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Am I being a good bunny owner? NEW PICS

LionheadLuver

Warren Veteran
Hiya

Just want to make sure that my girlies have a good bunny mummy. Here's their diet:

20g of SS pellets twice a day between the two of them (which they share equally, so they get about 20g a day per bunny) (if that makes sense!!)
4 small handfuls of meadow hay placed in large hay balls
1 small handful of dried grass

Is this diet ok for them? Milly has one thin slice of green pepper a day and Molly doesn't eat any veg or fruit.

Their run is on concrete at the mo and has been all winter but I am slowly transferring them onto grass. Today, they went on the grass for 15 minutes. This is their plan to transfer them fully onto grass:

Day 1 - 30 minutes
Day 2 - 45 minutes
Day 3 - 1 hour
Day 4 - 1 and a half hours
Day 5 - 2 hours
Day 6 - 3 hours
Day 7 - 4 hours
Day 8 - 5 hours
Day 9 - 6 hours
Day 10 - 7 hours
Day 11 - 8 hours

Is this ok? Is this safe enough for them to transfer slowly onto grass?

I find that their run is quite cluttered and they hardly have any space to run around in. Is a shelter, two litter trays and a tunnel really essential? It has so much more space with nothing in it apart from water and hay.

Sorry it is so long, just want to know that I am doing everything right.
 
I would say unlimited hay so they can graze when ever :D

Maybe post a pic of their run to give us more idea.

Sounds like you are trying really hard though and want the best for your buns :D

Rabswood
 
I'd say unlimited hay - mine get a big fat litter tray each rabbit topped up daily.

I don't weigh my Science Selective but all of my buns get an egg cup full each once a day, plus a small amount of mixed veg.
 
Why don't they have any veg now though..? I'd always allow them as much hay as they want, regardless of grass munching :)
 
lots of hay :) it seems the more i put out the more pearl eats.. even alvins being a good boy after his scare...
 
I would give them a bit more hay.

I know what you mean about clutter in the run cos i looked at mine today and there are so many toys theres not much free running space cos they have an entire hutch in there for shelter. :oops: Im attaching another run soon though.

couldnt you reduce it to one litter tray, and put it inside the shelter? how big is the shelter?

but I reckon being a good bunny owner is more about putting in the effort, and constantly looking for how to improve, than about getting things right first time. so yes you are. :D
 
Thanks for the replies. Regarding the hay, I fill up 2 large hayballs twice a day and they don't seem to want to eat anymore than that. The hayballs are never empty when I replace them with fresh hay, so it's not like they want more hay. They only eat fresh hay, they never eat old hay. :roll::lol: Silly bunnies.

Molly's never liked veg or fruit so I don't give her any. Each time I try a new veg with Milly, I try it with Molly too, but it seems that she just doesn't like any veg or fruit.

I have two litter trays because they go in the corners so I put a litter tray in two of the corners, the shelter in the another and a water bowl in the final corner. I don't know how to reduce it to just the shelter really as I think they'll still go in the corners?
 
Don't expect the grass to last for long! Mine have eaten every last blade of my lawn, and left it entirely made of moss and the odd daisy leaf which hasn't grown tall enough to get nipped off yet.
 
Here are some pictures to help with the run:

2aexiy8.jpg


This hayball is filled twice a day and there is another hayball which is also filled twice a day:

2wrnu5y.jpg


Milly eating the dried grass, to show a comparsion about the amount of dried grass they get a day:

2m5bjfo.jpg


And a cute piccie of Molly flopped in the sun:

addueq.jpg
 
Mine don't eat hay from the hayrack, they like it in their litter trays so they can munch whilst they do their business. Do you put hay in the trays? If not you could try it to encourage them to eat more hay. I buy a bale of hay and stick it in a wheelie bin, and it lasts for ages and that way I can give them loads of it without worrying about the cost of it.

Their run looks great, did you make it yourself or buy it?
 
They look happy, is that hay in a litter box as well, if so then it looks fine, I put it in hayracks and loosely in their litter tray, I only use they hayball for specialty hay/grass/dried dandelions :) Or as I did yesterday I popped some hay and dried grass with a few pellets in an egg carton and closed it to keep them occupied.
 
they look lovely and happy hun! I have the same run as you..have you painted it? Just when i got mine my dad said bcus the wood is quite thin it will rot quicker, just wondered if you had?

xxxx
 
That looks great, well done. I think your buns will love it in there just as it is.

I put different toys in with mine too on a rota basis. You could also try coveing the litter tray and shelter side of the run with tarpauline just incase it rains (you'll need to tie it down though).

That's fab. Lucky buns.

Rabswood
 
Thanks everyone. That makes me feel so happy.

The run is covered with roofing felt so they can go in it every day, rain or shine and they won't get wet.

I think I need to buy them some more toys but I'm on a bit of a budget at the mo. They like toilet rolls and sticks and logs with food in it. :roll: :lol:

I haven't painted the run. I forgot to when I bought it. It has started to go moulty and rot slightly so may paint it with that varnish stuff.

The stuff in the litter tray is friendly natural litter and a small amount of straw on top. I used to use hay in the litter trays and it worked, but they did soil it (obviously!! :lol:) and I can't afford to chuck away that much. I don't have any farm shops near me that sell large bales of hay.

The run is from HappyHutch.com, the 5ftx5ft one.
 
My buns (all 8 of them) most favourite toy is a cardboard box. I get the large bowes that cereals are packed in from the supermarket (have to ask the staff as they ae stacking the shelves or they flatten them) and cut out windows and at least 2 exits. The buns go in and out all day long and chew them to bits.

Also if you know anyone who is pruning their fruit trees - apple, pear, I have also given them cherry. I get them cut into 6/8 inch pieces or if they ae larger branches just give them a branch. They completly strip the bark off! All my friends and neighbours let me know when they are pruning their trees. The number 0f times I've had branches in the back of my car...:roll:

Pine cones. I collect them from the woods and microwave each on for about 5 seconds just to kill any thing I can't see. They throw these around and chew on them.

Rabs
 
Thanks everyone. That makes me feel so happy.

The run is covered with roofing felt so they can go in it every day, rain or shine and they won't get wet.

I think I need to buy them some more toys but I'm on a bit of a budget at the mo. They like toilet rolls and sticks and logs with food in it. :roll: :lol:

I haven't painted the run. I forgot to when I bought it. It has started to go moulty and rot slightly so may paint it with that varnish stuff.

The stuff in the litter tray is friendly natural litter and a small amount of straw on top. I used to use hay in the litter trays and it worked, but they did soil it (obviously!! :lol:) and I can't afford to chuck away that much. I don't have any farm shops near me that sell large bales of hay.

The run is from HappyHutch.com, the 5ftx5ft one.

i dont know if you have a focus near u hun but i got a huge tub of paint there for £4.78, and its animal friendly, you can buy it red cedar which matches the colour of the run!:wave:

my buns fave toys are willow baskes, pick them up at garden centres for like £1.50, just make sure they are untreated x
 
my buns soil hay that is in their litter tray so i got a hay rack (actually a bathroom tidy thing :lol:) and sort of suspended it from the side of the run just above the tray...can get a pic if you like
 
What all veggies have you offered? You might yet find something they both like...

I have offered brussel spronts, spring greens, carrot tops, carrots, flat leaf parsley, celery, apple and green pepper. Milly loved every single one but Molly doesn't like any.

my buns soil hay that is in their litter tray so i got a hay rack (actually a bathroom tidy thing :lol:) and sort of suspended it from the side of the run just above the tray...can get a pic if you like

I was thinking of suspending the hay balls next to the litter trays too. In their hutch, they are sort of suspended near the litter tray.

Thanks for all the replies. I was thinking of putting one litter tray into their shelter. It fits perfectly but it blocks some of the entrance into the shelter. Will this be a problem? I'll try and get a piccie of it in there.

I'll try and get some big branches to put into their run if we prune the trees, I think they'd love it.
 
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