Best Hay for Rabbits UK (2026)
Hay is 80% of an adult rabbit’s diet — not pellets, not vegetables. It’s also the single biggest factor in rabbit dental health and gut motility. Get this right and most of the other care details fall into place.
Quick Answer: Which Hay?
| Hay type | Best for | Protein | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy (2nd cut) Default pick | Adult rabbits, daily feeding | Medium | Low |
| Meadow hay | Variety, fussy eaters, pickers | Variable | Low-medium |
| Orchard grass | Rabbits sensitive to Timothy dust | Medium | Low |
| Alfalfa / lucerne | Under-6-month kits, pregnant does, underweight rabbits | High | High (risk of stones in adults) |
| Readigrass / dried grass | Top-up only, never sole diet | High | Medium |
Default for a healthy adult rabbit: Timothy hay, 2nd cut, fresh-smelling, soft to touch. Anything else is a special case.
How to Choose the Best Hay for Rabbits
Not all hay is the same quality. When buying, look for:
- Colour: good hay is green-to-golden, not brown or grey. Browning means it was cut late or stored badly and has lost most of its nutrition.
- Smell: fresh, grassy smell. Musty or earthy smell = mould risk. Mouldy hay causes liver and respiratory damage and rabbits will often refuse it anyway.
- Cut: 2nd-cut timothy (softer, leafier, greener) is better than 1st-cut (stalky and coarse). Most rabbits eat 2nd-cut more readily — less waste per bag.
- Packaging: loose in a well-ventilated bag or box is better than vacuum-compressed bricks. Compression removes dust but also flattens the structure and reduces variety in the strands.
- Bag size: buy 3–5kg minimum. Hay is bulky and cheap in large quantities. Smaller bags have a much worse price-per-kg and rabbits go through hay quickly.
What to avoid: oat hay as a daily staple (high energy, fine as a supplement), rye grass (too rich), and anything labelled “bedding hay” — it is not food-grade and is not the same product.
Our Picks
1. Timothy Hay (Premium 2nd Cut) — Best Daily Hay
The hay we’d feed our own rabbits. Second-cut is softer than first-cut (less stalky), greener, and rabbits actually eat it rather than picking it over. Buy the biggest bag you can store dry — price-per-kg drops sharply at the 5kg+ tier.
Best for: daily feeding, every adult rabbit. Watch-outs: store off the floor, in a dry, ventilated box — not a sealed plastic bin (it sweats and moulds).
2. Meadow Hay — Best for Variety
A blend of grasses, wildflowers and herbs. Slightly less consistent than Timothy but more interesting to forage — rabbits spend longer eating it, which is good for both gut and boredom. We rotate meadow hay through alongside Timothy for our own rabbits.
Best for: picky eaters, enrichment, indoor rabbits.
3. Orchard Grass Hay — For Dust-Sensitive Rabbits
If your rabbit sneezes around Timothy or you’ve had vet advice about respiratory irritation, orchard grass is the standard alternative. Similar nutritional profile, noticeably less dust.
Best for: sneezy rabbits, dwarf and lop breeds prone to upper respiratory issues.
4. Alfalfa (Lucerne) Hay — Juveniles & Recovery Only
High in protein and calcium. Brilliant for kits under 6 months and underweight adults; dangerous as a daily food for healthy adult rabbits (bladder stones, obesity). Treat it as a medical food, not a default.
Best for: rabbits under 6 months, pregnant/nursing does, vet-recommended weight gain. Avoid for: healthy adults over 6 months.
How Much Hay Per Day?
A pile bigger than the rabbit itself, every single day. An average 2kg rabbit eats roughly 50–100g of hay daily. You should refill the hay rack at least once a day. If the rabbit isn’t eating hay, that’s a vet visit — it’s often the first sign of dental disease or gut stasis.
Common Hay Mistakes
- Storing hay in a plastic bin. It sweats, moulds, and mouldy hay causes liver damage. Use a cardboard box or hessian sack in a dry shed.
- Buying first-cut only. First-cut is stalky and rabbits leave most of it. Second-cut is the sweet spot.
- Feeding alfalfa to an adult. See above. Stop unless vet-prescribed.
- Skipping hay because they have pellets. Pellets are a supplement, not a meal. Hay is the meal.