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Changing the way i Feed the buns

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Phill

Wise Old Thumper
At the moment the buns get fed every other day with massive bowls of pellets and they get huge amounts of hay at all times. The only problem im having with feeding the buns this way is that some of them seem to have got the idea that they can pee in the food dishes!!!!

I am thinking of changing this so that each bun gets a bowl each night of pellets instead of one big bowl every other night. What do you lot reckon????
 
Alfie kennedy said:
I think thats a better idea Phil!
Click to expand...

Thanks Alfie. The buns arn't starving and there used to the way there fed now but they keep peeing on there pellets!!
 
My lot actually get half of their daily allowance of pellets in the morning and the other half in the evening. They only get a small amount of pellets and they are usually gone within less than a quarter of an hour!

Vera
 
in winter I feed morning and night, a hand ful of pellets each, in summer just at night, same amount...I figure they need the extra food to cope with the winter weather. The indoor buns just get a handful each at night all the time.
 
How many times are you supposed to feed rabbits? Just reading your comments and now I feel worried. I do it once a day, two seperate bowls one upstairs and one downstairs in their hutch :oops:

I was told 80% of their diet needs to vegetation like carrots, grass etc
 
No need to feel worried, what you are doing is fine! They should have hay and/or grass available at all times, bunnies need to munch throughout the day to keep their digestive system moving and most of their diet should be hay/grass to keep their teeth ground down. Pellets and veg are really just to supplement that, many people feed once a day.

Personally I feed pellets twice a day, but that's purely because I like to check before I go to work, and again in the evenings before the vets closes, that all the bunnies are eating normally. They usually attack their pellets with great gusto so I know that something is wrong if they don't do that. Because I'm not usually around during the day to monitor their behaviour, I prefer to at least know that they are eating!
 
I feed mine once a day :) It's really up to you and your bunnies. As long as they have hay available all day they'll be perfectly fine :) If you do feed twice a day, then you have to make sure you split the feed in two and not feed them abit extra each time so it adds up to more.

Feeding once a day is also a good way to help make sure they eat their hay if they're a bit picky.

Tam
 
Tamsin said:
If you do feed twice a day, then you have to make sure you split the feed in two and not feed them abit extra each time so it adds up to more.
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That's very true, it doesn't look much if you split it into 2 meals - my bunnies do look at me as if to say "is that it?" It's all gone within a couple of minutes :lol:
 
well when I drop pellets on the floor out of the sack, and don't pick them up again they are soft the next day - maybe they pee on the left over pellets because they are peed off with soft pellets? :)

I would feed once a day at the same time as they get fed now every other day - The other problem with feeding 2 days worth in one go is that some will scoff more than others, and eat hardly any hay as a result.

Mine just get a large handful in the morning, and a few extra to get them in at bedtime (less in summer - probably about half that, and less for the house bunnies too)
 
I think it would be better for you to change. Rabbits should only have enough pellets that they will eat them up quite quickly, or they will eat too many. Mine get roughly(depending on size) a handful and a half each once a day in the evening at this time of year, less in the summer. If any is left in the morning I reckon they are getting too much. Only immature animals should have unlimited access to pellets, which if you are giving them so much that there is some left the second day, yours are effectively getting. They will eat more hay given less pellets, which is good for so many things as you know. Plus it can't be good if they are weeing in it :roll:
 
At what age dou think buns should stop having unlimited pellets?

Sooty is 4mths old and Holly is possibly 2 maybe 4 weeks older than him

I still give them unlimited food and sometimes the bowl will last a day and a half. The do eat loads of hay too
 
Sue&Sooty said:
At what age dou think buns should stop having unlimited pellets?

Sooty is 4mths old and Holly is possibly 2 maybe 4 weeks older than him

I still give them unlimited food and sometimes the bowl will last a day and a half. The do eat loads of hay too
Click to expand...

Around 5-6 months I'd say. Once their growth slows down. Larger breeds probably need it for longer.
 
I give mine a handful and a half each at night. Even though they're just babies, I find that Fidget's poos get a bit moist for my liking if I give her unlimited pellets, and Daisy is a big hay muncher, and I don't want to discourage her from this good habit by giving her a huge bowl of pellets to munch on unlimitedly. I sometimes wonder if I should be feeding them more, since they dive on their food as if I've starved them for years!

I wouldn't like to feed them once every 2 days if I had a group...Fidget is such a bossy mare that she'd probably eat the lot and not let anyone else near :lol: .
 
My lot get ad-lib hay or dried grass at all times.

Morning small handful of pellets, piece of carrot and a bit of ryvita or dried bread (wholemeal).

Evening selection of vegetables or fresh picked greens depending on the season.

They also have willow toys to chew on etc.

I used to feed pellets twice a day but cut it down to one as they where getting a bit porkie! :)

Louise
 
I split my lots feeding to twice a day, so I can check they're eating ok mornig and night. They get greens and a handful of pellets inthe morning, then a selection of veg and a handful of pellets in the evening.
 
Thanks Guys, it's really interesting to find out what others do. Im def gonna change them to once a day and i purchased a whole load of small bowls yesterday so they can have just a handful each. Hopefully that way it will stop certain bunny's peeing on them! :D
 
Heya, I don't know if this helps but here's how I feed Bramble.

As I work during the day I haven't really got time to do anything other than give him a quick cuddle and make sure he's got water etc.

So I've got him into the routine of being fed at night.

Each night I put a small handful of pellets into his bowl. I take about half of that and put it into his treat ball. The bowl does not go into the cage, it stays on the side out of reach.

He has a large bowl of veggies and his treat ball for the evening.

Each morning I take away the left over veggies (to be honest, there aren't usually any left anyway!) and empty any remaining food from the treat ball (if any) into his bowl. That goes in the cage for the day time.

He has fresh hay at all times.
 
Thats a great way to feed Red! I think i may have to invest in 24 treat balls! :lol: Feeding every other day works great in summer and as there are so many and i work feeding every other day was working well, but i find myself outside every night checking the buns anyway and one group i have always pee on there food! MMmm Any one know where i can get 24 treat balls?????
 
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