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vegies!!!!!!!!!!!

bunnylove

Wise Old Thumper
hi when your rabbit was old enough to eat vegs,can you tell us how you started and what with if you can remember? in what amounts and how long it took before you can give a bowl of veg without to much worry about there digestive system.

i have got a rabbit that is just turning four months and what to know how to start introducting veg without killing him with kindness, i cant even cook my own family a meal without doing to much, so i would like some guidence and experiences
thanks
 
Hiya

Well if I can remember rightly (was 5 years ago!) when I got Pippa she was 12 weeks old. At the time I don't remember worrying too much, just gave her small bits of carrot to start with. Then if this is ok with the tum, a bit of celery etc etc. You really do need to go by what your buns tell you e.g. look at their poos everyday, if they are nice and round and hard then you are doing the right thing :) Keep introducing veggies slowly, I'd say one a week if you want to be cautious. Then if you do get a tumy upset you will know what veg didn't agree!! Mine also eat apple, cucumber, tomatoes, greens, curly kale, cauliflower, broccoli and more! They don't get all everyday tho, I tend to vary depending upon what is in the fridge. I found that banana and curly kale tended to upset my buns tummies, but obv yours may be different.

Once you have a few staple veggies then I'd say you can feed them without too much worry. Keep an eye on the poos and remove straight away if there is any diarrhea. Everyday mine get apple, carrot, celery and cucumber as their 'staple' veggie diet. Then in addition whatever is in the fridge and the occasional treat of raspberry and strawberry!

If you have any more questions or worries just ask, it really is very individul to bunnies as some have more tummy problems than others. Make sure they are eating plenty of hay as this is important for their teeth and the fibre to push everything along their digestive tract!

Nicola
 
so with my bunn thats has just reached 4 months how much of the first veggies i try should as greens would you give and then when would you give again ie....daily or ever other to see if its ok? plus my to rescues both male this one and a six month old does not eat much hay so is it still ok to give veg?

bunnylove xx
 
Mine mainly had Carrot and kale/cabbage to start with. I gave him a small piece of carrot one day, not the whole thing, and checked his poops.. they were ok so few days later i tried a little kale/cabbage. I did this each time i introduced a new veggie. I found celery and cucumber gave him runny poos so i avoid those.
As Nicola says all bunnys are individual. You just need to introduce veg slowly and in moderation.
 
Just start with a small disc or 2 of carrot. I think that is definately enough in the start. Just take it from there, if they seem ok after the first few days to a week increase it but still watching for signs as they get use to it then they will tell you, leaving stuff if they are full etc
 
Ok with your 4 month old bun I'd start off with a small amount of carrot on day 1. Monitor poos the next day, if all is OK do this for the next 3 days. So that's 4 days of just a small amount of carrot. Then introduce another veg, only a very small amount of say kale or greens. Repeat the same process with this second veg. If all is OK try a third veg the next week. You don't want to overload at first and when young so once you are on three veggies I'd leave it at that for a bit. Diddeen said that cucumber and celery gave her buns runny tums, but they don't with mine so it's up to you if you want to try them. If you do just repeat same process, slowly and a small amount. You will soon find out what agrees and what doesn't!

With your older rabbits I would try to convince them to eat more hay! Make it fun, so put in a cardboard box or toilet roll tube or mix their dry food into the hay so they munch some hay too. One of mine isn't a big hay eater but she still gets veggies and loves them, I check her poos everyday as only had her 3 months and ~I always know when something doesn't agree with her!

Hope that helps, are these your first rabbits?

Nicola
 
no there not my first rabbits really, my doe who i have had a year does everything you expect from a rabbit eats her hay and veg with no problem, she was paired with another doe but when i moved her in sep a fox got her, so bracken was left alone, so not being that exp. i went to the pet shop to ask how to bond her because she has been with bebe since she was 7 weeks old and did not want her to get lonely.

a long story really but i went to the p/shop and as i have mentioned my six month old bunnies was dumped so i took him, i breed them for the experience (shame on me but have no regrets as i have kept them all and would not paty with them thye r 8 wks now) and the 4 mnth old was in a well known pet shop and when mentioned that he did not look all that weel was told to take him at a reduced price otherwise they would put him 2 sleep in not so many words so i did.

he also is not a lover of hay, but thank good my doe was an excellent first time mum and has taught her babies well..
 
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