Perfecting the diet..

aaammmyyy · Sep 28, 2014

Binky and Bella are Netherland Dwarf x Mini Lop to give you an idea on their size.

Bella loves pellets, hay..you name it!
Binky also loves pellets and hay but takes longer to eat

I've been trying to perfect their diet but i can't seem to get the right balance so im appealing to RU!:lol:

In the morning at about 8 they get SS pellets, and they probably get more than they should? they get just enough to cover the bottom of the bowl, Bellas are gone within 20 minutes but Binky can takes longer to finish her pellets and hay where as bella scoffs pellets then eats just hay.

They have unlimited fresh meadow hay so they generally have quite dark poos - yesterday we had no pellets and i noticed that when they just ate hay for the day their poos went a golden / lighter color though stayed the same size so i don't know if that means too many pellets?

anyway today i picked up some of the fiberfirst sticks (two boxes for £4) and i was going to break bits off as a treat but i really like how they eat them and the mouth motions if that makes sense:lol:

can anyone help me figure out the amounts they could get - say i gave pellets at 8am, then their bowl of forage/veggies at 12, and whatever a sensible amount of fiberfirst at 6pm? obviously it would have to work out with the amount of pellets so they dont get fat :lol:
then they have unlimited meadow hay and unlimited water.

just looking for opinions/advice really, thanks:wave:

Miss Binky Bunny · Sep 29, 2014

I was told a small eggcup of pellets max per day for my 2kg approx bun. (Not sure if she's a big mini or a small dwarf...) When I weighed the SS pellets out then weighed the Fibafirst, the equivalent was 6 long sticks of FF. Mine gets half of her pellets in the morning, then I deduct about a third of the pellets for supper and add a FF stick. (TBH she'd probably prefer just the pellets :lol

She also has unlimited hay (2 types, Timothy Burgess with the chamomile or birch and Beaphar Meadow Hay, together with some Readigrass atm.) Then a mix of fresh greens: veggies, salad, forage and herbs with one of those pre-cut carrot stick fingers for tea. In the evening in addition, which she'll constantly beg and camp out in front of the fridge for, we let her have kale and extra parsley, (it's good for hiding in her stacking cups, giant jingle ball and box of shredded paper!)

She's a bit spoilt as she's also been getting a teaspoon of fruit daily, which started from giving her pineapple or papaya when she's moulting. Usually at breakfast, or split morning and evening when she's on twice daily meds. Plus what was originally a way to get her back to her cage at bedtime, 2 fenugreek crunchies or a carrot/fruit munchie treat before bed. Weekends has dandelion, green oat, Natures Salad mix and Burgess Herbs along with her hay. Bank Holidays and her birthday she's allowed a shop bought sticky herb thing. A craisin after vet visits, and 5 or 6 of those mini Beaphar Dental crunchie things or Burgess Apple Snack thingies now and again to keep it mixed up, or a piece of homemade hay cookie. In addition, I usually have 3 pots of grass or herbs rotating that she gets to munch on every few days mid morning.

Since we've had her, her weight has been fairly constant. From 2.1kg when we got her when she was living off Waggs. Since changing her diet, about 1.93kg lowest and about 1.97kg max.

Seeing some of the snacks and treats other buns on here have been getting has been good. She plans to try out some of the Woodlands treats and Zooplus hay in the future.

Tamsin · Sep 29, 2014

As Miss Binky is doing, weighing is a really good way to track the effect of changes, so weigh them now, and then once a week and if you find they start going up, you know you need to cut back a little.

For pellets, if you are feeding lots of fresh food too, I'd go for 10-15g per 1kg of rabbit. It's tough to say what your bowl holds so try giving them a weigh too

Cutting out the same weight of pellets as you add in fibre first would certainly be a good way to do a rough change without adding extra calories.

aaammmyyy · Sep 29, 2014

Miss Binky Bunny said:
I was told a small eggcup of pellets max per day for my 2kg approx bun. (Not sure if she's a big mini or a small dwarf...) When I weighed the SS pellets out then weighed the Fibafirst, the equivalent was 6 long sticks of FF. Mine gets half of her pellets in the morning, then I deduct about a third of the pellets for supper and add a FF stick. (TBH she'd probably prefer just the pellets :lol She also has unlimited hay (2 types, Timothy Burgess with the chamomile or birch and Beaphar Meadow Hay, together with some Readigrass atm.) Then a mix of fresh greens: veggies, salad, forage and herbs with one of those pre-cut carrot stick fingers for tea. In the evening in addition, which she'll constantly beg and camp out in front of the fridge for, we let her have kale and extra parsley, (it's good for hiding in her stacking cups, giant jingle ball and box of shredded paper!)

She's a bit spoilt as she's also been getting a teaspoon of fruit daily, which started from giving her pineapple or papaya when she's moulting. Usually at breakfast, or split morning and evening when she's on twice daily meds. Plus what was originally a way to get her back to her cage at bedtime, 2 fenugreek crunchies or a carrot/fruit munchie treat before bed. Weekends has dandelion, green oat, Natures Salad mix and Burgess Herbs along with her hay. Bank Holidays and her birthday she's allowed a shop bought sticky herb thing. A craisin after vet visits, and 5 or 6 of those mini Beaphar Dental crunchie things or Burgess Apple Snack thingies now and again to keep it mixed up, or a piece of homemade hay cookie. In addition, I usually have 3 pots of grass or herbs rotating that she gets to munch on every few days mid morning.

Since we've had her, her weight has been fairly constant. From 2.1kg when we got her when she was living off Waggs. Since changing her diet, about 1.93kg lowest and about 1.97kg max.

Seeing some of the snacks and treats other buns on here have been getting has been good. She plans to try out some of the Woodlands treats and Zooplus hay in the future.

Wow thankyou, she sounds like a lucky bun!
I think I'll need to weigh the FF and the SS but the buns aswell which could prove difficult! :roll:
I really want to add the FF in though purley because of the high amount of fibre and the action they have to eat them is good for their teeth

Tamsin said:
As Miss Binky is doing, weighing is a really good way to track the effect of changes, so weigh them now, and then once a week and if you find they start going up, you know you need to cut back a little.

For pellets, if you are feeding lots of fresh food too, I'd go for 10-15g per 1kg of rabbit. It's tough to say what your bowl holds so try giving them a weigh too

Cutting out the same weight of pellets as you add in fibre first would certainly be a good way to do a rough change without adding extra calories.

Thanks, when I went to the vets she obviously had scales for rabbits...but all ive got is scales that are designed for fish which is like a mesh sling or electric kitchen scales so im not sure how I'd weigh them? :lol:
I used to be able to weigh my hamster on the kitchen scales in a tub without a lid..but the rabbits wont fit in there! :lol:

Tamsin · Sep 29, 2014

Scamp will sit on the kitchen ones :lol:

You might be able to get a carrier on but it can be tricky to read the numbers. Is the fish on a hanging on? Can you pop them in the carrier and weigh using that?

aaammmyyy · Sep 29, 2014

Tamsin said:
Scamp will sit on the kitchen ones :lol:

You might be able to get a carrier on but it can be tricky to read the numbers. Is the fish on a hanging on? Can you pop them in the carrier and weigh using that?

:lol: tried Binky on the kitchen ones but shes to excited about everything and doesnt sit still for food :lol:

I know Bella will sit still for food so will try her tomorrow, but binky will have to go on it in the carrier!

Id use the fish weighing things but they smell of, well...fish :lol:

Perfecting the diet..

aaammmyyy

Mama Doe

Miss Binky Bunny

Alpha Buck

Tamsin

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aaammmyyy

Mama Doe

Tamsin

Administrator

aaammmyyy

Mama Doe

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