As a rabbit owner, you probably already know that one of the four necessities for a rabbit’s health and wellbeing is clean, fresh hay. Your rabbit will be content and healthy for many years if you provide a plentiful amount of Timothy hay along with clean water, a secure place to stay, and plenty of opportunities for social interaction.
However, quality hay isn’t inexpensive, and if you give your pet anything other than a rabbit hay feeder, they may wind up using it as bedding rather than eating it. With our rabbits, we’ve tried just about every available hay-feeding technique, and we keep coming back to the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of a metal hay feeder for all of our bunnies.
In order to provide you these reviews of the top nine feeders available, we tested, examined, and reviewed every hay feeder we could find.
A Quick Comparison of the Winners in 2022:
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Best Overall
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Niteangel |
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Best Value
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Kaytee Gravity Bin With Mounting Bracket Small Animal Feeder |
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Premium Choice
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SunGrow |
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Ware Small Animal Hay Feeder |
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Trixie Metal Rabbit Hanging |
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The 9 Best Rabbit Hay Feeders:
Niteangel Rabbit Hay Feeder – Best Overall
The Niteangel feeder does an excellent job of keeping hay rack problems to a minimum and minimizing wasteful waste because it offers alternatives for cage hanging or being nestled into a corner as a stand-alone feeder. Given that it is readily available at a fully acceptable price, we can suggest it with certainty to almost any rabbit owner.
- Stores both hay and kibble in one convenient space
- Can be used freestanding or attached to a cage with the provided hooks
- Small space between slats keeps mess to a minimum and saves hay
- Durable construction resists chewing and breaking
- Too small for large rabbit breeds or multiple adult rabbits
Kaytee Gravity Bin with Mounting Bracket Small Animal Feeder – Best Value
The feeder bin comes with a mounting bracket, making it simple to attach it to the side of a cage made of wire or metal. Suction cups that let you fix the system inside cages made of plastic or glass can be purchased separately. Using the gravity feeder instead of a bowl that can be easily knocked over will reduce the mess in the cage. It also means that your rabbits will always have access to fresh hay, and it makes it simple to fix and remove as necessary.
Since it is so inexpensive, it is our pick for the finest rabbit hay feeder overall. However, this does explain why it is constructed of plastic. The plastic container might be readily chewed through by some rabbits.
- Cheap
- Supply of fresh food
- Holds food for five days
- Easy to mount on wire cages
- Plastic is easily chewed
SunGrow Rabbit Hay Feeder – Premium Choice
The simplicity of use and waste-prevention features of this SunGrow feeder readily justify its higher price. The spring-loaded fence will prevent your rabbit from ripping out more hay than they can consume at once by keeping the laden hay tightly compacted. Additionally, this premium feeder has hanging clip features for simple installation, making it both easy to use and effective.
- Large enough to feed multiple rabbits or larger breeds
- Easy to hang with included clips
- Spring-loaded fence prevents messes and wasted hay
- Small springs can be damaged by very large rabbits pulling on them
Ware Small Animal Hay Feeder
Food that is dropped on the cage floor is not wasted thanks to the Animal Hay Feeder. It boasts a straightforward design, rather effective metal clasps for fastening the powder-coated wire hanger to a metal cage, a locking lid to stop your rabbit from removing all of the food at once, and a free salt licker with each purchase.
It’s a really small holder, so you might need something bigger for your rabbit, and it doesn’t do the best job of holding hay in place, but it’s inexpensive and very easy to use.
- Easy to use
- Includes locking lid
- Free salt licker
- Doesn’t retain mess
- Easy to knock off
Trixie Metal Hanging Rabbit Hay Feeders
One distinguishing characteristic of this feeder is the side-facing hooks for the Trixie hay rack, which stop larger and stronger rabbit breeds from pushing the feeder directly upward to remove it. We can heartily recommend this feeder to anyone who has larger or more naughty bunnies because of this and its higher hay capacity.
- Side-facing hooks keep this feeder stably attached to any cage
- Large hay rack is great for houses with multiple rabbits or large breeds
- Tight bar spacing prevents unnecessary waste
- Chew-proof metal wires make it a long-lasting investment
- On the expensive side
Lixit Hay Rack Feeders
Lixit’s hay rack depends entirely on the layout of your rabbit’s cage because it hangs outside of it in order to function. It may be one of the messiest feeders we tested if the enclosure has bars or grates that are widely spaced apart since hay will fall out at the least contact. It’s a great, mess-free solution for owners whose enclosures have closely spaced bars.
- Unique outside-the-cage design prevents it from being knocked down
- Large enough to hold hay for big rabbits or multiple feedings
- Easy clip-on design
- Effectiveness depends on the style and dimensions of your rabbit cage
- Can be very messy on the wrong cage
RUBYHOME Bunny Hay Feeder
However, the RUBYHOME is rather small, like many other rabbit hay feeders, making it better suited for little or dwarf rabbit breeds and necessitating frequent refills for medium or big rabbits. It is a wonderful option for owners of little rabbits and small cages because to its space-saving design.
- Easily adjustable installation system is sturdy and reliable
- Plastic and metal construction for enhanced durability
- Tight hay enclosure efficiently reduces mess and waste
- Quite small
- Not suitable for larger rabbit breeds
Oxbow Apple Stick Rabbit Hay Feeder
In summary, the Oxbow feeder may give antsy rabbits hours of fun if you’re searching for a hay feeder to supplement or go along with your current feeding method. We can’t, however, give it a high recommendation as a daily feeding hay rack solution.
- Fun design encourages your rabbit to play
- Completely safe for rabbits to eat
- Won’t last for very long
- Hanging system doesn’t stay in place well
Kaytee Rabbit Hay Buffet Feeders
The plastic is not nearly strong enough and most rabbits will quickly gnaw it apart, thus for most rabbit owners, this makes it a less desirable option for giving their bunny hay. In addition to needing to be replaced, the plastic chips may endanger the health of your rabbit.
- Inexpensive
- Size is good for most rabbits
- Plastic is too easy to chew and break
- Chips of plastic can pose a health hazard to your rabbit
- Not durable enough to justify the cost
Buyer’s Guide
The queries and characteristics that we take into account when evaluating new items for our rabbits are listed below. You can choose the ideal hay feeder for your furry pals by reading along and responding to the questions as they relate to your particular home and rabbits.
Needs A Rabbit Hay Feeder?
Every rabbit we’ve ever encountered is just as likely to pee or sleep on their hay as it is that they will eat it if left to their own devices. While having fresh, top-notch hay being used as bedding may be good for their health, it can be extremely expensive.
The amount of hay your rabbit can mess with can be reduced by removing it from the floor and placing it in a sturdy hay rack. Simply said, using hay feeders to feed your rabbits their hay is a more hygienic and cost-effective solution. If you choose a well-made device, there aren’t really any drawbacks other than the initial expense.
to Choose the Best Rabbit Hay Feeder
Every hay feeder is inspected for these three key factors:
of Rabbit Hay Feeders
All rabbit feeders have a similar, straightforward layout: a hay bin that may be hung from your rabbit’s enclosure and is accessible between bars.
The material your feeder is composed of makes the biggest difference, thus. The greatest feeders are made of metal or hardwood since they offer both safety and durability in plenty. Feeders made of plastic or softwood should generally be avoided since they are too easy to gnaw through and could upset your rabbit’s stomach.
to Use a Rabbit Hay Feeder
When setting up your rabbit’s feeder, there is just one easy guideline to remember: put it over their toilet! Since they frequently feed and relieve themselves in the same spot, rabbits frequently prefer to have hay nearby. By putting your new hay feeder just over your rabbit’s litter corner, you can promote positive litter training habits.
A comparison of the top automatic hay feeders is available as well.
Conclusion
Among all the rabbit feeders we reviewed, the Niteangel Grass Feeder is our top pick. In addition to being a hay feeder, it offers a practical, all-in-one solution for hay and kibble that keeps your rabbit from overeating or making a mess. This, along with its robust design and simple installation, make it obvious why we advise it for practically any rabbit owner.
For any rabbit owner on a limited budget, the Kaytee Gravity Bin is a great choice because it provides comparable usability at a reduced cost. Although it’s a bit too small to be utilized in homes with numerous rabbits, its durable molded plastic construction and modest size make it a wonderful solution for anyone with just one rabbit.
We have recently published a tutorial on how to create your own DIY hay feeders for bunnies. To view it, click here.
