12 Best Hay for Rabbits of 2022 (Expert Guide)

Are you looking for the perfect hay for your rabbit? There are different types of hay available in our surroundings.

Among all the hay, I’ll be talking about the timothy, orchard, meadow, and Oat hay for the adult rabbit. And Alfalfa hay for the young rabbits.

Anyway, you know, different types of rabbit hays are available in the market. That’s why finding the perfect hay for rabbits is a bit confusing to the new bunny parent and sometimes even for experienced people. So, what is the best hay for rabbits?

Timothy Hay is the most preferable hay for the bunny. You can offer unlimited Timothy hay to your bunny. Timothy Hay is sorted out from the stem and leaves of Timothy’s grass. Most of the bunny parents provide Timothy Hay to their rabbits.

Without further ado, let’s explore. 

Hay for Rabbit Comparison Table

In-depth Review of the Best Hay for Rabbits

Here is an in-depth review of the top-notch rabbit hay in the market in a rock-solid way.

From my point of view, this​  2nd cutting timothy hay is the overall best rabbit hay on this list.

Yes, you may be an orchard, meadow, or oat hay lover, but I bet you, your bunny will love this 2nd cutting timothy hay insanely.  

​Anyway, let me explain first. I prioritize this hay for its quality, packaging, and storage features. 

Features

• Weight: 10 lb
• 2nd Cutting timothy hay 
• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee!
• Leafy With Soft Stem
• Adequate Flower Heads

2nd Cutting Timothy Hay

This is a production between the first and third crops. So, this timothy hay comes with a very green soft texture. Besides, the leafy stem attracts your bunny surely.

Moreover, timothy hay includes a low amount of crude protein, calcium, and energy level. So, this hay is not only yummy but also easily digestible.  

Organic Product

Now, comes to the packaging. This one is totally natural chemical and additive-free. This timothy hay is packed in a high-strength Corrugated Box. A corrugated Box prevents direct sunlight but allows airflow.

So, you could store this hay easily without any modification. Since it is minimally handled from production to delivery. so it remains fresh.

Though this hay is also suitable for chinchillas and guinea pigs, perfect for the bunny. All the adult bunny breeds love timothy hay.

This one is a 10 lb box. But it comes with different weights of box-like 12 oz, 2 lb, 5 lb, 12 lb, 20 lb, 60 lb, So, you have the flexibility to collect the suitable box. 

It is Packed into a breathable box. So, hay remains fresh.

This timothy hay is produced and distributed by the Standlee Hay Company. For the last 30 years, they devoted themselves to producing premium quality western forage.

They handled all the steps with great care from producing to delivering the product.

Features

• Weight: 25 lb 
• All Natural premium Timothy hay
• High fiber
• Naturally low protein 

Long-Lasting

Anyway, this premium hay for rabbits comes with an acceptable level of moisture. Standlee Hay Company is based in Idaho and you know the weather of Idaho is unlike other states.

So, naturally, this timothy hay is fresh, organic, and suitable for the bunny. 

Perfect for ​Bunny

This package is full of fresh, green, and additive-free timothy hay. This natural hay stimulates the digestion of your bunny as it includes low energy and protein. Though it is suitable for all rabbit breeds, a perfect one for Dwarf Rabbits. 

This one is a 25 lb pack but it has also an 18oz, 48oz, 10lb pack. So, you can select according to your demand. 
Packed in a Corrugated Box. So. convenient for storage.

Kaytee is a very familiar pet brand in the USA for its quality product. Like all other products of Kaytee, this Timothy hay is awesome for its unique quality. If your bun loves to eat flavored hay, this one is for you?

Features

• Weight: 24 oz Bag
• High fiber Timothy hay
• Carrot flavored 

Carrot Flavored Hay

This timothy hay is carrot flavored. You know how rabbits like a carrot. But unfortunately, you can not provide carrots a bulk amount to your bunny.  Because it is bad for her health.

Anyway, these components of this flavored hay are sun-drying hay and dehydrated carrot. Obviously, the ingredients are mixed in a proper ratio so that it could help to develop the digestive system as well as the dental health of the bunny.

Multi Flavored  

Apart from this carrot flavor, Kaytee offers other flavors like cranberry, mango, marigold, and mint. So, you have the flexibility to choose the product according to your demand.

The weight of this package is 24 Oz. You can store it in a cool and dry place.

Hey, are you looking for orchard hay for your bunny?

Well, this small pet select Orchard Grass Hay could be a great choice. You already know about Small Pet Select. They are committed to offering the best product to their buyer.

Features

• Weight: 10 lb
• Fresh Orchard Hay
• Minimally Handled 
• maximum freshness 

Looking for an alternative?

If your bunny is tired of the timothy hay, you can offer her something different. Sometimes changing of taste makes the bunny more energetic. It also helps to boost the immune system.

Fresh and Tasty Hay

This one is one of the best orchard hay for rabbits in the market. This is literally hand-packed for each batch of the product. So, there is little chance to mix the other unwanted materials in the hay.

The appearance of the orchard is deep green to bluish-green. So, it looks attractive.

Also, the smell is fine. When you open the package, you will get the scent. Hmm…these are really awesome.

Good Digestion

Anyway, Orchard is usually tall growing grass and they are the crop of the cold season. Yes, like the timothy grass, it includes a high amount of fiber but a low amount of protein. So, it is beneficial for the digestive tract of the bunny.

This bag is 10 lb. But they offer 5lb, 20 lb, and 50 lb packages. So, you are free to buy a small batch to check the quality.

This one is another boom from the Small Pet Select. Though I prefer the second cutting of this timothy hay for the adult bunny, this 1ST cutting is worthy indeed. This 1st cutting hay comes with a softer stem, leaf, and flower heads.

Features

• Weight: 10 lb
• Higher Fiber 
• More Flower Head than other cutting 
• 100% Money-Back Guarantee
• Grow in the USA 

Best for Introducing Hay to Bunny 

So, if your bun just starts to eat hay, you could offer this 1st cutting. Without any doubt, it could be a great investment. Because this first cutting hay contains more fiber and nutrients than the second cutting. 

Fresh and Proudly Produced in the USA

All the packet contains the running year crop. So, they are fresh and yummy also. And this first cutting is far better than other brands, I bet you. Small Pet Select is completely based in the USA.

Even the packets are produced in the USA. So you will get nothing but a fresh package of the best first cutting timothy hay for your bun.

Well, Oxbow is a well-known (A family farm and they are cultivating hay for small animals proudly), popular and go-to brand when it is food for the pet.

For the last 30 years, they produce and provide quality pet food for pet owners diligently in the USA.

That’s why most of us rely on oxbow. However, the demand for Oxbow’s Timothy Hay has been increasing day by for offering quality products at a reasonable rate.

Balanced Nutrients

This natural western timothy hay comes with a very sweet smell and balanced nutrients. Moreover, it includes high fiber, low protein and calcium like the other quality timothy hay brand.

That means it is good for the gastrointestinal tract of the rabbit for digestion purposes.

Convenient for Storage  

Let’s come to the packaging section. Oxbow offers a nice-looking cartoon for packing the hay. Yes, you can store the hay just by placing the cartoon in a cool, dry, and shaded place.  

This one is a 9 lb. cartoon. But the 40-ounce plastic package is available also.

Grandpa is another family-based farm that produces hay from generation to generation. You know orchard hay is recommended hay for small pets like rabbits. 

Better Alternative to Timothy

Most of the rabbits like this type of hay. SO, if you are still looking for another Orchard hay brand, you could count Grandpa’s Best Orchard Grass. This could be a great choice indeed for your bun.

Hand-Picked Fresh Hay

As Grandpa is not a giant company, they handled minimally as much as possible before bailing the, All the hay is produced under their supervision.

Even they bailed the hay themselves to ensure the quality. That is why you could expect quality production.

This hay is very fresh and sweet in fragrance. If your bunny accepts it, you will be the winner. Because you can save your bucks with this orchard grass.

Like all other hay, this orchard grass hay does not come with a packaging system. It comes with convenient compress bales. The size of the bales is 6″x 6″ x 12″.

This hay is very fresh and sweet in fragrance. If your bunny accepts it, you will be the winner. Because you can save your bucks with this orchard grass.

Still, Confused?

Kaytee all-natural is another popular and well-known timothy rabbits hay brand on this list. As I have added another Kaytee hay to this list, you already know about Kaytee.

If you are still confused to select the hay for your rabbit, this one is could be an option for a regular diet.  

Features

• Weight: 3.13 Pounds
• Western Timothy Hay
• Well packed 
• Good for the Urinary Health

Proper Mixing of stem and grass

This hand-selected hay is packaged from the second cutting of western timothy grass. And This package comes with a proper ratio of stem and leaf.

Since it is a second-cut crop, the stem and leaves are soft. So, you could use this hay for the senior rabbits also.

Special Cut

The special cut is another nice feature of this hay. It helps the bunny to eat this timothy grass easily. Also, reduce wastage. It does not contain any artificial colors or additives. So, it is Safe for the bunny.

The size of the bag is 50 Oz. And Specifically, this timothy hay has no other packaging sizes.

Hmm…Something Different

Well, I have reviewed only the timothy and orchard hay till now. Now I want to show you something different.

Meadow Hay

This Meadow Hay is produced by Oxbow. You already know about the Oxbow. So, I don’t repeat the information. Perhaps, this one is the best Meadow hay for the rabbit in the market.

Anyway, Meadow hay is not like timothy grass hay.

You know, timothy hay is the dried version of timothy grass. The scientific name of Timothy is Phleum pretense. 

​On the contrary, Meadow hay is composed of different natural grasses. That is why it contains more fiber than timothy hay.

If your bunny does not like the timothy or orchard hay, you try this Meadow hay for the rabbit. I hope, she could accept it.

This meadow hay bag comes with 15 Oz plastic bags only. You can order multiple bags if you like the features of Meadow hay.

Oat Hay

Well, this Oxbow animal health Oat hay is the last product of this top hay for rabbit article. Actually, Oxbow is one of the leading companies for rabbit hay. So, their products are good indeed. 

This is the recommended Oat hay on this list. If you are looking for Oat hay, without further move, you could buy this one.  

High Fiber and Low Protein

Like other regular hay, Oat hay contains a high amount of fiber and little amount of crude protein and fat. That is why this one could be a suitable dish for the rabbit.

Actually, you could use any of these types of hay among timothy, orchard, Meadow, or oat. Basically, It depends on your rabbits. Apart from the rabbit, all types of small animals like chinchilla, Guinea pigs, and pigs love oat hay.

This oat hay comes in a single packet size. The packet size is 15 Oz or 425 g.

Best Hay for Young Rabbits

Everybody knows that the food habit of adult rabbits and baby rabbit is different. It is very natural indeed.

Alfalfa hay is the most preferable hay for baby rabbits. Because alfalfa hay includes high fiber, protein, calcium, and fats. 

So, for your baby bunny, alfalfa is the best option to accustomed to hay. Actually, it would not be a good idea to give regular hay to the rabbit until she becomes 7 months old.

Here, I have tried to present to you some of the best alfalfa hay in the market.

Let’s explore.

Viking Farmer is a family brand of Utah. Now, this farm is led by the 5th generation. Actually, it is tough to find alfalfa hay exclusively. Because the demand for alfalfa is lower than other regular types of hay.

Best Alfalfa Hay for Baby Bunny  

However, after doing extensive research I found this Viking Farmer Alfalfa Hay. And perhaps, this one is the best alfalfa hay for the baby rabbit.

All of the hay is grown, processing, and packed by the Viking family. So, this hand-selected alfalfa hay could be a great option for your baby bun.

Yes, it includes a high amount of fiber, protein, calcium, and energy. So like the regular grass hay, you could not make it their main meal. Just mix the alfalfa hay with other regular grass, so that it could be a balanced diet for your baby bun.

This package comes with 10 lbs of the nice cartoons. Also, it is available in 5 lbs, 15 lbs, and 25 lbs sizes.

Not Hay…Pellet food

First thing first. Actually, it is not hay. This is a pellet food (that is based on alfalfa) for the young bunny.

But I add this product here so that you could find all the alfalfa-based products in the same place.

Best Pellet for the baby bunny

Oxbow specially produces this hay for the young rabbits. This high in fiber, protein, calcium, and energy alfalfa-based pellets help to develop your bunny’s health properly.

This pellet food comes in a uniform shape. It is produced based on the Vet’s formula. As the raw material of this pellet is alfalfa hay, it is processed food. This one is for the baby bunny, not for the adult one.

So, if you want to feed the alfalfa-based pellet to your baby bun, you could consider this one.  

The weight of the package is 5 lb. No other size is currently available.

Buying Guide for Rabbit Hay

These are all about the product reviews for adult and baby bunnies. Now, let me clear up some common questions about rabbit hay. So, without further ado, let’s explore!

Budget

The budget is the most important factor to buy hay from the market. Because this one is not for a one-time purchase. you must provide hay daily to your adult bunny. You know, quality depends on the price.

Moreover, all the popular rabbit hay brands come with a more or less similar price tag. As you don’t have the flexibility to change the hay brand regularly (your bunny will not accept it actually), you should care about your budget.

And a humble request to you, please don’t buy cheap and low-quality hay from the market. In this list, I have added a high price to the budget price rabbit hay. If you buy hay from this list, I can assure you, you won’t be the loser.

Brand

Everybody cares about brand value. It’s right but not applicable for buying all things in this world.

You will find some dedicated grass hay sellers who are not a giant company. They own giant farms and lead their business generation after generation.

Of course, you will find genuine and fresh hay from them. so, don’t completely rely on the brand here, care about the quality first.

Here is a list of some popular hay brands in the USA.

• Small Pet Select
• Oxbow
• Standlee hay company
• Viking Farmer

Freshness and smell

If you provide musty hay to your bunny, she will never accept it. Though she accepts due to a high appetite, she could be ill from food poisoning. 

You know, fresh hay has a nice, alluring, and sweet smell. If you take the hay in your hand, you will understand the difference between musty hay and fresh hay. 

So, it’s my recommendation to you, please don’t waste your money and energy by buying musty hay. 

Dust free Hay

Dust is the most common by-product of hay. But it has the ratio. The old the hay, the maximum amount of dust you will be found.  

It would not be a good idea, to provide such type of hay that includes a high amount of dust. Because, in most cases, the bunny will refuse to eat. Also, it will make the dwelling place messy and unclean.

So, if you find a packet that contains an unacceptable amount of dust, you should not accept it anyhow. 

Nutrient Value

Almost all types of grass hay (timothy, orchard, oat, and meadow) come with a high amount of fiber and a low amount of protein, calcium, and energy.

But Alfalfa is different. It includes a high amount of fiber, as well as a high amount of crude protein, energy, and calcium.

You could keep one thing in your mind. Rabbits love to eat and they tend to eat a lot. So, your bunny will eat a huge amount of hay in her entire life.

So, select the hay that includes high nutritional value. Otherwise, all your investment will be a loss project.   

​Hay	​crude fiber	​crude protein​	​calcium
​Timothy	​32-34%	​8-1​0%	​.​3-.​5%
​Meadow	​31-33%	​7-8%	​0.6%
​Orchard Grass	​32-34%	​9-10%	​.33%
​Oat	​31-32%	​10%	​.4-.5%
​Alfalfa	​28-34%	​13-20%	​1.2-1.4%
​Dried Grass	​25-2​9%	​12-14%	​0.5​0%

Note: These values are taken from different dedicated hay website

What is rabbit Hay?

From the very beginning of keeping the pet and domestic animals, people cut and dry the herbaceous plants, Legumes, and various types of grass for feeding purposes.

Actually, we called this modified version of these plants hay. It includes almost the same nutrients and components that fresh plants do.

The most convenient character of hay is its storage feature so that you could use the hay in the rough winter. We can store hay for a long time under the proper condition like in a cool and shaded place.

Hay is the most used food for domestic animals like cattle, goats, cows, horses, and others.

In the last centuries, Hay was created by traditional methods. But in recent decades, hays are made scientifically so that the nutrients fact are not degraded.

What Kind of Hay Do Rabbits Eat?

Well, the rabbit mainly eats the grass hays and it has nutritional value. And already you know that grass hay contains a high amount of fiber and a low amount of protein, calcium, and energy. Timothy, Meadow, orchard hay is popular among rabbit owners.

In the beginning, you could supply the quality hay to your bunny. Obviously, you could cut the hay if you think the size is large for the bun. It depends on the behavior of your bunny actually.

​How to ​Keep ​Rabbit ​Hay ​Fresh?

As we provide hay daily, we could stock the hay for a season so that we will not face any unwanted situation. The hay should look greenish and smell good.

Fresh hay helps in the proper digestion of your bunny. You can keep the hay fresh by following the tips. However, if the processing of storing hay is not correct, all the hay will lose quality.

So, to keep the hay fresh, you could follow the tips.

• First thing first. Buy fresh hay from the seller. You could buy a little so that your bunny can finish it quickly.
• If you buy a lot, then keep the hay in a dark, breathable, and cool place. obviously away from the moisture.
• Keep the hay in such a packet where hay can breathe. Some of the sellers are selling hay in this type of package.

What about Other Food?

Well, you could offer pellet food for your bunny. But the pellet should not be the main item instead of hay. Pellet contains high calories and contains complex nutrients.

So, it would be better to use the pellet as the supplementary food for your bunny.

Rabbit Won’t Eat Hay Anymore – Effective Ways to Get Your Rabbit Eat Hay

At least 80% of the rabbit’s meal should contain hay. But it is a ubiquitous question from the bunny parents that the rabbit doesn’t want to eat grass anymore or eat a bit. So what can I do now?

Well, you could follow the following step to get rid of this severe problem.

Feed less pellet, snacks or dry food

If you provide extra snacks to your bunny, she/he will refuse to eat hay. Very simple indeed. So, don’t give extra snacks or treat your rabbit and let the stomach be empty.

Provide quality and tastier hay

Next, come to the hay. If you provide low-quality hay, the bunny will not accept it. Better you could try flavored hay instead of plain hay. There are different types of flavored hay available in the market.

Use a hay feeder

You should put the hay in a specific place daily. Otherwise, your bunny will be confused. So, it would be a better idea to use a hay feeder. It helps to prevent wastage of hay and keep your rabbit cage clean and organized.

Make the feeding time enjoyable

Rabbit loves to play while eating. So you could place some toys in the feeding area. It will be helpful indeed. 

How Much Hay Should I Feed My Bunny?

There is no limit to providing hay to your bunny. Because they eat unlimited hay in the wild. As it is the main food item, In the beginning, observe for some days. Then I hope, you will get a thorough idea.

You know the rabbit loves to eat and chew. So, you could use a rabbit hay feeder. That will help you a lot. Just give the hay in the feeder morning.

Then you need not think about giving hay on an entire day. To minimize your work, a rabbit hay feeder could play a great role indeed.

Final Thoughts

In short, it is not very hard to find the perfect hay for your bunny indeed if you have enough resources. you could find multiple options within your budget. I assure you that my recommended rabbit hays are good in quality. 

If you consider my buying guide, you will easily find the right hay for your rabbits. so, stay focused and keep patient to find the top quality and suitable hay for your bun.

Thanks for reading and please don’t forget to share this resource with your fellow bunny lovers.