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Reducing Pellets to Encourage Hay Eating *Now with poop pics*

Fluffers

Wise Old Thumper
In an attempt to improve Paw-paws hay in-take, I've been a bit more precise re. pellet feeding of late.

She used to get "a small handful" (about an egg cup) morning & night + veggies & unlimited hay.

Five days ago I started counting out how many (SS) pellets she was actually having. Now, I know they vary a little in size and so it isn't as scientific as it could be, weighing would be more accurate but I figured this was still better than the "handful" method and quick & easy to do :D

We've quickly settled on 12 pellets am & pm (reduced from around 15-17), with everything else as before & I plan to reduce this to 10 in another month (if she's not found a home by then) and as the weather warms up.

The difference in just five days is A-MAZ-ING :D:D. Not only are her droppings more like Bouncers "text book" ones now (he's a real hay monster) but they are more consistent too. Nothing else has altered, same hay put in the same place etc so it can only be the small decrease in pellets that has made the difference. Now when I go out to see her she's either asleep or eating hay where as before she was either asleep or just sat looking bored :(

So, for anyone who is worried about reducing pellets or just trying to improve things on the hay munching front I thought you might be interested in my little story :wave: A very small small change can make a big difference :D:D

Piccy & a short vid of the little lady enjoying some of the good stuff
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...and just her looking cute :love:

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:love::love::love:

Great account there Fluffers, nicely done :)

Paw Paw is soooo adorable. Reminds me of my Fluffy :love:

Amazing how much different it can make. I may actually cut B&G's down a little more as they ahve ~40 pellets a day roughly :shock: They are both good hay eaters however.
 
Thanks Gray - she's a little sweetheart :love:

Just got back in from shopping and went to check on the buns. Paw paw is sat where she was when I left her - still munching away :lol::D:love:
 
Thanks for sharing - very encouraging! :D I'll be back later to watch the videos as need to catch Spenser (he's under the couch again). :roll:
 
:wave: Great thread!

She's totally gorgeous and well done you for adjusting to a diet that suits her better :)
 
Thanks for sharing - very encouraging! :D I'll be back later to watch the videos as need to catch Spenser (he's under the couch again). :roll:

The video is about 3 seconds long (my camera battery ran out :roll:) but you get the idea! I did think of you & Spenser when I was typing & hoped it might give you some extra confidence :wave:
 
Been back and seen Paw-Paw in action. :love: Funnily enough, Spenser has been having less pellets these last few days, but more by accident than design. A couple of times in the last few days I've went out to the hutch and found him nomming hay when there are still pellets in the bowl.:shock: He's on Excel, so I was in the habit of measuring with an eggcup rather than counting. I've had to stop temporarily as I broke an eggcup and don't want to risk doing this again until I replace the broken one.

Well done Paw-Paw, you are looking very pretty on the new nomming plan. :love:
 
Good thread Fluffers! :D

Paw-Paw is actually gorgeous :love::love: I don't know how you can stop yourself from adopting her :shock: I would be a rubbish fosterer:oops:

Thanks :oops::D

She is totally gorgeous and saying goodbye is just horrible but I know I'm making a difference and them leaving me means a wonderful home with another bun for company which is just the best :love:
 
oh I adore Paw Paw - her name is so cute!:love::love::love:

This is just great to see - especially as she is outdoors?
Its sometimes a worry with outdoor buns to reduce something you know they eat if they arent great hay eaters....just goes to show that they will eat hay if they know they supposed to! Wonderful she will feel so much better now & have something to do too! well done you!

I also think Paw Paw & Bouncer should stay with you hee hee hee! You can foster some other bunnies if you bond them! Naughty I know! hee hee hee!
 
oh I adore Paw Paw - her name is so cute!:love::love::love:

This is just great to see - especially as she is outdoors?
Its sometimes a worry with outdoor buns to reduce something you know they eat if they arent great hay eaters....just goes to show that they will eat hay if they know they supposed to! Wonderful she will feel so much better now & have something to do too! well done you!

I also think Paw Paw & Bouncer should stay with you hee hee hee! You can foster some other bunnies if you bond them! Naughty I know! hee hee hee!

Yes she's outdoors :D I was worried about giving her less because of the time of year and the fact that she wolfs everything down and there's never anything left and so "appears" hungry :roll: I was just hanging on until it warmed up a little :) She wasn't over weight and she did eat hay, just not as much as I thought she should :)

LOL re. keeping the two of them. It's 50/50 whether Bouncer will bond: it's been tried before and he didn't approve & was actually a bit of a monster :no: & so whilst bonding him to a bun isn't out of the question & may be tried should someone take a liking to him, Jill would also be happy to home him as a solo bun with lots of company, stimulation & space :love:
 
Awwwww she's so cute! I really want a Dutch :love:

I've reduced my buns pellets recently, they too have been nomming more hay! And more golden poops ;):lol:
 
Thanks for sharing this, and for thie pics of gorgeous Paw-Paw :love:

I need to do the same for some of our bunnies, but mainly with the aim of helping them slim down but I had been wary because of the weather. I am glad a small change has made a significant change to her droppings and hay-eating.
 
Thanks for sharing this, and for thie pics of gorgeous Paw-Paw :love:

I need to do the same for some of our bunnies, but mainly with the aim of helping them slim down but I had been wary because of the weather. I am glad a small change has made a significant change to her droppings and hay-eating.

It really has and because it was such a tiny change done very gradually I didn't feel "mean". I only wish I could reduce my own food intake in the same way... :roll::lol:
 
Fluffers, does reducing the pellet intake encourage them to eat their poop thingies, - can't remember the proper name - because our new three are eating plenty of hay but don't seem to want to reingest their poops x
 
Fluffers, does reducing the pellet intake encourage them to eat their poop thingies, - can't remember the proper name - because our new three are eating plenty of hay but don't seem to want to reingest their poops x

The "poop thingies" are called Cecals. They don't eat all of their poop, only the soft mushy ones. If you find a lot of cecals your bunny may not be well. It could also be due to diet or stress/depression.

You can influence the former immediately by improving the quality of their food and in the case of your three recently rescued rabbits specifically, reducing their pellet intake. Hopefully you should see an improvement within a few days.

ETA: having taken some advice, the other reason is likely to be that they are so overweight that they are unable to reach! Most rabbits like to eat them as they are passed.
 
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Fluffers, does reducing the pellet intake encourage them to eat their poop thingies, - can't remember the proper name - because our new three are eating plenty of hay but don't seem to want to reingest their poops x

Yes. If they have too much sugar, which is abundant in muesli type food, then it upsets the bacteria in their tummy, their special poops taste wrong to them and they don't eat them. One of my rabbits is VERY sensitive to it and only a small piece of banana will set her off.
 
Paw Paws golden poops :D:D:D :lol: *feels proud & ever so slightly embarrassed all at the same time*
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My OH saw me photographing them and said "OMG I have to get a picture of this. No one will believe that my wife takes close up photos of rabbit poo"...only he couldn't because I was using the camera :lol::lol:
 
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