How To Store Hay For Rabbits

How To Store Hay For Rabbits

Small hay storage ideas for rabbits is a good topic to cover for all bunny owners. We’ve tried everything from mesh bags to metal trash cans and several other rabbit hay storage containers on our own hobby farm and we’ve learned some good lessons to pass on to you. 

Now whether you have a single house bunny or an outside hutch full of bunnies, hay cost money and can get messy. And without doubt, hay is the best food for your rabbits so getting organized and managing your bunny hay storage with a good rabbit hay storage routine is important. 

Figuring out the best way for you to store hay for your rabbits also reduces wastage! Over the years, we have fount that the best way to store hay for a rabbit (or two!) is to find a suitable sized container and place the container somewhere that is:

  • Cool
  • Dry – no moisture, climate controlled is best
  • Shaded not in direct sunlight
  • Pest free
  • Away from heater or heat source
  • Off the bare ground – if outside, then not directly on the ground or poured concrete floor

Answers to “How do you store hay for rabbits?” depend on where you live, and how much rabbit hay you need to put in storage.  
We address a wide range of solutions for rabbit hay storage.

Best Way To Store Hay For Rabbits

The best way to store rabbit hay depends on your climate, and how much hay you need storage for. To start, let’s address why climate (for now in the USA) and and quantity affects the best way to store hay for rabbits. 

If you live in the far north then most of your year is relatively cold and across the country you may be living in a damp region or a wet region. But if you in the far south, then most of your year is relatively warm and again you may be living in a damp region or a wet region. For example, in the southwest it is warm and dry but, in the northwest it is cooler and damp.

This particular regional differences in climate matter. They matter for questions like how long does hay stay fresh for rabbits and how to keep rabbit hay fresh. We address these important regional climate differences in our outdoor rabbit hay storage section below.

Now, lets talk about the amount of hay that you need to store. Some homesteaders, hobby farmers, and rabbitry owners buy and store large amounts of hay that would require a small garage to store! But others happily buy just 5 lbs at a time and only need a small, secure space for storage. Read on to see what we suggest for both large and small amounts of rabbit hay storage.

Magnificent Bunny

Where To Store Hay For Rabbits

For many rabbit owners, homesteaders and hobby farmers, the question of how to store rabbit hay really comes down to whether you have room to store it inside.  If you don’t have room inside, then your remaining option is to store the hay outside.

Outdoor Rabbit Hay Storage

When we say outdoor, we literally mean outdoor – not in a garage, outbuilding or shed, but literally outdoors.

Can rabbit hay be stored outdoors?  Yes, hay for your bunnies can be stored outdoors.  Doing it correctly to preserve the quality of your rabbit hay takes a bit more time and effort than if the hay is stored under roof or inside a climate controlled home.  

Disclaimer: these outdoor rabbit hay storage solutions are meant for people who are buying in bulk, relatively large amounts of rabbit hay involved here. 

If you don’t have a need to buy rabbit hay in bulk, and really only by a small amount of rabbit hay at a time, then we address some rabbit hay storage solutions for you in the Indoor Rabbit Hay Storage section below. Including discussion of some recommended rabbit hay storage containers.

Here are several good options for how to store rabbit hay outside: 

Skillion or Shed Roof:

  • Use some pallets, a tarp and some fasteners to form a skillion or shed roof along side of an existing building
  • The existing building could be your home, a garage, or perhaps a shed that does not have room for the hay. 
  • Assuming you are working with some size of hay bale, use pallets to keep the hay off the ground.  Hay that is stored on the ground will absorb moisture from the ground and worms and bugs will move into the hay from the ground.  Moreover, mice and snakes are more likely live rent free under your hay bales if they are on the ground.  Pallets also allow for air flow between the ground and the hay bales to reduce moisture. 
  • Stack the bales on the pallets but be sure to not stack the bales right up against the existing wall. Leave at least 6 inches between the existing wall and the stack of bales.  How much distance you leave between the existing wall and your stack of rabbit hay may also depend on how much of a soffit or roof overhang exists.  
  • Additionally, you may choose to stack the bales so that they are higher near the wall and lower as you move away from the wall.  This will create a natural run off slope when you lay the tarp over the stack of bales. 
  • Next attach one complete edge of your tarp to the existing gutter or wall. 
  • Drape the rest of the tarp over the stack of bales and weigh down or anchor the tarp edge that is opposite the wall. 
  • You’ve created your own skillion or shed roof to protect your outside rabbit hay from the elements.

Rabbit Hay Bale Tower with Tarp Draped Over Top:

  • You can stack the bales on pallets and then cover them with a tarp. 
  • Place some old boards, logs, boulders, or pavers on the tarp so that it generally stays in place and does not blow away.  Tying down or weighting down the corners of the tarp may also help keep the tarp in place and protect your outdoor rabbit hay from the elements.  
  • You’ve created an old fashion haystack, of sorts, and placed a tarp over it to protect your valuable bunny hay from rain, snow, and sunlight.
Rabbit Hay Storage Using Ridge Line Tarp
Ridge Line Tarp Roof

Rabbit Hay Bale Tower between Two Trees and Under Ridge Line Tarp:

  • You may locate two trees between which you’d like to store your rabbit hay.  
  • Lay the pallets down between the two trees. 
  • Stack your hay on the pallets. 
  • Tie a sturdy piece of line between the two trees and at a height that is about a foot higher than your stack of rabbit hay. 
  • Now lay the tarp across the taught line so that the mid-line of the tarp aligns with the taught line. 
  • The tarp will slope down either side of the line of hay bales that you stacked between the trees. 
  • This “ridge line” tarp shelter is a popular shelter for campers around the world and it will keep your rabbit hay clean and dry.

Big Tip for Homesteaders and Hobby Farmers: 

In lieu of the typical blue or green woven polyethylene tarp from the hardware store, we have used rubberized rolled roofing material to tarp and preserve hay for rabbits and cows outside.  The poly tarps are cheaper for sure, but they also wear out in a season, or faster. 

The rubberized rolled roofing is many times more expensive, but we’ve been using some of these rubberized roofing material “tarps” for over 15 years. 

You can find the rubberized roofing material in rolls, sometimes at Home Depot or Lowes, but most often at a roofing supply outlet.  A google search will locate it for you. 

It is most commonly used for flat or very slight pitch roofs.  These rubberized roofing products are also heavier than a poly tarp.  Per square foot of area, they probably weigh 10 times more than a poly tarp and will typically last at least 10 times longer.  

If you’re a homesteader or hobby farmer and into the lifestyle for the long haul, then these dependable, multi-function alternatives to poly tarps are well worth the cost.

Here’s an example from Home Depot  10ft by 25ft  Black EPDM Rubber Roofing – weighs 102lbs.  Cost is $239.  250 square feet for about $250, with tax; means about $1 per square foot.  Black EPDM Rubber Roofing is a weather-resistant, commercial-grade roofing membrane. It resists tears and withstands light foot traffic. Some of these rubberized tarps are made from recycled materials as well.

  • Epdm rubber material
  • Weather resistant
  • Resists tears, impacts, punctures and light foot traffic
  • Commercial-grade, single-ply, low-slope roofing membrane
  • Approximately 250 sq. ft. coverage

Speaking of recycling, Billboard Vinyls is selling used billboard advertisements as tarps!   
In February 2022 the cost for a 14ft by 48ft recycled billboard vinyl is $78 and weight is about 48lbs. 
The cost for a 20ft by 60t recycled vinyl is $240 and weight is about 100lbs. We haven’t used these, but we hear great things about them.

  • Re-purposed billboard vinyl
  • Water-resistant, UV protected, heavy-duty coated PVC vinyl
  • Average thickness varies: 10 oz. – 15 oz. per sq yard / 12-15 mil
Rabbit Hay Storage - 4 Bunnies

Indoor Hay Storage for Your Bunny

Let’s shift gears to indoor hay storage ideas, more precisely, how to store rabbit hay inside?   By inside we mean under a roof.

Safety When Stacking Rabbit Hay Inside a Building

When stacking rabbit hay inside a building, please follow these precautions:

  • Do not block an exit
  • Do not stack hay near a heat source
  • Do not block a ducting vent
  • Do not stack hay directly against a wall
  • Do not stack hay where it receives direct sunlight
  • Do not stack hay on dirt, gravel, our poured concrete floor

Rabbit Hay Storage – Under Roof But Not Climate Controlled

So, let’s talk about under a roof but not climate controlled.  These solutions are also typically for those who are buying larger amounts of rabbit hay and include things like stacking rabbit hay:

  • Under a carport
  • Under an extended roof eave that projects far beyond the side of the building
  • In a garage, shed or outbuilding
  • In a barn
  • In a wood-shed, repurposed for rabbit hay storage
  • In any of the above, with a dirt, gravel or poured concrete floor

Some of these roofed storage structures have no walls while others are totally enclosed.  Note that items under a car port may be somewhat exposed to rain and snow when the wind blows hard, while items in a garage may never be exposed to rain, snow or even wind. 

Further, some of these roofed structures will have a raised floor and others will have a dirt floor. There is a wide variety of roofed structures that can be used for storing rabbit hay. Again, the common denominator here is that we are talking about roofed structures that are not climate controlled.  In the USA, that means a roofed structure that is not a living space for people. We will cover rabbit hay storage solutions for climate-controlled structures, aka homes, in the next section. 

So, the solutions for storing larger amounts of rabbit hay under roof but without climate control (that is without heat and air conditioning), have some of the same characteristics as the solutions for storing rabbit hay outside.

If the floor is dirt, gravel or poured concrete, then we don’t want to stack the hay on the ground.  Stacking on pallets is a good alternative. Under roof we typically still want to tarp the rabbit hay to keep dirt, dust and bugs off it, as well as shade it from direct sunlight.  Although, if the hay is already packaged in an appropriate, opaque, sturdy covering for shipping and sale then at your discretion you may not see a need to tarp the hay.

Bunny Hay Storage Tarp

Rabbit Hay Storage – Under Roof and Climate Controlled

Now lets talk about rabbit hay storage under roof and in a climate controlled environment. 

In most cases storing rabbit hay in a climate-controlled building means it is being stored in a home or perhaps in a workspace, like a workshop, or crafting room. In these cases, the rabbit hay will usually keep much longer, mostly because the moisture level is controlled.  Less moisture means better hay storage. 

Further, if you are storing rabbit hay inside your home, you probably are not storing large quantities and you probably wish to use a storage container. Many people with house rabbits store their rabbit hay in a rabbit hay storage container in the corner of the “rabbit room”, or in a utility room, perhaps the laundry room, etc.  

The smaller the amount of rabbit hay to be stored, the easier the storage solution.  That said, let’s finally talk about rabbit hay storage containers.

Rabbit Hay Storage Container

Using an appropriate container to store rabbit hay is a very good choice.   There are several very good hay storage containers for rabbits.  We happily recommend the “Vittles Vault” brand for rabbit food storage and rabbit hay storage containers.  You can find these on Amazon at at pet retailers. 

Can You Store Hay In A Plastic Container?

The quick answer for small amounts of hay that you intend to feed within a month is yes.

Can I Store Hay In A Plastic Bag?

Again, the quick answer for small amounts of hay that you intend to feed within a month is yes.  Keep the bag open for some air flow.  A sealed bag may trap moisture or condensation which may cause the hay to begin to mold.

We also talk about best rabbit food storage in our post about How To Store Rabbit Pellets.

How Long Does Hay Stay Fresh For Rabbits

Rabbit hay that is properly harvested and stored can last for several years.  Moisture is often hay’s biggest enemy.  

In moist climates hay will begin to mold and lose nutritional value faster than in arid or dryer climates. University of Minnesota Extension Service article about preserving value in stored hay.

Quality of stored rabbit hay declines due to mold and bacteria that use hay’s nutrients.  Further, the mold and bacteria generate heat that causes chemical reactions that further decrease the nutritional value of the hay.

This University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension article provides some interesting reading on Understanding and Reducing Mold Growth in Hay

How to Keep Rabbit Hay Tidy

Rabbit hay storage and feeding, particularly inside our homes, can be messy and untidy. Here’s a popular video on how to keep rabbit hay tidy.

Pests in Rabbit Hay Storage

Another risk of hay storage inside a building is that hay can harbor mites and other bugs or pests! Once in your house, the mites and pests may aggravate or infest your rabbit. 

In addition to reducing nutritional quality, acceptability and palatability of rabbit hay, pests can move into your home and begin to negatively affect you and your pets. Here are some excellent resources that discuss the pests that may be found in hay that you buy.

Final Thoughts

Although hay is costly, may harbor pests, and is messy, it is the best food for our rabbits. So learning about how to store hay for rabbits is important for all rabbit owners, homesteaders, and hobby farmers.

We provided several great lists, articulating guidelines for you as you consider rabbit hay storage both inside and outside, including some important safety tips. Always remember that determining the best way to store rabbit hay depends heavily on what climate you live in and how much rabbit hay you need to put in storage.

While we have covered solutions for the most frequent circumstances, let us know if you have any questions about storing rabbit hay, we are always happy to hear from you!

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