Wood Shavings Instead Of Hay?

Question

Hi

I have a rabbit. I have always used hay for her bedding in her hutch, but she has been overweight for quite some time. I was thinking of using wood shavings instead and not using any hay. She gets to run round loose in the garden all day, so she eats plenty of grass.

Is it ok to swap the hay for wood shavings?

Answer 1

Hay is a very important part of your rabbits diet. I read somewhere that Hay should make up about 70% of a rabbits diet?

Eating hay also helps bunny keep her teeth down- eating wood shavings may harm her.

What else are you feeding bunny? perhaps you could cut down on processed rabbit food instead?

Some fruits and veggies can be high in sugar and should be fed sparingly- carrots are one of the main concerns.

Perhaps you could bring her inside for part of the day and limit her grass intake?

Answer 2

i use woodshavings and hay in the bed. try that. but make sure your rabbit has hay at all time. the vet told me hay should be 95% of there diet and dry food only 5%

Answer 3

No, she really needs the hay for her digestion.  If you're feeding her Alfalfa hay, though, switch it to Timothy hay.  Alfalfa is much higher calorie and has some components that are harder on the kidneys.

If she gets pellets, too, then you should cut back on the pellets.  But the last thing to cut back on is the hay.

And any changes you make need to be made slowly so she can adjust.  Rabbits have a bacterially based digestive system completely different from people, dogs, cats, etc which have a chemically based digestive system.  When people eat something, acid breaks it down and you get the nutrients.  When a bunny eats something, bacteria specially adapted to the foods she's used to breaks it down.  If you change her food too quickly, the delicate bacterial balance will break down.  This is also the reason you can't use the same antibiotics on bunnies you use on other animals.  Antibiotics kill good bacteria as well as bad ones.  The wrong antibiotics kill off a bunny's digestive system and kills it.  (this is why you have to take a bunny to a vet that knows bunnies!).

So do the switchover to timothy hay gradually if that's what you plan--go half and half for a week first.  But a bunny should always have hay available.  

Answer 4

Yes It will help her with her weight problem (tip Feed her 3/4 LESS THAN YOU NORMALLY DO)

Answer 5

how hard are the wood shavings if they are hard dont get it but if its soft get it!

Answer 6

yea it would be just give it hey on side to eat