How much should rabbits eat?

We have 2 rabbits, nethrland dwarf and lionhead (although we think they are cross bred) How much realistically should they be eating?

I give them hay twice a day and a bowl of pellets plus either carrot, apple, herbs etc once a day but they always seem starving!! Would rabbits eat and eat until they burst?

I can put a bowl of food down for our cat and she will only eat what she needs and then go back later when she is hungry,do rabbits not do that?

Thanks for your help.

PS i have never had rabbits before and i really them already!!!!

They should have unlimited hay that they can access at all times. Yes, rabbits always seem to be hungry :lol: ... but stick to a limited amount of pellets and greens and they'll eat hay the rest of the time. Oh, and cut down on the carrot and apple and include some other veg instead - there's more info here: http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/going_green_oct_06.pdf

when it comes to pellets and veg, rabbits generally act like they havn't been fed in a week, they just love love love to eat! i read a rule somewhere that recommends "1oz of pellets per 1lb of rabbit per day" and this is what i stick to. sometimes i half it if he ever doesn't eat his cecals.

My two sit with their noses pressed against the wire in the morning fading away gently for their breakfast. You would think they hadn't been fed in a week.

Yesterday I was pulling dandelions for them in another part of the garden and some tender new grass. I looked round and the two of them were up against the fence staring at me. As soon as they realised the dandelions were for them, they started binkying and jumping around. They love to eat and would be fat as pigs if you let them. That means they can't clean their behinds or eat their ceacal poos which are very sticky. If they get stuck on their furry bottoms (and lionheads have a VERY fluffy bum - like a hovercraft skirt) it can attract flies and lead to flystrike which is just gruesome.

I have my buns weighed at the vets when they go in and keep a close eye on their weight. I know that mine are a good weight but any more and they start to get podgy. I generally give mine a bit more in the winter as they are outdoors all year. However, in springtime I start to reduce the amount of pellets to one small teacup between two, a bit of veg at night and loads and loads of hay. My vet recommended giving them timothy hay to eat and meadow hay for their bedding as it is cheaper. The timothy hay has more fibre and has the benefit of wearing down their back teeth too as well as keeping their tummies in good order. Too much greens, pellets, or new foods can give them a loose bowel which can get you back to the risk of flystrike.

All our bunnies would be fat piggies if we didnt keep tight controls except for Fae. She actually possesses some common sense and will only eat what she needs

As the others have said-unlimited hay, very controlled amount of pellets, and mix up your greens and apples with a few different safe veggies

:wave:

:wave: I see you are from Darlington which is real close to me!

Mine have unlimited hay all day, and get about a handful or 2 of pellets each a day and i buy a mixture of veg each week (usually kale, romaine lettuce, parsley, basil, celery etc) and i mix it up every night so they aren't getting the same

They wolf it down like no tomorrow :lol: