• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

How much to feed?

Jonny

Warren Scout
I don't want to overfeed my buns, but they do seem to get through a huge amount. Ben, in particular, clears what he is given very quickly and is always wanting more. The twin does aren't as bad.

I give them a large handful of pellets twice daily, along with some veg. Each bun would eat 2 or 3 full cabbage leafs, a couple of sticks of celery, half a dozen brussel sprouts, and a carrot everyday.

They are medium sized rabbits. Does that sound like enough? I was originally worried it might be too much, but they just seem so hungry!

The other thing I was going to ask is how much they drink? The water bottles I put up seem to be emptying very slowly. I have two bottles up for three buns for three days now, and they're both still 2/3 full. I thought they would be drinking more, so I set in a bowl of water last night in case the bottles weren't working correctly (though there are two of them). This morning the water bowl was empty, though I suspect it has quite possibly been knocked over rather than lapped up!
 
How old are your buns? If they are under 6 months they should be given as much as they eat, after that age slowly reduce the amount to the amount the manufacturers advise and get them eating as much hay as possible.

If they dont appear to be eating hay it probably is because they are full up on dry food. If you are not sure on what hay yours prefer, do try some of the hay samples many of the companies sell to see their preference.
 
Hay is the most important thing in a rabbits diet and most people on here seem to feed hay and veggies and a small amount of pellets.

I know how hard it is to get them to eat hay if they are really not in the habit of having it though.

Mits idea is a good one: www.thehayexperts.co.uk
Its about £3.50ish for samples, free postage.

Also, most seem to like dried grasses like redigrass which can be a good way to get them on to eating hay (you get some samples of grasses in with thehayexperts too).

I think for the moment it may be worth reducing their pellets a bit more to encourage hay eating, but just watch that they do not seem to lose too much as Ive heard of rabbits just refusing to eat hay and wasting away with no pellets :(
 
Mine love the Timothy Hay with Rye from the Hay experts, I bought some as a treat, put it on top of the hay bale on top of their hutch and the cheeky beggers have helped themselves to it and it's all gone. Might be worth trying that one :D
 
Will try one of those little sample packs and see :)

I suppose they could well be muching away at hay when I'm not looking - just that I've never seen them eating it (nor drinking from the water bottles either). That said, they love all the fresh veg and seem to be hopping around quite merrily. Big clean out of the shed needed tomorrow though! :lol:
 
My rabbits are plump and health on about a tablespoon of pellets each per day (ina treatball) and as much hay as they can eat. Bunnies are designed to do well on mainlly grass (or hay) pellets are a convenience thing for humans so we don't have to play around trying to get the right balence of nutrients to go with the hay.

Try hiding the pellets in the hay, if nothing else your buns will have fun rooting them out but they may accidentally eat hay in the process :lol:
 
mine only get a teaspoon of pellets a day each in their treatballs (i know arent i mean :lol: ) maybe you should put a new bag of hay next to their cage and say 'no bunnies you are NOT allowed to eat that hay' works for everything near my buns cage :lol: :lol:

how about trying excel herbage it is timothy hay with dandelion and marigold (i think ) in it my buns go crazy for it (will even leave their veges and pellets to go eat it) or like others have said try the hay samples (mine loved orchard grass)
 
Back
Top