The 10 Best Hay For Rabbits

Buying Advice: Quality Rabbit Hay

A rabbit’s diet, if there is such a thing, seems to be lacking.

At the outset, we said that grass hay should make up between 75 and 85 percent of a rabbit’s diet. Sure, but what sort of grass? More importantly, what ought the remaining 15-25% consist of?

For a number of reasons, hay is an essential part of a rabbit’s diet. The fiber in it helps keep their digestive systems healthy. The act of chewing on it slows the development of their teeth.

Rabbits in captivity like eating and digging into it, so it serves double duty as a toy.

Hay is fantastic, but it shouldn’t be your rabbit’s primary source of nutrition. Leafy greens, veggies, pellets, and even some fruit as a reward are all necessary components of a rabbit’s diet.

Consult our helpful tables to determine the appropriate diet for your rabbit at different stages of its life. After weaning, the most important thing you can do for your rabbit is to make sure it always has access to as much hay as it wants.

Juvenile (birth to 7 months)

• Breast milk (aim to wean by 7 weeks, might take longer)
• Feeding pellets with alfalfa (introduce at 3 weeks)
• In addition to traditional hay, there are several varieties available (introduce after weaning)
• Introduce fresh veggies gradually (about half an ounce at a time) starting at 12 weeks of age.

Under 30 (7 months to 1 year)

• 75- 85% Grass hays with a smaller proportion of alfalfa
• Leafy greens make up just 10-15% of the total
• Pellets at a rate of 4-5% (1/4 cup per 4 pounds of body weight)
• Increased vegetable consumption by 3-5%
• Fruit treat of up to 1 teaspoon per 2 pounds of body weight (1-2%) as a possible dessert option.

Adult (1 year to 5 years)

• Hay, in infinite abundance
• 10-15% cruciferous vegetables (1 cup per 2 pounds of body weight)
• More veggies, by 3-5%
• Pellets at a rate of 4-5% (1/4 cupper per 4 pounds of body weight)
• Fruit treat of up to 1 teaspoon per 2 pounds of body weight (1-2% optional).

Senior (over 5 years)

• The same as an adult, but more pellets if they start to lose weight.

Can you tell me about the many hays that exist?

There are several, and they are all visually quite similar. All of them should be tried to see which one your rabbit prefers. Then combine its selections with the rest and serve.

Your choices are as follows:

• Sweet grass hay, orchard grass hay, and timothy hay are all types of grass hay. To the best of my knowledge, this is the most natural diet for your rabbit to follow. Grass from your garden is a good addition, but only if it is trimmed with scissors; grass that has been crushed by a lawnmower will only cause digestive distress for your rabbit.
• Hay made from oats, wheat, or barley is an alternative if your rabbit is particular about the type of grass they consume.
• Hay made from legumes, most often alfalfa. Young, developing rabbits benefit greatly from this meal, whereas older rabbits should only have it occasionally.

Conclusion

In the Western OxbowAccording to our rating, Timothy Hay is the best candidate for these reviews. We often see rabbits, chinchillas, and guinea pigs searching through different kinds of hay for their favorite timothy because it tastes so good to them.

It is also one of the least likely to contain dust in a bag and is very simple for anyone to serve. Overall, it’s a satisfying snack.

We also recommend Kaytee Natural Timothy Hay if you’re looking for a more affordable option that still works well on a large scale.

It was a game of throwing up, right down the rabbits, who had chosen Oxbow as their favorite target. You can confidently choose either one for your small animal companions.

BestForPets (bestforpets.org) hopes that our reviews will be helpful in guiding you to find the best hay for rabbits. I wish you the best of luck in your job search.

Reviews

Rabbit Hay from Oxbow, Western – Best Quality, Hands Down

Numerous hay varieties available now provide all the necessary nutrients in a form that is simple on your rabbit’s digestive system to digest, not to mention being pleasant to the nose and convenient to give.

Oxbow Western timothy hay is different because it was made with the rabbits’ wants in mind, not simply their needs.

For those of us who aren’t rabbits, it’s clear that rabbits enjoy Oxbow Western, considering how often they choose to eat it when they’re not hungry for anything else.

Get your rabbit on a higher-fiber diet and get their weight under control without more stress.

The only real drawback of Oxbow Western, in their own words, is that it is a “product of nature.” Not all of the hay will be level, and you may find some dust mixed in with the good bits towards the very back.

Nonetheless, in 2021, this is still among the finest timothy hay offerings available for rabbits.

Pros

• Favored by rabbits for their appetites
• High-fiber
• Being brittle and easily shattered
• Superb for preventing weight gain

Cons

• Raised hay bales
• Lack of a solid foundation; a sack of dust

 

Best Price on Kaytee Natural Timothy Rabbit Hay

For small animals, high-fiber, low-protein timothy hay might be pricey, but not from Kaytee. Their hay is the finest value for the money when it comes to feeding rabbits, and it’s also fine for hamsters and guinea pigs.

Kaytee’s timothy hay, like the best rabbit hay, is 100% timothy with a high leaf-to-stem ratio.

We also like that it is domestically produced (in the Pacific Northwest) for our fellow locavores. Since one bag may last a rabbit for months, it’s a convenient and trustworthy way to ensure that your furball is getting enough fiber in its diet.

Kaytee, like our top option, has dust problems. Because of the high pressure within the bag, we’d rather them not cut the stems too short to begin with.

We have to rank Kaytee second since our experiments with live rabbits showed that they didn’t go for it as regularly as they did with Oxbow western. All things considered, we believe this to be the finest rabbit hay available at this time.

Pros

• Most affordable option
• One bag will last you for weeks.
• Zero fillers

Cons

• Modest nick
• This or that dirt
• Not as delicious as some rivals.

 

Hay Made From Oxbow Orchard Grass, Suitable for Rabbits

As with their timothy hay, which is beloved by rabbits, Oxbow’s orchard grass hay is also excellent. When combined with other types of hay, it creates a perfect blend thanks to its pleasant aroma, long strands, and high fiber content.

Your rabbit can improve its eating habits and jaw strength with access to a wide variety of hays.

Although this hay is high in nutritional content and produces little dust, we have discounted it since Oxbow occasionally includes stems that are too stiff for smaller animals to eat.

It’s also not uncommon for timothy hay to get in there, which is bad news for anyone (or any rabbits) with a sensitivity to that particular type of grass.

Pros

• It has a pleasant aroma.
• Numerous dietary fibers
• When combined with other types of hay, it attracts rabbits.
• Timothy hay substitute for those with allergies

Cons

• Consistently brittle stems
• The timothy hay is occasionally blended in.

 

Vitakraft Rabbit Grass Hay with Timothy Grass

Vitakraft’s timothy hay, maintained in beautifully compacted bales, is another trustworthy source of fiber and healthy teeth for your bun.

We recommend it for any finicky rabbit; we’ve witnessed rabbits that normally only eat fresh wild greens gobble up Vitakraft. Having no artificial ingredients is a plus.

Having any issues? The problem is that it’s timothy hay, which many people and rabbits are allergic to. It’s also chopped up into little bits that make serving and eating a hassle. There are a lot of pieces and dust, and a lot of them fall to the ground.

Pros

• Similar to the flavor of wild greens.
• Excellent for choosy rabbits.
• Fibrous Food Source

Cons

• It’s not allergy-friendly
• It’s a disaster to deal with little bits.
• Numerous particles of dust

 

Western titled “ZuPreem: Nature’s Promise” “Timothy Hay”

The 14-ounce bag of ZuPreem timothy hay is one of the cheapest options available, making it ideal for families with more than one rabbit.

ZuPreem Nature’s Promise is an American-grown, sun-dried, high-fiber product that is loved by tiny animals and appreciated by their owners for its pleasant aroma.

The fact that it’s prepared with hay from the second harvest, which is preferred by kids, is a plus (the first cutting usually goes to horses).

While this hay was undeniably nice when wrapped, it has a horrible propensity to come out dry and dusty, hence the low price.

The fact that the bag’s outside is usually in better condition than its contents is a major source of frustration for us. To us, misleading advertising is unacceptable.

Pros

• Converted by Mother Nature
• Better quality hay is harvested for a second time.
• High-fiber

Cons

• The central hay is a bit dusty.
• Usually not wet when packed
• There isn’t much here

 

Bright Timothy Rabbit Hay Break a Bale in the Sun

Higgins’ timothy hay comes in a novel packaging: tiny, single-bale packages. This should keep each packet from drying out or going stale.

In actuality, this typically results in too compacted hay. This causes it to dry up, turn yellow, and be trampled upon by your rabbits rather than eaten.

You can find some good in Higgins Sunburst. The portions are just right, and the break-a-bale mechanism does help contain the messes inside the aviary. In addition, it has been shown to tempt finicky eaters, and your pets will have a blast tearing it to shreds.

Pros

• Exciting both to eat and to play with
• Picky eaters can occasionally be convinced to consume timothy hay.
• Portioned for your convenience

Cons

• When it comes to rabbits, destruction far outweighs consumption.
• Hay dries out and becomes yellow when subjected to compression.
• There isn’t much here for the price.
• It’s not allergy-friendly

 

Fescue Grass Hay from the Standlee Orchard

The orchard grass hay sold by Standlee is marketed as a hand-picked alternative to commercial rabbit food that mimics the diet a wild rabbit may find.

Although “hand-selected” may be nothing more than a marketing ploy since domesticated rabbits and wild rabbits require different nutrients, we can’t dispute that Standlee orchard grass hay stays fresh for a long time after opening.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be popular with the animal kingdom. Many rabbits, for whatever reason (perhaps the scent or the texture), will not eat this, even when it is blended with other hay.

As we have already seen, nature isn’t always the best example to follow.

Pros

• The same as a natural diet
• Maintains its flavor for a long period.

Cons

• In the opinion of rabbits, this is not good.
• Mistaken in the selection of domesticated animals

 

Real Bunny Hay Made From Alfalfa

Last but not least, we have another alfalfa hay, a basic food that is ideal for young, active rabbits. It has been found that alfalfa hay stimulates your rabbit’s natural behaviors, such as foraging, nibbling, and digging.

Your rabbit will benefit from the high levels of calcium and protein, but this food is not meant for mature rabbits.

Although it costs around the same as Rabbit Hole’s #3 alfalfa hay, this is nearly unforgivably dusty. The rabbits understand, and they frequently reject this food as a treat. However, if your newborn bunny has shown an interest in alfalfa, give it a go.

Pros

• Beneficial for baby rabbits

Cons

• Inadequate for adult nutrition.
• The most typically dusty hay
• The difficulty in convincing rabbits to consume it