Happy Hay Day!
Hay contains "fines", little pieces, and lots of dust that can cause problems for rabbits. So it's best to shake it out before giving it to your rabbit. Taking the new hay outside, shaking it, and putting it into the storage bins is terribly exciting for Bumble. He doesn't know what to do with himself, so when the first bin is finished, I put it on the floor for him. He can stand up and pull hay out of the top, or pull it through the opening below the bin's handles.
There's just one problem: rabbit rules say that you must eat hay as fast as you can. This method is too slow. What to do?
Watching him jump into the bin is hilarious, but there's the danger he might mistake it for his litterbox and pee all over the new hay. Had to shoo him out. Luckily, he was too excited to give me The Bunny Butt.
15 comments:
Whew--please don't do that to me again, SE. I need my Bumble to start my week.
He is definatly one rabbit on a mission!
Not to take the spotlight away from Bumble, but:
Been drooling and wowing over that bear you posted further down. Wanted to share this with you:
http://www.earthisland.org/spring05/bear.jpg
I saw a China Moon Bear for the first time a few years ago and fell in love--so beautiful.
Bumble is always on a mission, even when it's just to go lie down. :)
And thank you! What a beautiful bear!
I am totally going to be joining the Bumble bandwagon. If I someday become the proud parent of a bunny, I am totally blaming you and bumble.
Hooray!
Really, I live for Monday Bunny Blogging. I'd totally go for everyday bunny blogging, but then fame would start to go to Bumble's head, he's demand his own blog, then his own computer...it could get ugly.
Lauren-We'll take full responsibility.
Madame-Oh, if anything else goes to his head, he's going to be impossible. JR wants to do a "Bumble cam". Sigh.
I should be shaking out Bam's hay? *worried*
Hexy-It all depends on how obsessive you are. Do you belong to Etherbun (yahoo group on caring for rabbits)? It's come up there-that if there are mycotoxins in hay, they tend to be in the fines and dust. And the dust itself can cause irritation-eyes, lungs etc.
But I didn't know about this for the first year we had Bumble. Now I do it and I don't know if it's a reasonable thing or over the top. Sigh. And I think it depends on the type of hay you use, as well as the supplier. I've gotten timothy hay that's not bad at all, but I've gotten some so bad it gave me an asthma attack. The orchard hay I've used doesn't seem very dusty at all, and I tend not to shake it out.
i love how you love your bunny. and i just left another comment on you last post.
Cameo-Sometimes I wonder if it's a bit over the top. Nah!
Bumble darling, I missed you. It's hard waiting so long between posts. Seven days is hell.
Well, he was actually on lucerne (i think that's what you guys call alfalfa) for his first two and half years or so, and I've only just shifted him onto Timothy. He won't eat Oat at all, which is annoying as Timothy is hard to get over here. I have noticed that the Timothy is much dustier than the lucerne was. My biggest concern was him looking like an idiot by hopping around with hay dust on his head. *grin*
Guess I'll start shaking it.
GR-Bumble says "Hell, you should try living my life!" He's angry with me for an unknown reason. I expect to be forgiven in ~10-15 minutes.
Hexy-Thanks for explaining. I was wondering what in the world lucerne was. (Americans only speak one language-American!)
That Bam is the healthies bunny I've ever heard about. Bumble eats oat hay without stopping. I had to stop giving it to him because he was getting really fat and having some problems on it.
If timmy is hard to get, can you get either orchard grass or brome? Maybe he'd like one of those. Sorry if you've already done this, but some people have suggested buying hay from a horse barn if you're having trouble finding a good supplier.
After he hit about a year old, he just stopped eating all the snacky treat foods I'd offer him. The sugariest thing he'll eat now is green apples, and even they sit there for a few days before he finishes them. Things like basil and spinach, though, he wolfs down in seconds. Most of the fruit I've tried to give him recently has just been ignored, and the things that most rabbits seem to adore (raisins, bananas, carrots, etc) he's never been a fan of.
I've checked out the nearby stables and they seem to only sell lucerne and oat. While they did say they could order different kinds in, I don't think they'd do it for a dwarf bunny quantity. *grin* I found a pet shop about 45 minutes from my place that sells Timothy at overly inflated prices, so I've just been coughing up for that.
Man, I am so that rabbit's bitch. *hangs head*
No, no, don't hang your head! Bam has trained you well, and this reflects his masterful bunny wisdom. :)
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