You can’t buy a small amount of hay for your rabbit, right? The hay owner won’t sell a small amount. So, storing hay is very important to minimize the cost to feed your rabbit. But the question is how to store hay for rabbits? Before answering that, let’s answer this question first.
Can you actually store hay for Rabbits?
The answer is, Yes you can. There are many ways that you can store hay for your little friend. It might seem boring and tiring to store them. But the alternate thing to do is throw them away. Doing that, you actually harm the environment and waste money. So, start thinking about storing the hay even if you don’t want to.
Well, in this article I will share with you many ways how you can store hay and answer the typical questions related to this.
So, get ready to store some hay and save some money over petting your little friends.
How to Store Hay for Rabbits?
There are many do’s and don’ts. I’m writing directly from my personal experience. Just to be clear I bought hay by the bale, I think it’s best to do that.
Do store the hay at the well-ventilated place.
That can be indoors or outdoors, some might suggest you keep them packed and in plastic bags, never do that. Because hay needs air to stay fresh.
That’s why you can keep them outdoors even if it rains as long as there’s a constant flow of wind and sunshine on the hay to keep it moist free.
Always buy hay by the bale. Don’t break up the bale if you don’t need to. Because the exterior of the bale can keep the center of it dry and fresh. So, you can keep it naturally protected.
Don’t keep it on the concrete or directly on the ground.
Because this draws moisture and causes the hay to rot. Do store it on wood. Wood absorbs the moisture and keeps the bale of hay dry.
What Type Of Hay Does Rabbit Eat?
There are many types of hay. But rabbits can’t have all types. They should be fed alfalfa hay when young and grass hay when old. These two types of hay are actually horse quality. Horse quality hay is considered the best type of hay in the market.
Alfalfa hay is high in protein and calcium. That’s why it’s fed to the younger rabbits to help them grow quickly and properly. All types of grass hay also contain protein and calcium but the amount is suitable for adult health maintenance. So, follow the idea of feeding alfalfa when young and grass hay after your bunny gets old enough and healthy.
How Do You Store Hay For Winter?
Unlike normal days you cannot store hay outdoors. You should keep them under a roof. Because of dew and snow, hay can get moist enough to rot. Also, the sunshine is enough to keep them dry. So, dry your hay first and then store them at a closed place with a roof.
Can You Just Feed Your Rabbit Pellets?
Some bunny tamers have asked if they can feed their rabbits only pellets. As delicate they are, they require nutrients and a lot of protein which they can get from eating hay. But commercial pellets nowadays contain all the necessary food elements for rabbits. So, you can use pellet as rabbit food.
Commercial pellets are enriched with protein, calcium, and nutrients important for your rabbits. So, feel free to feed you rabbit just pellets. But if you’re a natural substance lover, you can just continue with the usual diet of giving your bunny hay along with pellets.
Facts aside, it’s just smart to feed pellets to your rabbits only for 6 to 8 months. After that, you should decrease the amount gradually and opt-out for hay and other food.
How Can You Store Rabbit Pellets?
I buy hay by the bale for my rabbits. But I never buy pellets that way. You should never buy pellets more than the amount of three months use. Two months to be on the safe side.
Pellets can rot easily because they are produced commercially and have a specific expiry date. But hay doesn’t have any expiry day. You can store hay for a very long time. Cows have been fed hay that was 15 years old!
So, you can never be too careful while storing pellets. Always store them in a closed container. Do keep the container at a cool and dry place.
For the record, never try to feed your rabbits old hay. Try to provide them with fresh hay. Because they don’t have the stomach to digest old hay like a cow has.
Can You Use Hay As Bedding For Rabbits?
There are several options for you to choose from while stuffing your rabbit’s cage. The best option would be petroleum ink-free newspapers. Rabbits tend to chew on the stuffing. So, it’s better to give them something they can get nutrition from.
Hay can be one of the best options. Though they are not an ideal one judging on the base of comfort. But still, overeating paper can make your bunnies sick. So, it’s a lot safer to use hay as stuffing.
But if your issue is the comfort, you can always use shredded newspapers and feed your rabbits food whenever you find them chewing on the stuffing.
Final Words
It’s just intelligent to feed your rabbits hay instead of commercially produced food. Commercial production is maximized with nutritious stuff in an unnatural way. That’s why it’s harmful to the rabbit if you feed them pellets after 6 to 8 months of age.
That’s why try to create an eating habit of your little friends with natural substances like hay and other food. But I don’t really think you need my advice on that. Because if you weren’t conscious about your rabbits’ health, you wouldn’t be asking how to store hay for rabbits.
So, keep the food habits of your rabbits as natural as possible. Do spend time with them because they love your company and love to play with you.