Before giving the wombat something solid to eat,
ask yourself “Will they find this in the wild?”
This is a wombat’s natural habitat
A wombat’s diet consists of coarse native grasses, Sedges, Tussocks, Rushes, Succulent plant roots and Tubers. If accessible pasture grasses are also eaten.
 Kangaroo grass |
 Poa (large Tussock Grass) |
 Spear Grass |
 Poa Grass |
 Poa Kentucky Blue Grass |
 Black Spear Grass |
Grasses to Avoid
Clover Grass
Buffalo/ Kikuyu Grass
The amount of grass you need to feed your wombat in care is something that you will learn from your wombat. If they are eating all the grass you give them – then give them a little more. If they are leaving some – then give them a little less. It will also change over time as they grow bigger and have less milk feeds. It is something that is constantly changing and needs a lot of common sense. Just like us they have days when they don’t eat much and days when they eat a lot!
SOMETIMES YOU MAY NEED TO SUPPLEMENT GRASS FEEDS
This may be the case in summer when grass is hard to find. Suitable pellets are Barastoc Calm Performer Pony Pellets or Gumnuts by Mitavite. These grass pellets are a basic cool food (free from oats) and suitable for wombats that are designed to eat a low fibre diet.
ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD SUPPLY OF WATER AVAILABLE WHEN FEEDING ANY TYPE OF DRY FOOD.
Do not feed dry pellets to male wombats under 6kgs in weight. At this size the joey is not drinking enough water on it’s own to compensate for the dry feed and crystals can form in the urine. If you notice your joey hunched and straining (but unable to wee) and the penis extended, this may indicate that a urinary tract problem is evident. Seek veterinary advice immediately. Delays can be fatal.
Always make sure the grass you pick is not contaminated. Don’t collect grass from building sites or built up areas where it may be contaminated by dog or cat faeces or toxic waste.