Rabbits require protein-based hay on their menu. It provides all the nutrients they need and stops their teeth from overgrowing, so it should be the bulk of their diet, pun intended. Since bunnies typically poop while they’re feeding, it’s a good idea to hang hay above the litter box or squash it into a corner of their litter tray. Let’s learn how to make a DIY rabbit hay feeder.
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1. King Size Rattle Style Hay Feeder – Bunny Approved
You may have seen those rolling rabbit toys that have tiny dowels with a rattle inside. Maybe you even bought a few and replaced the rattle with pellets or hay. Well, this DIY rabbit hay feeder is a vertical version that’s much larger. You can keep it basic or add details and trim.
This bare-bones version has two tree stumps sawed into discs. The two wooden wheels are connected by thick vertical sticks. Shorter sticks form horizontal grids between the main structural bars. The feeder should be sturdy enough to stand on its own. It’s pretty simple.
2. Homemade Bunny Rabbit Hay Bin – One More Venture Homestead
Plastic is the most affordable material when you’re building a DIY rabbit hay feeder, and you can find these plastic storage bins at any grocery store. The size should be at least 15 quarts per rabbit. But make sure you sand any openings so the sharp edges don’t hurt your bunnies.
To make the hay feeder, cut a hole at the bottom of the bin and use zip ties to form a grid across the hole. Secure the lid of the storage bin and use bungee cords to hang it on the side of your rabbit enclosure. Position the hay feeder directly over their litter box so they can eat.
3. Rabbit Hay Feeder and Litter Box – Instructables
When you’re working with rabbit feeders and litter boxes, be sure to distinguish the pellets. Your rabbit can have food pellets to eat, even though hay should be the biggest part of their diet. But they’ll also need livestock pellets (for commercial chicken, horses, or farm cattle).
These pellets serve as food for farm animals, but because they’re so absorbent, they’re ideal for use as bunny litter. They’re good at soaking up the smell and mess of rabbit poop and pee. For the hay feeder, you could use wooden dowels to create the feeding grid at the front.
4. How To Make and Install Bunny Hay Feeders – Farm Girl in Progress
If you had constructed your rabbit cage using wire, you can use the leftovers to craft a DIY rabbit hay feeder. Cut out a piece of cage wire that’s large enough to make the feeder, then use wooden planks or blocks to shape it into a rectangle. Soften the edges with door guards.
Use J-clips both to connect the sides of the feeding rack and to attach it to the rest of the cage. For the front of the feeder box, use cage wire that has bigger gaps between the grids. That makes it easier for your rabbit to pull hay from between the wires without getting hurt.
5. DIY Wire Hay Racks – BHA Rabbitry
What’s the difference between rabbit pellets and other animal pellets? Well, rabbit feed pellets are made of protein-based hay and grass, while the feed pellets for horses, chickens, and cows might contain grains, molasses, nuts, and more, meaning rabbits shouldn’t eat this.
But as we said, these cereal-based pellets are ideal for rabbit litter boxes, and they make good cat litter too. You can put these litter pellets on one side of the litter tray and put hay on the other side. But back to DIY rabbit hay feeders, this one is constructed using scrap cage wire.
6. BudgetBunny: How To Build the Bb Hay Box
For bunny owners whose woodworking skills are above average, a wooden DIY hay box can be a fun project. Start with six pieces of untreated pine that measure 16” by 16”. If you don’t have power saws at home, you can ask the store, they’ll pre-cut the six wood planks for you.
Nail or screw five of the pieces together and cut the 6th in half for the lid. Screw one half in and secure the other with a hinge. You can add stick-on tiles for the interior floor if you like. Use a saucer to shape holes for the front. This video used 4” by 4” holes, but 2” by 2” is safer.
7. DIY Hay Rack – Coding with Bunnies
Rabbits love nibbling on cardboard. And as long as it has no staples, tape, or toxic ink, it won’t harm them. So it makes sense to incorporate cardboard when you’re trying to make a cheap DIY rabbit hay feeder. For this version, you need a piece of NIC paneling or a grate.
The wire will form the front of the hay feeder, and you’ll tie it to a makeshift cardboard tray. The cardboard creates the back of the feeder box. Use string instead of glue or tape. That way you can quickly replace the cardboard when it gets tattered by your bunny’s teeth and claws.
8. Small Bunny Room Makeover – Bobo Ellie Buns
The focus of this video is installing a litter box that doubles as a hay feeder. The feeding holes are shaped like bunnies and should be small enough to stop the rabbit from getting inside the loading zone. You can line that area with a paper towel and a grate for easier cleaning.
The litter box side has an open bottom so you can slip in a plastic litter box. But this video offers a few more neat ideas. A vinyl storage rack – the kind with circular holes – is a good makeshift hay feeder. And exercise gates are perfect when your bunny needs time outdoors.
9. DIY Plastic Rabbit Hay Rack – Homestead Lifestyle
Earlier, we looked at a DIY rabbit hay feeder crafted from a see-through plastic storage container. But that one had a grate made from cable ties. Here’s a simpler version where the holes are cut in the front. Sand the sliced edges carefully so the burrs don’t hurt your rabbit.
In the earlier hay box, the feeding holes were on the bottom of the storage bin, but in this one, the holes are cut on the lid. Either option is fine, but be sure the lid is secure and won’t come off while your bunnies are tugging at their grass. Use S-hooks to hang your hay box.
10. DIY Hay Rack for Rabbits! – Strawbunny Bunch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amok4hKfB24
You already know the hay feeder should be positioned above the litter box. But neither of these rabbit accessories need to be complicated. In this setup, the litter box is a shallow plastic storage box lined with pee pads or paper towels and loaded with livestock pellets.
For the DIY rabbit hay feeder, skip the drama of folding and linking metal grates. Get a wire storage basket instead. You can stick them to the wall using command hooks, though the hooks will probably come loose after a few weeks. Buy them in bulk so you can replace them.
11. DIY Hay Bag for Rabbit – Counting Chick’ns
Do you have any shopping bags lying around the house? They could be cheap vinyl ones, disposable options, or breathable bags that are reusable. Ideally, you want one with sturdy straps that won’t easily break. To make a hay bag from these items, cut a hole at the front.
You could also place the hole at the bottom of the bag, but you’d have to hang it high enough for your rabbits to slip under it. To stop the fabric from fraying, line the hole with trimmings such as tape or quilt binding strips. Keep bags on hand so you can make new ones as needed.
12. DIY Hay Rack Bag! – Milky Bunny
Bunny piñatas are fun feeding toys. It’s basically a brown paper bag filled with hay, tied with string, and placed strategically so your bunny can burst it open. You can try a similar idea for a fabric DIY rabbit hay feeder. Just use a tote bag instead of a paper one. Canvas works well.
You can make this hay feeder out of any tote bag though. Just cut holes for the hay to poke out and voilà! The bag won’t last very long because the cloth will fray as your rabbits tug at it. But these bags are washing-machine-safe and quite cheap to replace so keep some in storage.
13. How To Make a Rabbit Hay Feeder – Bull Rock Barn & Home
We’ve looked at a DIY rabbit hay feeder constructed from hutch scraps. But if you didn’t build the hutch yourself, you can still go to Home Depot or your local equivalent and get the parts you need. Ask them to pre-cut the wire into the right sizes. It saves you some snipping.
Your hay feeder will have two wider sides and four narrower sides with the top left open. You don’t need a lid because the top is too slim for your bunny to get in. Use J-clips to join the five sides together, and make a wire latch so you can hang the feeder against the wall or cage.
14. I.Y. Rabbit Hay Feeder | Cheap and Easy to Make | Philippines
This video isn’t in English, but the directions are quite simple to follow. Still, if you are bilingual and you want to split your sides laughing, go to the video settings and turn on auto-translated English captions. Thank me later! For now, let’s learn how to make the hay feeder.
Instead of using wire storage trays, you’ll use a plastic picnic basket or veggie tray, the type with holes or grids in it. Cut one side open and use it to fill the feeder with hay. Sand the sides smooth to avoid injuries. Tie it outside the cage with the open sides facing the bunnies.
15. How to Make a J Feeder and Hay Rack for your Rabbits or Chickens
J-feeders and drinkers are popular pet accessories, and you could easily make one at home. But for rabbits, a J-feeder works best with pellets, so you’ll still need a separate hay box. This one is made from wood pallets and cage wire. You could also use reclaimed wooden planks.
To construct this DIY rabbit hay feeder, grab a wooden pallet or shipping crate. Use it whole or cut it to size depending on the space you have available. Nail hardware cloth or cage wire to the bottom of the pallet. That’s it! Set it up securely and use the open side to load your hay.
16. How to Make Cheap Rabbit Hay Feeders For $1.00 – SRH
Here’s another DIY rabbit hay feeder made of cheap plastic trays. The earlier version used veggie trays with holes at the bottom, but this one uses letter trays that have a solid bottom. The style on the side is different too, with long elliptical slots instead of tiny square grids.
The method is the same though. Slice through the grids on one side to make an opening for filling the feeder. Use sandpaper to smoothen any burrs or jagged edges. Then tie the feeder to the outside of the cage with zip ties. The tray’s openings should both be facing the rabbits.
17. DIY Hay Rack for Little Pets – Instructables
You’ve probably seen those wedge-shaped hay feeders made of wire or storage grates. They tend to be on the smaller side, so they’re best for baby bunnies. But you could make a similar unit from wood if you don’t mind all the sanding and the sawing. And it’s sturdier than wire.
This DIY rabbit hay feeder hangs inside the cage, so make a solid rectangle to rest against the cage wall. Cut and screw triangles for the sides. The front of the feeder will have dowels or wooden slats with gaps between them. Your rabbits will use those gaps to access their grass.
18. Super Easy DIY Rabbit Hay Feeder – Happy Harvest Homestead
Stroll through the dollar store and you’ll find tons of things you could turn into DIY rabbit hay feeders. In this example, we’re working with a portable laundry hamper. The type that has big holes and handles. This laundry hamper has cute elliptical holes of just the right size.
The process is simple. Cut the hamper in half lengthwise. That makes two hay feeders. Attach the cut edge to the side of your rabbit cage and you’re done! You won’t need to sand them, since the sharp sides face outward, but you can still smoothen them to avoid hurting anyone.
19. DIY Hay Racks from Repurposed Bag Dispensers
Have you seen these storage towers anywhere? They’re sometimes called vinyl storage racks, but they’re also used at grocery stores. In the store setting, the towers are filled with plastic shopping bags that customers or bag boys (and girls) can yank out when they’re needed.
You can get these plastic dispensers quite cheap, then assemble them and tie them to the sides of your bunny cage. The holes are just the right size for your rabbit to pull out its hay, so these storage racks are perfect for a DIY rabbit hay feeder. Or try a hanging flower basket.
What kind of hay feeder are your bunnies using at the moment? Show us in the comments!
