How do you know your rabbits had enough to eat?

As title?

I imagine as rabbits have a constant supply of hay they can always fill up on that, but what about a bunny who can't eat hay?

Poppy is a dental bun and eats very little hay (she always has), she would rather starve than eat hay to fill up. Does anyone else have experience of this and how do you know bunny is getting enough food?

If I went by her behaviour she is hungry 99% of the time :lol:

Sorry I can't help, but an interesting question! Hope someone can help you :wave:

I had a dental bun with similar issues. Choose a pellet that is very high in fibre, at the time I used SS mature, and feed little and often if you can. I would start off with about 30g per kg body weight a day and monitor her weight, adjust the amount according to any increase or decrease in weight. Will she eat grass or leafy veg/herbs? It is better for them to fill up on fresh food other than pellets if they will eat it, as long as you increase the amount gradually, or you could even try her with dried herbs as well.

This is what I did but someone else might have another way of doing it

Good question, i imagine it'd be hard to tell, mine act as if they haven't eaten for a week as soon as they hear a packet crinkle :roll: even though they have unlimited hay.

Maybe an indicator, not so much if she is hungry at any given time but whether she is getting enough to eat generally would be her weight? I'm guessing if its normal and its staying about the same then you are feeding the right amount.

Pegasys said:

I had a dental bun with similar issues. Choose a pellet that is very high in fibre, at the time I used SS mature, and feed little and often if you can. I would start off with about 30g per kg body weight a day and monitor her weight, adjust the amount according to any increase or decrease in weight. Will she eat grass or leafy veg/herbs? It is better for them to fill up on fresh food other than pellets if they will eat it, as long as you increase the amount gradually, or you could even try her with dried herbs as well.

This is what I did but someone else might have another way of doing it

Click to expand...

Yes, she will eat veg, dried herbs....anything really except hay.

I do mix things in with the hay to encourage her and she does try a bit, the other day I heard a squeeking coming from the cage and it was Poppy's mouth as she tried to eat hay, she is better with meadow grass and timothy hay but she would never eat enough to sustain her weight.

I asked really because I have decreased her amount of veg and pellets very slightly the last couple of weeks and she has def lost weight (I will weigh tonight to see how much), that's why I wondered if she's actually hungry, I'd hate to think she is. The problem is her partner is what can only be described as 'tubby' :? but she tends to not eat when I feed seperately. I am moving in a few weeks so perhaps that could be the time to get them into a routine of feeding seperately, seems a shame but I know Peter should be having less pellets and veg-he just gets it because Poppy needs it.