Hay Is for... Rabbits

Rabbits are one of the most popular pets in the UK.  In fact, after dogs and cats, rabbits are the third most popular pet to have in our homes.  And, just as anyone will tell you that cats and dogs are different from each other, so too are rabbits – from just about any other animal on Earth.  Fortunately, caring for rabbits doesn’t need to be difficult.  For the most part, this has to do with proper dietary requirements and a snuggly home to live and play in.  And, apart from the rather extensive runs that rabbits need, this isn’t such a difficult ask.  That’s because rabbits primarily want to eat Timothy Hay. 

What Is Timothy Hay?

Although it has a bit of a funny name, Timothy Hay is serious business.  It’s the dried, preserved form of Timothy Grass that grows throughout the UK.  This type of grass is brimming with fibre which is exactly what your rabbits need to live long and healthy lives.  Although there are many different types of grasses, and therefore hays, Timothy Hay is the one that best suits the natural requirements of rabbits.  (Incidentally, it’s also perfect for other fibrevores such as chinchillas and guinea pigs.  It’s also great for horses and cows too, but you’re not likely to keep those in your home.)

Digestion Is Central to Rabbit Welfare

To understand why Timothy Hay is so important to rabbit health, you’ve got to consider their digestive systems.  And, it’s not exactly the same as human digestion.  In fact, it is a little more complicated.  Rabbits are fibrevores, so they need a great deal of fibre.  And, that includes both digestible and indigestible fibre.

Indigestible fibre passes through a rabbit’s system without too much bother.  It goes through the stomach and intestines without being broken down.  This stimulates the desire to eat more Timothy Hay, and that’s a good thing.  Because, not only is Timothy hay filled with indigestible fibre, it is also laden with digestible fibre.

Unlike indigestible fibre that simply goes through the body, digestible fibre follows a different path.  Because fibre is so difficult to digest (even when it’s called digestible) it needs extra steps to extract the nutrients from it.  So, once it is partially digested in the stomach, digestible fibre is then moved to an appendix-like organ called the caecum.  It’s here that fibre is further broken down; well, actually it becomes fermented.  This is an important step in the process as it is easier to pull the nutrients from fermented fibre than otherwise. 

From the caecum, fully fermented fibre is excreted in the form of caecotrophs.  This may resemble droppings in so much they exit the body in the same manner.  However, caecotrophs are not waste products; they are essential to the well-being of rabbits.  And, these must be eaten so that rabbits can maintain their regular intake of fibre.  Unfortunately, without an extreme amount of fibre, rabbits will become desperately ill. 

Timothy Hay Also Helps with Oral Hygiene

Besides providing the almost ridiculous amount of fibre that rabbits need, Timothy Hay also offers other benefits.  Rabbits, like many other animals, have teeth that continue to grow throughout their lifetime.  This can present problems if these teeth are not worn down.  Unfortunately, rabbit teeth, left to themselves will grow into sharp points that can be both painful and dangerous.  Rabbits, unfortunately will not grind their teeth arbitrarily, they need an aid to make this happen. 

Humans chew their food by mashing it up and down in their mouths.  Rabbits will do the same with most foods.  However, rabbits eat Timothy Hay differently; they grind it from side to side.  This helps them to grind their teeth down into something more manageable.  And this is wildly important for rabbits.  In fact, after digestion, oral health may just be the most important health concern that you’ll want to consider as a rabbit owner. 

Timothy Hay Is Also a Good Time

Rabbits don’t care about television; it won’t amuse them the way it amuses their owners.  They need something more finely tuned to their interests.  And, although a good part of rabbit free-time (meaning the time they’re not eating and sleeping) is spent hopping through their run, Timothy Hay also plays an important role in rabbit amusement.   That’s because they absolutely love to play with their food.  They enjoy pushing it from side to side in their hutch – and simply lying around in it.  Timothy Hay does a lot more than you think it could when it comes to amusing your pet.  And, hiding other treats in hay also serves to entertain rabbits.  There’s simply no shortage when it comes to the talents of Timothy Hay. 

Feeding Timothy Hay to Your Rabbits

Each and every rabbit in your warren needs a pile of hay at least as large as themselves every day.  And, that’s just for eating (you’ll need more for playing and sleeping in).  Never fear that you will overfeed your pets by giving them bigger piles.  Rabbits will only eat as much as they need.  And, even if they do eat a little more than that, they will not become overweight from eating Timothy Hay.  However, it is important to note that if your rabbit does not eat all his hay in one day, the leftovers cannot serve as part of the meal for the next day.  Fresh hay is required every day. 

But, don’t forget that rabbits (and other fibrevores) need more than just hay every day.  They should also have a small amount of fresh greens and specially formulated treats.  These items will help to round off the nutritional needs of your pets.  And, it’s crucial to ensure your rabbits have fresh water every day.  Depending on how playful they are, you may need to refill your pets’ water bowl more than once a day.  (Just note that contaminated water may harm your pets, so it’s worth being vigilant on this score.)  So although you may have heard that hay is for horses... now you know it’s for rabbits too.

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http://www.burgesspetcare.com/brands/excel-feeding-plan/

Your Rabbit Loves Timothy Hay - Here’s Why...

Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail; as children we grew up falling in love with rabbits.  As adults, it is even easier to love pet rabbits with their impatient thumps, general love of fun and a bit of tender reserve too.  Although your beautiful bunny loves you to bits, there is one thing they may love even more...  and that is timothy hay. 

It certainly sounds like a strange thing to love, until you consider how much dogs drool over a piece of steak, or you crave a cheesy slice of pizza or the curry from the shop down the road.  Okay, maybe your feelings for food are nowhere close to love, but for your rabbit, they might be.

Timothy Hay Is Bursting with Fibre

That is unlikely to evoke any celebration from you, but plenty of fibre is fantastic news for your rabbit.  Far more than simply being herbivores, rabbits fall into a special category of animals known as fibrevores.  Their entire digestive systems are created around the need for fibre.  Now, that is obviously because rabbits are ground animals and grasses (which are filled with fibre) are widely available at that level.

There are two different types of fibre – digestible and indigestible - and rabbits need both.  Fortunately, timothy hay is packed with both of these.  The two types of fibre work in tandem based on the two-part digestion system that all fibrevores have.  Indigestible fibre simply passes through the body, which enables it to work effectively and stimulates rabbits to continue munching on their timothy hay. 

Because rabbits cannot extract all the benefits of digestible fibre the first time it passes through their system, the second part of their digestive system involves an appendix like organ called the caecum.  This is where the digestible fibre heads once it has been broken down in the stomach.  Here, it ferments making it easier to extract the digestible fibre.  When ready, it is excreted in the form of caecotrophs, which look entirely different from a rabbit’s waste faeces.  Rabbits eat their caecotrophs; this time pulling all the goodness of the fibre within. 

And, the part about timothy hay that they love so much?  It has the right amount of both digestible and indigestible fibre which means rabbits will be as healthy as they can – just from eating the right food.

Timothy Hay Is Perfect for Oral Hygiene

Rabbits do not need to brush their teeth, but that does not mean they do not require dental attention.  After all, rabbits have teeth that continue to grow throughout their lives.  If these are not worn down, they simply sharpen into points.  And, as a rabbit attempts to chew with long, pointy teeth, they fold in on themselves, sticking into the gums.  It is hardly a pleasant picture, but fortunately, it is another one of the reasons that rabbits love their timothy hay.

Unlike other foods that could be given to rabbits, timothy hay is chewed differently.  Rather than chewing up and down, timothy hay is mashed from side to side in a rabbit’s mouth.  In doing this, they wear down their teeth appropriately, avoiding all the dangers associated with poor oral hygiene.  Even if they do not realise that timothy hay does this, rabbits simply love eating it.

Timothy Hay Has Some Lovely Side Benefits

Timothy makes a sensational addition to any rabbit home.  In fact, once you have the basics of a hutch and a run, all you need is some piles of timothy hay to dress the place.  Your rabbits love it because it is snuggly and warm.  It makes a delightful bed to crawl into, and offers an easy hiding place for rabbits (which they naturally feel the need to do when startled).  On top of that, timothy hay smells lovely.  It has a delicious meadow scent to it which wafts throughout the entire enclosure.  And that means you will visit your rabbit hutch more often because there are no awful smells putting you off.

And, when you are not around, showering your rabbit with affection, timothy hay can become a plaything.  Busy rabbits will move it around their hutch until it is just right.  They will happily shift it from side to side, just making it perfect – and possibly napping in it when they need a break.  And this is one food that you want your rabbit to play with as it truly keeps them entertained, and this is always preferable to chewing on the bars of their hutch.

When they are not feeling so playful, timothy hay can also help with those feelings.  A bit of hay in the mouth helps to soothe nervous rabbits.  This is crucial because rabbits become uncomfortable whenever they hear a sound they do not recognise, or a rat enters their garden.  Rabbits become skittish at the drop of a hat, and if timothy hay helps them to deal with that, then you should love it as much as they do. 

What You Need to Know about Feeding Your Rabbit Timothy Hay

Rabbits love their timothy hay, and you can feed them as much as they want.  It will never make them fat, nor will they ever over eat it.  One thing you need to do, though, is to make sure your rabbits have enough of it every day.  Each rabbit that you have needs a pile at least as large as himself to eat.  They will probably need a bit more to play with.  Figuring out how much your rabbits need every day can be a matter of trial and error.  Always start with too much and work your way down.  After all, rabbits need timothy hay as much as they love it.  Any other food that you provide for your rabbit should supplement their daily hay, not replace it.  And, if you do have a bunny who prefers the other food (however unlikely that is), then you need to be the one to make sure they grow to love their timothy hay the most.

For more information about feeding your rabbit timothy hay please visit the Burgess Excel website - http://www.burgesspetcare.co.uk/excelfeedingplan/

What Is Timothy Hay?

Timothy Hay is almost ubiquitous for most people who keep small furries as pets.  Or rather, it should be; but there are still too many pet owners who do not recognise its importance.  That fact becomes rather obvious when you consider some of the shocking statistics available, and the number of small furries that do not get any hay in their diet at all.

Considering the importance of Timothy Hay and the fibre it provides, perhaps it is time to get back to basics.  After all, the more informed pet owners become, the more likely their pets are to live happier, longer lives.  And that is something that every pet – and every owner – truly wants.

Timothy Hay: The Basics

The grass itself is, unsurprisingly, known as Timothy Grass.  It is indigenous to Europe, although it is not naturally found in the Mediterranean region.  For a number of years, this grass was just a grass.  It was not until it found its way over to New England in North America, and was used to feed cattle that Europeans began to take notice. 

Of course, this is because there were plenty of other grasses for livestock to consume.  Still, when an American farmer named Timothy Hanson discovered its properties, he began to promote the grass (named for himself) throughout North America, and in England, as well.  He did suggest it for cattle, though obviously Timothy Hay has benefits for many animals.

In England, Timothy Grass can be seen growing throughout the countryside, and bales of Timothy Hay are just as common a sight.  One primary reason for this is that it grows remarkably easily.  It can take in nearly any sort of soil, and the drier and poorer that soil is, the more this grass thrives.  It is also naturally drought resistant, so it tends to hold its nutrients better than other grasses once harvested.  The grass is known to exceed 75 cm in height, and it boasts flowers with a pretty pink stamen. 

More importantly, Timothy Hay is filled with fibre.  It is bursting with the nutrients that small furries such as rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs need.  Knowing this, it is a little surprising that there are still pet owners who ignore the importance of Timothy Hay for their pets.

Timothy Hay should form the basis of any small fibrevores diet.  This includes chinchillas, guinea pigs and rabbits.  As one of the most popular pets in the UK, rabbit owners should especially take note of the need for Timothy Hay.  It is not a treat, but rather, a necessity.

Feeding Small Furries: What Every Owner Needs to Know

Feeding Timothy Hay to your pets is remarkably easy.  Essentially, you just need to tuck a pile of it into their cage every day, and allow them to munch to their heart’s content.  However, there are a few tips that will enhance fibrevore health.

Small furries need to eat a pile of hay that is at least as large as themselves – every single day.  They can eat more, of course, though they should never be offered less.  It is impossible for fibrevores to over eat Timothy Hay, so if it looks as if they may need more, feel free to offer it.

Before feeding your fibrevore Timothy Hay, you should always check that it is free from dust, and it retains a sweet, meadow-smelling fragrance.  Hay should be stored in sealed bags indoors, away from damp areas.  If hay becomes dry and brittle, it should not be offered to your pet. 

Do not worry about a few pieces of flowers or other plants mixed in with your Timothy Hay; this is something your small furries would encounter naturally in the wild.  Indeed, fresh herbs and leafy greens can and should, be added to your fibrevore’s meals.  These offer additional nutrients and a pleasant variety of flavour.  However, be wary about substituting the primary hays and grasses that you typically provide for your pets.  Their immune systems are rather delicate, and animals may experience discomfort when their primary food source changes. 

Also, do not forget that, along with Timothy Hay, small furries need plenty of fresh water.  Treats are also delightful additions, provided they are specially formulated for your pet.  In other words, do not feed your chinchilla treats that were designed for rabbits.  Although fibrevores have similar needs, they are not identical. 

The Extra Benefits of Timothy Hay

Not only does Timothy Hay provide small furries with the almost incredible amount of fibre that they need in their daily diet, it also has a few additional benefits. 

Take oral hygiene, for example.  Rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas all have teeth that continue to grow throughout their lifetime.  These can become dangerous for pets (and their owners) if not properly worn down.  Animals, such as rabbits, eat their hay by grinding it from side to side, wearing down their teeth in the process.  Hay is eaten differently than treats, which are chewed up and down, therefore sharpening long fibrevore teeth into a point.

But, more than oral hygiene, Timothy Hay is also just pure fun.  Small furries can spend hours with their piles of hay.  They will eat it, play with it, and move it about.  Truly, they cannot get enough of it, which is precisely why it should be ubiquitous to every fibrevore owner.  After all, Timothy Hay does not just provide the nutrients for life, but also some happiness to go with it.

For more information please visit the Burgess website - http://www.burgesspetcare.co.uk/