As Rabbit Awareness Week begins we are talking about all things hay at Little Hay Co - Are you surprised?
We know the importance of hay in a rabbits diet! Rabbits should be eating anywhere between 75-85% hay in their diet and when so much of your healthy diet relies on one food source it is so important to ensure it is good quality! Good quality hay has many health benefits for a rabbit including:
- Dental health
- digestive health
So how can you identify a good quality hay? The qualities you can see and smell include:
- Green in colour
- Minimal dust
- No spores or mould
- a good aroma
On top of this, hay should be dried to that perfect 12% moisture content!
Once you have your good quality hay picked out, you would think you have it sorted right? Well, not always! Now you have to make sure you buns eat enough of it! This is often the hard part!
Can you imagine 80% of your food intake being the same thing everyday? Boring springs to mind! Many rabbit owners spend hundred of pounds a year searching for the "right" hay for their buns; only to find weeks later that same bun has turned their nose up at their "favourite" hay and will only zoomy for a treato or two! We think this is where hay variety plays such an important part!
Feeding your bun multiple hay types can help ensure they are not just eating good quality hay but also a good quantity of hay. We have five varieties of hay here at Little Hay Co which should be you can mix or match two or more hays to help keep your pet eating! Hay should be given throughout the day to your bun and always readily available. We also recommend "topping" your hay or creating a dig box with forage or treats spread below, within or on top. This can help encourage eating as well as keep your bun entertained as they eat.
To help you encourage more hay intake we are giving you 30% off Cotswold Sweet hay when it is purchased with a full price Timothy Hay box or bale throughout Rabbit Awareness Week"
