hay and veg diet.

for those of you who feed only hay and veg, how much veg do you need to feed per bun and what variety do you give?
i am going to change my lot to hay and veg, a few pellets as a treat and to use as bribery. i worry that i will not be feeding the right things during winter.
summer i dont panic as there are loads of wild herbs/plants to be picked.
i can get endless amounts of cauli leaves, cabbage etc and a sack of carrots for a couple of quid. my sea kale that i am growing for them is coming on a beauty and i will soon be able to start cropping 8) i am waitng to transplant some stuff then i will have room in my greenhouse for lettuces for the winter months
next spring they will have their own herb garden.
any advice greatfully accepted :wink:

I wouldnt feed rabbits ANY type of lettuce at all! Maybe you could increase their pellets over winter, as it is (in NZ anyway) really difficult to afford the proper quantities of certain veges and they are usually not the best quality in winter (things being frozen etc). And heaps of veges are even hard to just find (during winer) dont know the size of your rabbits. But aslong as they have unlimited hay i'd give them atleast a cup of veges each, more if they eat them all and atleast 3 different types at night, and something different in the mornings (you'll have to feed more in the mornings than those who's bunnies have access to pellets). Hope this helps.

The darker leaved lettuces are ok.

On an average night, this is for one rabbit, bear in mind I have 15 :shock: :roll:

One Carrot
Half Savoy Cabbage
One big Spring Green
One Floret Brocolli
Quarter of an Apple
Half Bag of Watercress
Half Bag Rocket
Small handful Spinach
Tiny handful Curly Kale (when in season)
One tomato
A couple of sprigs or Parsley, Basil & Sage (as I grow these)

We are rather spoilt here though

Gem said:

The darker leaved lettuces are ok.

On an average night, this is for one rabbit, bear in mind I have 15 :shock: :roll:

One Carrot
Half Savoy Cabbage
One big Spring Green
One Floret Brocolli
Quarter of an Apple
Half Bag of Watercress
Half Bag Rocket
Small handful Spinach
Tiny handful Curly Kale (when in season)
One tomato
A couple of sprigs or Parsley, Basil & Sage (as I grow these)

We are rather spoilt here though

Click to expand...

:shock: :shock: :shock:
Bloody H**l!!

How much does it cost you each night to feed all 15??

m
xx

flippin heck, now im worried that i am starving my two!!! they don't get anywhere near that amount of veg in a day.... :shock:

Wizbit said:

flippin heck, now im worried that i am starving my two!!! they don't get anywhere near that amount of veg in a day.... :shock:

Click to expand...

Don't forget I don't feed pellets or grass though

They would get considerably less if I could give them grass

Gem said:

The darker leaved lettuces are ok.

On an average night, this is for one rabbit, bear in mind I have 15 :shock: :roll:

One Carrot
Half Savoy Cabbage
One big Spring Green
One Floret Brocolli
Quarter of an Apple
Half Bag of Watercress
Half Bag Rocket
Small handful Spinach
Tiny handful Curly Kale (when in season)
One tomato
A couple of sprigs or Parsley, Basil & Sage (as I grow these)

We are rather spoilt here though

Click to expand...

That sounds like an awful lot of veg for one rabbit every day! :shock:

Mine have -
One small spring green leaf
Couple of florets of broccoli (not the whole stem)
Half a carrot
Small amount of parsley
sometimes a small handful of Kale (but this is not fed every day)
Occasionally they get a cauliflower leaf or romaine leaf

Once a week a small piece of apple as a treat and very rarely a piece of pineapple, grape or strawberry.

They get at least two hours on the grass a day (sometimes 6 hours) and unlimited hay.

How much does the amount of pellets affect the amount of veg you feed?

I'm, worried I don't feed Deej enough, as he is a fairly thin bunny - though he is very healthy, has a lovely glossy coat and is full of energy! I guess it's just that some people have quitre large (fat) buns, and some are quite petite(bony).

He normally has unlimited hay, and one (small) handful of pellets (so not many, they just cover the bottom of his bowl) every day. A 1-2 inch piece of cucumber, 1 or 2 large cabbage leaves, & a couple of celery sticks or a small carrot.

I also give him the apple core (minus pips) and some peel whenever I have an apple - which is several times a week.

As and when I have them in he also gets any of the following, tomato, parsley, cauliflower leaves, cauliflower, broccoli, spring greens, dandelions, corn cob husks and silks, a grape or strawberry, melon rind, radishes, pepper, dried cranberries and coconut (from a tropical mix I like).

He also sometimes gets a small piece of dried bread crust too.

My vet is really anti pellets and I'm currently finishing off my two 10kg bags of SS as I wean them onto a grass and hay only diet. I think a handful of veggies is the approx amount a bun should have a day, apples and carrots and such have a lot of sugar etc so should be given sparingly. Tescos sell "greens" at the moment and the buns love the big dark green leaves.

Blimey Gem :shock:

Mine get a slice of cucumber, a floret of broccoli, a small piece of celery, a leaf of spring greens and occasionally a small chunk of carrot. It all fits in their normal feeding bowl

Gosh! Mine have a leaf of spring greens every morning, and half a carrot +tops and a couple of sprouts or celery in the evening, a handful of pellets each, some grass and lots of hay. I often treat them during the day to a piece of apple, grape or herbs - whatever's sat in the fridge. Two of mine have upset tummies after brocoli and cauliflower, so I can't feed that any more.
I worry that I'm not feeding them enough, but they all love their hay and readigrass and they all look healthy and produce the hugest poos
Ruby is very slim, but that is her build - she's a belgian hare cross.

I don't think that anyone should worry if your rabbits have unlimited hay (and they will eat hay) they won't go hungry.
If i feed mine too many veg i get lots of caecotrophs in the hutch so i know to cut back a bit.

Mine get half the recommended amount on the packet of Excel (I remember measuring the amount they recommended and it was 1 bowlful per rabbit per day, so I give half a bowful per rabbit per day). Unlimited hay, then veggies in the evening (usually also a couple more pieces of random veg during the day as treats). The veggies they get are usually two or three of the following per rabbit:

1 brocolli floret
1 chunk of carrot
half a seedless grape
large spring of parsley
1 leaf of dark leafed lettuce
curly kale (when it's on offer in the supermarket!!)
half a dried apricot

AMETHYST

thanks all