Is this enough food?

chrissie · Jun 19, 2009

I might sound silly saying this, but I have no idea how much my rabbits eat!! With having 3 of them, I'm constantly topping up their food and veg, so not sure what rabbit eats what!

Rosie weighs about 4lb and is eating everything I put in her cage. Yesterday, her first full day back, she ate about 1/4 of a banana, 1 carrot, half an apple and a handfull of dry food.

She is pooing and weeing ok.

Is that enough for her to eat? Or should she be on more? With the 3 of them, I was never sure who ate what!

Chrissie

Carrie1983 · Jun 19, 2009

I'm not sure tbh, but if I tell you what Zebedee eats...

Zebedee weighs just over 6.5kg (so just over a stone). He's a giant rabbit.

He gets adlib hay and also munches on his straw occasionally. He always has either a stick of seeds or a stick of corn available to him and he will munch on that as and when he wishes (usually gets through about half of one a week). He gets given a handful of pellets and a handful of mix each day and he will choose which he fancies on that day - usually the pellets or neither. He's not keen on the mix. He gets some dried fenugreek every day (about 5 or 6 coin-sized pieces). He gets given plenty of fresh veg and herbs (I grow my own herbs so he gets a variety).... cabbage and cauli leaves, cauli, brocolli, carrots etc etc. He is occasionally given an apple (very occasionally).

He doesn't like to eat too much of the same stuff so we tend to vary it a bit and some days he won't eat one item while he'll eat all of something else we have put in.

The vet has said he's one of the healthiest bunnies she's seen and his weight is spot on.

Mad Bunster · Jun 19, 2009

I think I would be inclined to not give as much fruit and sweet veg (the banana, apple and carrots) as these are very high in sugar and instead give more green leafy veg and herbs instead. You can still give some fruit and carrot as treats, but I think i'd try to reduce it for now.

Have you tried Spring greens, kale, watercress, parsley...that sort of thing??

Rhian33 · Jun 19, 2009

How much hay and grass? This should make up at least 90% of a buns diet. My 3 are out grazing all day and have unlimited hay in their shed. They have 2 of the normal "rabbit" bowls in the evening filled with fruit and veg and a handful of pellets. This is between them. Took them to the vet this week and their teeth and weight are fine so looks like mine is about right.

Tamsin · Jun 19, 2009

Rabbits do eat almost constantly but you need to make sure what they are eating is a balance diet. The best way to do this is to restrict the pellets but let them eat as much hay as they want. So, for three buns about average size I would feed about 75g of dry food (high fibre pellets) a day. You can feed this how you like, once a day, split in two, handed out like treats etc.

Then they should have hay always available.

Then fresh foods are a bit more down to the owner, you need to build up quantity gradually but you can feed a bowl full a day if you want once they are used to it. Go mainly for greens rather than fruit though. Remember rabbits would naturally eat leafy weeds rather than banana.

neilp83 · Jun 19, 2009

Hi there. My two (mini-lops) get two spoon fulls each of pellets plus lots of veggies on a morning, (broccoli, cauli, lettuce, rocket, herbs, spinach, spring greens etc.). I normally rotate and mix up the veggies so they don't get bored. They then get another two spoonfuls of pellets each in the evening.

They get a bit of something sweet (carrot, apple, banana, parsnip) once or twice a week.

Plus an unlimited supply of hay.

If you are in to growing, you should try planting a couple of Swiss Chard plants. From seed they mature in about 8-12 weeks. Once they are up and running the leaves grow to the size of a bunny and you can pick them almost daily. Mine love to chew on one.

chrissie · Jun 19, 2009

Thank you for the replies

She only has the banana for her meds to go in, it isn't something I ever thought a rabbit would eat normally

She would normally be outside, grazing for most of the day, but now being stuck indoor, I'll have to go and get her a handfull of grass cuttings

I was going to go and de weed the front garden tonight to give her some dandy leaves..... I've left them there especially to grow for the rabbits

So more greens, less apples and carrots

I have an allotment Neil and so when things finally start growing, they will never be short!

Have yet to start my chard off, but have plent of broccoli, caulis, cabbage and beet growing which I'm sure they will love

Happy Hopping · Jun 19, 2009

Your bun's diet must compose of 90% hay. They need a huge amount of fiber. The remaining 10% is pellet, green, fruits and some treats.

The hay is also necessary as it helps them wear off the on growing molars in their mouth. If your bun doesn't have hay stem daily, eventually his molar will overgrow, then you need to have teeth surgery. Hay stem greatly reduce the growing of molar (teeth)

If there is more than say 7% pellet, then your bun will eat the pellet, not the hay. As they love pellets. So you need to control and downsize the pellet and focus primarily on hay, especially hay stem. You always give an unlimited amount of hay at all time, far more than enough that should last for days, then refill them when they run low.

Is this enough food?

chrissie

New Kit

Carrie1983

Warren Scout

Mad Bunster

Mama Doe

Rhian33

Warren Veteran

Tamsin

Administrator

neilp83

Young Bun

chrissie

New Kit

Happy Hopping

Wise Old Thumper

Similar threads