Reducing veg & veg/pellet ratios?

As it looks like Barney has snuffles, I'm going to need to cut down his costs so I can save some money for vets, especially if he's going to get a friend who might also have/catch pasturella.

It looks like its going to have to be his food costs, now I cant source baled hay and pellets are cheap so I would like to cut down on the costs of his fresh veg, which is normally £5-7 a week.

At the moment he gets 1 eggcup of pellets, 1 stick celery, 2 spring greens leaves, and then a handful of either herbs or rocket or something. He is just under 4kg.

Can I reduce the amount of veg he has, and how much? Will he get all the vitamins he needs? If I reduce it do I have to ensure he has a different type everyday? Should I up his pellets if I reduce his veg?

I was hoping to just get down to just 2 spring greens leaves a day, or 1 stick celery.

eta- he is slightly overweight at the moment, but not by much.

Fresh herbs are expensive- have you tried growing your own in pots? any changes must be gradual so maybe give him 3/4 celery stick for several days then 1/2 celery stick. If he's a hungry bunny he may eat more hay costing you more in hay, though.

Don't take on another bunny till you have sorted your finances for this one
as 2 bunnies will eat twice as much and also cost twice as much in vet fees-especially as you plan to get one who already has snuffles.

sue:wave:

sdf76 said:

Fresh herbs are expensive- have you tried growing your own in pots? any changes must be gradual so maybe give him 3/4 celery stick for several days then 1/2 celery stick. If he's a hungry bunny he may eat more hay costing you more in hay, though.

Don't take on another bunny till you have sorted your finances for this one
as 2 bunnies will eat twice as much and also cost twice as much in vet fees-especially as you plan to get one who already has snuffles.

sue:wave:

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I am growing some at the moment, but want them to grow a bit more before I start butchering them, then I think I would be able to only give him a handful a day so I dont kill them. And they seem to be attracting fruit flies...:?

I would prefer him to eat more hay actually, he's not a great hay eater, although it has picked up since I've bought the Hay for Pets hay.

I'm worried about vitamins more than anything, I want to make sure he's getting enough.

I am going to try and budget before I get the other bun, problem is I'm on a time scale, they need to be bonded by the middle/end of april really as they will be going into boarding June. Worked out I can afford to pay £90 a month for them both, but that means either no treats for me or working more hours. So I'd like it to be nearer £50 a month for both, and its over that just for him at the moment. (I'm talking running costs, not vets or anything).

nessar said:

I'm worried about vitamins more than anything, I want to make sure he's getting enough.

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As long as he's getting pellets then he'll be getting all the vitamins. Outdoor rabbits can get everything they need from the sun and hay so don't even need pellets.

Schuette said:

As long as he's getting pellets then he'll be getting all the vitamins. Outdoor rabbits can get everything they need from the sun and hay so don't even need pellets.

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ahhh good, so do you think an eggcupful pellets and hay is enough and the veg is just acting as a treat? (he's indoors)

From what I've read here then yes that would be fine. He'll need the pellets if he's indoros for his Vitamin D but everything else should be in the pellets and the hay.

In all honesty it's something I've been contemplating too. Especially in winter. Fresh herbs are such a huge chunk of the spending.

Schuette said:

From what I've read here then yes that would be fine. He'll need the pellets if he's indoros for his Vitamin D but everything else should be in the pellets and the hay.

In all honesty it's something I've been contemplating too. Especially in winter. Fresh herbs are such a huge chunk of the spending.

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ahh good thanks. Yeah I know, I worked out how much I was spending and had to stop buying the packs of herbs.

I think I will weigh him tomorrow and then slowly cut back and check he doesnt lose too much weight. In the vets words 'he's not too overweight' so I guess it wouldnt hurt for him to lose his mini-dewlap but I want him to stay fairly steady.