Diet/feeding routine for recently neutered boys?

[bluedragon]

Hi there. Our two boys have been neutered just last Saturday and are recovering fine, eating again like normal.

They are about 5-6 months old now and I'm wondering how we should plan out their feeding routine?

Up until now it's been like this:

----

Morning about 08:00
I go out to them and give them 2 cups of junior pellets (now mixed with adult pellets to move them onto adult pellets only eventually)
I notice they've usually eaten all the hay that was stuffed in the rack from overnight so fill it up again.
Hay is a mixture of meadow hay and alfalfa/lucerne
I replace the water bottle with fresh water

----

Evening about 20:00
Another 2 cups of pellets
More hay put in rack (stuff it to quite overflowing)
Water bottle replaced for the night

----

During the day time I put more hay in to keep it full and we usually let them have a run around the garden weather permitting (where they run around, eat grass) the duration of this has been steadily increasing.

They eat from the same bowl (hence two cups)

The cup size is probably a bit bigger than an egg cup (it's a scoop from a tub of Vanish if you know that!)


Many weeks ago B had a weight loss problem and became very thin so had to go to the vet and get some injections; he recovered fine from that but obviously needed to put the weight on so hence we started feeding them extra pellets. We also changed our hay supplier to a local pedigree show-horse supplier and added alfalfa (which seems to have helped, compared to the dusty farm bale we had before)

Past week or so I've been reducing their pellet intake a bit to maybe 1.5 cups twice a day. They really devour it all up and get super excited around pellet time!

Normally they have permanent link from hutch to playpen so they can run around a bit and usually every day around those times they're there waiting for the pellets :lol:

Anyway I'm wondering what would make a good feeding schedule and over what time period to introduce it? Oh for veg/fruit just the past few days we've given them very small pieces of apple; not really sure when/how often to give them fruit and veg?

 

[way1]

Hi there. Our two boys have been neutered just last Saturday and are recovering fine, eating again like normal.

They are about 5-6 months old now and I'm wondering how we should plan out their feeding routine?

Up until now it's been like this:

----

Morning about 08:00
I go out to them and give them 2 cups of junior pellets (now mixed with adult pellets to move them onto adult pellets only eventually)
I notice they've usually eaten all the hay that was stuffed in the rack from overnight so fill it up again.
Hay is a mixture of meadow hay and alfalfa/lucerne
I replace the water bottle with fresh water

----

Evening about 20:00
Another 2 cups of pellets
More hay put in rack (stuff it to quite overflowing)
Water bottle replaced for the night

----

During the day time I put more hay in to keep it full and we usually let them have a run around the garden weather permitting (where they run around, eat grass) the duration of this has been steadily increasing.

They eat from the same bowl (hence two cups)

The cup size is probably a bit bigger than an egg cup (it's a scoop from a tub of Vanish if you know that!)


Many weeks ago B had a weight loss problem and became very thin so had to go to the vet and get some injections; he recovered fine from that but obviously needed to put the weight on so hence we started feeding them extra pellets. We also changed our hay supplier to a local pedigree show-horse supplier and added alfalfa (which seems to have helped, compared to the dusty farm bale we had before)

Past week or so I've been reducing their pellet intake a bit to maybe 1.5 cups twice a day. They really devour it all up and get super excited around pellet time!

Normally they have permanent link from hutch to playpen so they can run around a bit and usually every day around those times they're there waiting for the pellets :lol:

Anyway I'm wondering what would make a good feeding schedule and over what time period to introduce it? Oh for veg/fruit just the past few days we've given them very small pieces of apple; not really sure when/how often to give them fruit and veg?

I wouldn't worry too much about the amount of pellets given as long as they aren't putting on 'excessive' weight. Some people are of the opinion that rabbits should only be given 'half an eggcup full' or a 'measure of six to eight' pellets etc. They need decent feeds irrespective of what anyone says!!!
Your boys are just where you want them - eating reasonable feeds of hopefully good quality pellets and plenty of hay.
You possibly could omit the alfalfa hay at this stage and supply them with their usual meadow hay, again make sure it's good quality i.e.. free from as much dust as possible etc. If you wanted to expand the range of hay, you could look at 'Hay4Pets' web site. There you will find their excellent 'Ings' hay or if you wanted to really 'push the boat out' you could try the Oxbow western timothy hay.
There is a list of suitable veg somewhere on this site, maybe someone else could tell you where to find it. Just go easy on the fruits though.

 

[Hesperus]

I wouldn't worry too much about the amount of pellets given as long as they aren't putting on 'excessive' weight. Some people are of the opinion that rabbits should only be given 'half an eggcup full' or a 'measure of six to eight' pellets etc. They need decent feeds irrespective of what anyone says!!!
Your boys are just where you want them - eating reasonable feeds of hopefully good quality pellets and plenty of hay.
You possibly could omit the alfalfa hay at this stage and supply them with their usual meadow hay, again make sure it's good quality i.e.. free from as much dust as possible etc. If you wanted to expand the range of hay, you could look at 'Hay4Pets' web site. There you will find their excellent 'Ings' hay or if you wanted to really 'push the boat out' you could try the Oxbow western timothy hay.
There is a list of suitable veg somewhere on this site, maybe someone else could tell you where to find it. Just go easy on the fruits though.

I disagree with that! My bunny got seriously ill and the resaon was that exact advice! Bunny's tummies are not made to digest pellets so I think you should, once they're at a healthy weight, limit the quantity. A wild rabbit wouldn't eat any pellets at all, as my vet put it, all pellets are is a vitamin supplement to make up for the lack of vitamins they'd normally get through foraging and sunlight!

 

[tonibun]

We normally work on an eggcup full of pellets per bunny per day, so you need to aim for this amount now they are approaching 6 months and summertime with Unlimited hay which is their main food with the grass as well. Rabbits shouldn't be given a lot or any fruit, but a tiny piece of apple now and then is usually ok.

Mine like spring greens, you can also give them herbs like they would find in the wild. Carrots are very high in sugar so a tiny piece now and then as sugar can upset their delicately balanced digestive system. A small piece of broccoli stalk is enjoyed, also small portion of cauliflower leaf.

 

[bluedragon]

Ok thanks for the tips, I already started reducing their pellet supply so will get it down some more over time. They seem to be eating the hay fine so more of that I guess

They've never had fruit/veg up until now (unless grass counts!) and only had 3-4 small pieces of apple between them in total since they came back from op, none past couple of days. I am not sure how/how often to introduce veg? Once Daily? Once a week? Twice or more?

 

[tonibun]

You say they have been eating grass, so assume they seem ok. Just introduce small pieces of veg, one veg at a time, such as Spring Greens if it looks healthy, dark green cabbage, herbs. If they have any bad reaction you will notice the difference in their litter tray. Hopefully they will be fine.

 

[Tamsin]

Their main diet should be hay/grass and it sounds like you've got that covered. That's the really important bit

Then you need a balance of pellets/fresh foods. What you might like to do is decrease the pellets a little and make up the difference in fresh foods. Because these are lower in calories, they can eat more of them so they feel full and they are very tasty so you don't feel like you aren't feeding them :lol:

Leafy greens are best either human veggies or weeds like dandelion. Introduce them gradually monitoring their poop but once they are used to them you can feed 1-2 mugs per bunny per day with a mix of foods. Personally I feed a lot of scraps so the offcuts of any veg we eat - broccoli stalk, cabbage leaves, carrot top/peel that sort of thing. It means you can feed a nice variety without spending a fortune. Just have a bowl in the fridge you fill during the day and they have it for dinner. I would start with one type at a time so you can see if any upsets them and just feed a little to begin and build up gradually.

Now they are neutered adults you can continue to phase out the junior pellets and the alfalfa (just use up the current bag mixing the new/old).

 

[jwr]

yours sound like they eat ots of hay so thats brilliant , mine also go crazy for pellets i suppose its like a treat , i don't feed fruit they don't need it really and a quick fire way to a rabbit with a runny bottom is greens they don't need them either , you could feed herbs in small quantities mine love a little bit of mint which i grow in the garden it spreads like crazy and a couple of dandelions now and again...

hay is the main food they don't need fruit and veg its us humans that think they need a bit of variety ,rabbits eat to live

 

[Tamsin]

Veggies are just the cultivated version of feeding the plants rabbits would eat in addition to grass so dandelion, thistle, blackberry leaves etc. if you can collect those that's great but sometimes it's a bit impractical so supermarket alternatives like cabbage leaves or rocket work too.

Grass is the most important but the other plants help make sure they get a full range of vitamins/minerals. Most pellets are fortified with vitamins anyway so they can get those via pellets or veggies or some combination of the two. I like veg/forage as a source because it gives you more opportunities for enrichment and fresh foods help gut hydration too particularly if a bun is eating hay rather than fresh grass.

 

[jwr]

thing is if a rabbit eats mostly hay it will drink more anyway , spring greens are a no no, anything dark green avoid like the plague! even too many dandelions are a mistake

 

[Tamsin]

Would would you class as dark green?

I've never had a problem with cabbage, brocoli, kale, cauli, rocket, carrot tops, dandelion etc. blackberry leaves are about the darkest green I can think of and those are excellent for the gut - full of fibre. Obviously everything needs to be introduced slowly and there is always the odd bun sensitive to particular things. Tbh I think most issues arise because bunnies don't grow up on a wide variety of foods. I've always started to introduce greens as soon as I've got a bun a 8-12 weeks, Scamp was handreared so started even earlier, and I've never had a bun with sticky poop/gut issues.

Off the top of my head this week Scamps had strawbery tops, melon rind, apple/pear core, pineapple, carrot/parsnip peel, butternut squash skin, sweet pepper core, swede skin, kiwi skin, romain lettuce, possibly a broccoli stalk (can't remember when we ate that), a few apple tree branches and a couple of dandelion plants bigger than him. Plus a bowl of grass per day, he also gets about 10g of pellets and about 3 homemade treats (banana, carrot, oats, pellets, fenugreek) per day. He's not over weight (a mear 1.45kg), is very fit and has lovely poop :lol:

 

[jwr]

my goodness does he have hollow legs :lol:

wow he can handle all that veg and fruit not many bunnies could , .... bunnies are unable to pass wind and that amount of veg could cause alot of flatulence...

i feed hay and a small amount of pellets they drink lots of water and once a week they get a tiny amount of herbs or a dandelion i don't even know why i feed that i think its just to satisfy my need to feed something different, part of a human trait thinking they need something else but they are animals and as i always say animals eat to live they get the extra vitamins in the pellets everything else they need comes from the hay .

mine are also very fit and have superb poo's so i guess we are both doing the right things but the veg/fruit diet would not suit every bunny i think thats the difference.

 

[elmoandfern]

i havent really got anything to add but just wanted to mention that i also use a vanish scoop for my buns' pellets :thumb: and when i measured it out it was almost exactly 20g of excel pellets (so about the same as an eggcup full)

 

[Tamsin]

my goodness does he have hollow legs :lol:

wow he can handle all that veg and fruit not many bunnies could , .... bunnies are unable to pass wind and that amount of veg could cause alot of flatulence...

He's all leg :lol: This time of year when there is all you can eat grass to cut he eats no hay (it's available but he doesn't bother with it) and doesn't drink much water (ditto). The above was spread over a week - it depends what we eat during the day.

My bunnies have always had our fruit/veg 'scraps' and garden weeds without issue. The core and skins are the parts highest in fibre and there isn't actually much skin on something like a kiwi.

mine are also very fit and have superb poo's so i guess we are both doing the right things but the veg/fruit diet would not suit every bunny i think thats the difference.

I agree It's not going to do any harm not feeding veg. I do think some bunnies sensitivity is down to breeding/not adjusting as babies. And if you've got a bun that is sensitive obviously you have to be very careful!

 

[jwr]

Yes I think your right things have to be introduced when they are young if mine had to be rehomed god forbid and were suddenly fed veg every day they would be in trouble so you have given me food for thought as they are only 8 months so I may think about introducing a bit more veg

Many thanks

 

[RogerRabbit999]

thing is if a rabbit eats mostly hay it will drink more anyway , spring greens are a no no, anything dark green avoid like the plague! even too many dandelions are a mistake

Really?? Omg I'm worried now, although all my bunnies are fine (5 'special needs'). Never had any upset tums or anything, and they do eat loads of hay and a small amount of pellets each day. Fresh stuff though, they have kale, rocket, spring greens, savoy cabbage, bags of herby leaves from supermarket, parsley, broccoli, banana, carrot, apple, celery. Is any of this bad for them then please? I only give small pieces of broccoli, as can't that make them quite gassy? In some ways I would like to reduce their fresh stuff a bit, as with 2 guinea pigs as well, who have most of the above and red pepper, cucumber and cherry tomatoes, I would say I spend about £30 per week on fresh stuff :shock:

 

[Tamsin]

Your bunnies are the best judge, if they are the right weight, producing nicely formed/sized poop and eating lots of hay then you're doing fine

You could try growing your own herbs, and see if you can find a cheaper source of fresh foods, for example if you ask on market stalls or even supermarkets sometimes they'll give you the outside leaves of things like cabbage/cauli/kale, broccoli stalks, carrot tops for free as they'd just get thrown/composted anyway.

 

[RogerRabbit999]

Your bunnies are the best judge, if they are the right weight, producing nicely formed/sized poop and eating lots of hay then you're doing fine

You could try growing your own herbs, and see if you can find a cheaper source of fresh foods, for example if you ask on market stalls or even supermarkets sometimes they'll give you the outside leaves of things like cabbage/cauli/kale, broccoli stalks, carrot tops for free as they'd just get thrown/composted anyway.

Thank you Tamsin, that's a good idea. Yes, all 5 of them have always been fine, and poops always how they should be. I only give tiny amounts of anything new, and Pippa who was nearly starved has only just started having a little kale, and a small piece of carrot, and I watch her really carefully, but she is doing really well now, and maybe helps that they are all such good hay eaters :thumb:

 

[Mirth]

Def start to swap out the alfalfa hay, maybe to Timothy to help bulk up the medow hay and give them some differences, but other hays could work too, alfalfa is high in calcium which can cause sludge in adult males pee and worse case stones, but they'd have to live on it for that and probably other things too.

 

[bluedragon]

Very nice replies thanks!

I thought alfalfa was ok until 12 months old? Since it's mixed with the meadow hay (not exclusively alfalfa) or no good anymore?


Also question about the grass eating: our garden is quite big and now some daisies are coming up, are these ok for them to eat? J nibbled a couple (they were in their pen which we moved onto the grass and it had 2-3 daisies in there). He ate them and then we moved the pen to daisy free area just in case anyway - he appears to still be fine though.

About dandelions same question for ones which might grow in the garden grass?

Mostly because we let them loose to run around the whole garden (supervised) but have daisies and dandelions dotted about...