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Calorific value of hay

22 11:08:21

Question
A friends rabbit is a fabulous hay eater, having access to 5 types each day. Farm fresh Timothy, Oat, Brome and 2 others that I don't know the name of. He has green veg and herbs daily but only occasional carrot and no fruit or commercial treats. He gets a small amount of Science Selective pellets a day (maximum 15 pellets). He has supervised access to the house and garden all day so gets loads of exercise. He looks in fabulous condition but is gaining weight. This is a concern as he can't seem to get his head down to eat his ceacals, preferring to hop back then eat them that way. So my question is, is any type of hay more likely to make a rabbit gain weight. Thank you

Answer
Dear Jill,

The grass hays you describe can and should be given in unlimited quantities, and are not likely to cause weight gain in a normal, healthy rabbit.  It sounds as if the bunny is on a good, healthy diet. If he's getting plenty of exercise, then there are two things I'd wonder:

1.  Is he one of those unlucky bunnies genetically predisposed to use calories all too efficiently? (Rex rabbits are among the breeds that tend to become pudgy, even with a healthy diet).

2.  Is he finding something in the garden while he's out playing that's of high caloric content (fallen fruit?).

Alfalfa hay should be avoided, as it's high in protein and calories. If he's getting that, then I'd eliminate it from the diet and see if you get any improvement.

Hope that helps.

Dana