going to be that easy ...... it's Thumper!

Very true! How silly of me!