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Free Feeding?

Indy

Warren Scout
Just wondering what you'd do with a baby nethie thats very underweight? Shes been on Harrisons Chinchilla pellets which ive not heard of before... She'll be swapping onto Excel Jr/Dwarf eventually but i thought if she had a constant supply of pellets and hay it might bulk her up a bit? Shes only 3 weeks behind Indy but is about half his size :(
 
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Finally found the analysis...

17% PROTIEN
4.5%OIL
13.0% FIBRE
ASH 7.0%
VITAMIN A
VITAMIN D3
VITAMIN E
COPPER AS CUPRIC SULPHATE

Why would you feed a baby rabbit on chinchilla food?
 
How odd!.....and sounds like a terrible breeder! :(

I wouldn't completely free feed her, but give her a handful or two a few times a day, upping the intake slowly as you change her to RABBIT food! (Funnily enough that's what buns eat! :lol:) Don't do give her too much too quickly, as she might get tummy problems, or could stop eating hay.
 
Thanks... Shes had a tiny handfull and some readigrass to tempt her out when we got home at 4, and has just had a slightly bigger handful now... Pellets are gone along with a bit of the readigrass so fingers crossed little and often will help!

I asked if she was a good hay eater (after Indy being a pain in the backside:roll:) and she basically told me that if shes eating readigrass then not to worry about how much hay she eats...

Hello bad decision, how nice to meet you, I'd like to introduce you to my sensible brain!
 
Thanks... Shes had a tiny handfull and some readigrass to tempt her out when we got home at 4, and has just had a slightly bigger handful now... Pellets are gone along with a bit of the readigrass so fingers crossed little and often will help!

I asked if she was a good hay eater (after Indy being a pain in the backside:roll:) and she basically told me that if shes eating readigrass then not to worry about how much hay she eats...

Hello bad decision, how nice to meet you, I'd like to introduce you to my sensible brain!

*snort*...:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
 
Is she small but in good body condition or small and underweight for her size? If it's the first she may just be a small rabbit, with cross breeds the size varies more and she may just have a different set of genes. If it's the latter I would get her vet checked as there could be sometime else going on, if she had access to food, even if it wasn't great food, she shouldn't be so much underweight.
 
Is she small but in good body condition or small and underweight for her size? If it's the first she may just be a small rabbit, with cross breeds the size varies more and she may just have a different set of genes. If it's the latter I would get her vet checked as there could be sometime else going on, if she had access to food, even if it wasn't great food, she shouldn't be so much underweight.

I think she's a baby, and if she was a weaker kit then her siblings might have eaten most of the food. (and if it's bad quality food then it might exacerbate it.) A bad breeder wouldn't have noticed.

Of course any new bun should be vet checked. :wave:
 
Shes small in size (and weight) but her coat isnt hugely bad... but its not great by a long shot. there are some pictures on here of her but not sure if they show her properly... I did wonder if she was the runt of the litter (or if she was sickly) as the others were bigger than her. She'll be popping to the vet for a checkup (and to check she is a she!) in the next few days.
 
Just wondering what you'd do with a baby nethie thats very underweight? Shes been on Harrisons Chinchilla pellets which ive not heard of before... She'll be swapping onto Excel Jr/Dwarf eventually but i thought if she had a constant supply of pellets and hay it might bulk her up a bit? Shes only 3 weeks behind Indy but is about half his size :(

Chinchilla pellets ... for a rabbit?:?
 
Not my choice - only had her three days :( poor bubba. No idea why anyone would use Chin pellets when they only own bunnies?! :roll:
 
all I can think of is maybe the sugar? chinchillas get diabetes easily so their food is low in sugar.... but a rabbit is not a chinchilla! :lol:
 
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