How Much Should a Bunny Weigh

[Binky&Bellamy]

Hi all, new to rabbits and learning so much about proper rabbit husbandry here. I've been reading through numerous posts and I saw a lot of questions about over feeding and diet issues. The two youngsters I'm looking after until they can find homes are 4 months old, a male and a female, both not sterilised yet. The only reason I have them instead of my own bunny, is because they were apparently abandoned and I hand reared them on kitten formula. I am busy building an outdoor enclosure for my bunny, which will hopefully be finished on Saturday YIPPEEE!!!!! The two young buns are in a large indoor cage and are both very slim. I have dewormed them. They eat a lot of hay, Timothy and mixed dried grasses, maybe 300g twice a day, and their bedding is also edible hay. They get about 20g each of normal bunny pellets in the morning with a handful of mulberry leaves and the branches to strip. At night they get another 20g each of Versela Lager(?) junior pellets and half a cup of mixed veg cabbage, carrot, parsley, petunias, violas, herbs and more hay. I think they are mini Rex, probably inbred. What should they weigh? Am I under feeding them? They are incredibly active when they are in the outdoor enclosure (which is not yet fully bunny proofed so I can't leave them out) and graze on whatever weeds and grass they find. They do zoomies and binky's. My own pet bunny is currently being fostered, until I get the outdoor enclosure secured. She has gotten fat because her current diet is more fruit and muesli than anything else. She has but fat. I can't wait to get her back. If what I am feeding the two youngsters is enough, then there shouldn't be a problem getting her weight down with a similar diet, just more food, right?

After all the horror stories about bonding that I've read I don't have the courage to try bonding a trio. The two youngsters are bonded, for now, but my older girl (about 8) is not sterilised, neither are the two youngsters yet. My bunny has been an outdoor bun her whole life and will now have to adapt to a much smaller space 5m x 3m oudoor enclosure. She'll ahve enough stress adapting to captivity without going through bonding. She had a bond mate, an unsterilised female, for about a year at her foster home, but that bun was killed by a dog.

Sorry for such a long post, just lots of uncertainty and I really want to do what is best for them.

 

[tonibun]

f At 16 weeks old they are capable of getting pregnant so you really need to separate them now. At this age you are feeding them very well, they are still growing so use up a lot of calories. Are you able to go onto the Rabbit Welfare Association's website where you will find lots of very good advice.

 

[Omi]

Hi and well done for successfully hand rearing the two bunnies.

There are a few points I would respond to in your post, but the most important is regarding your two 4 month old bunnies and their fertility. At four months the male is almost certainly mature and so they should not be together until he is neutered. Check his testicles and if they have dropped, then a vet will be able to neuter him for you now. I am surprised that he is not behaving like a mature male with your female bunny. The female bunny should be spayed when she is around 6 months old, due to the risk of uterine cancer in adult female rabbits. I would also have a discussion with your vet about the possibility/risks of spaying your older female rabbit.

Other points are that it is not advisable to move bunnies from an outside area to an inside one, as their respiratory systems do not cope well with the change in temperature.

The amount of pellets you are feeding is more than I feed, but they are growing bunnies. I would think about moving them gradually on to normal pellets (Junior ones are higher in calories) and reducing the quantity, also gradually. As a guide I feed my two 25g each every day and that is probably at the higher end. Best to make any changes gradual though. I would also cut out the carrot, as it is high in sugars. The rest of their diet sounds very good and obviously the more hay they eat the better.

Lots of information here https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/

 

[Binky&Bellamy]

f At 16 weeks old they are capable of getting pregnant so you really need to separate them now. At this age you are feeding them very well, they are still growing so use up a lot of calories. Are you able to go onto the Rabbit Welfare Association's website where you will find lots of very good

Hi and well done for successfully hand rearing the two bunnies.

There are a few points I would respond to in your post, but the most important is regarding your two 4 month old bunnies and their fertility. At four months the male is almost certainly mature and so they should not be together until he is neutered. Check his testicles and if they have dropped, then a vet will be able to neuter him for you now. I am surprised that he is not behaving like a mature male with your female bunny. The female bunny should be spayed when she is around 6 months old, due to the risk of uterine cancer in adult female rabbits. I would also have a discussion with your vet about the possibility/risks of spaying your older female rabbit.

Other points are that it is not advisable to move bunnies from an outside area to an inside one, as their respiratory systems do not cope well with the change in temperature.

The amount of pellets you are feeding is more than I feed, but they are growing bunnies. I would think about moving them gradually on to normal pellets (Junior ones are higher in calories) and reducing the quantity, also gradually. As a guide I feed my two 25g each every day and that is probably at the higher end. Best to make any changes gradual though. I would also cut out the carrot, as it is high in sugars. The rest of their diet sounds very good and obviously the more hay they eat the better.

Lots of information here https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/

Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated, we are in South Africa, so indoor and outdoor temperatures don't vary that much, fotunately. I'll make a plan to sperate the two young buns even though the little male isn't showing any signs of getting frisky. Will it be okay to serate with a barrier and let them see each other, or should I seperate them completely? Will they pine if I do that, or be okay?

 

[InspectorMorse]

Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated, we are in South Africa, so indoor and outdoor temperatures don't vary that much, fotunately. I'll make a plan to sperate the two young buns even though the little male isn't showing any signs of getting frisky. Will it be okay to serate with a barrier and let them see each other, or should I seperate them completely? Will they pine if I do that, or be okay?

You will need to keep them in seperate environments as it would be very stressful for an entire Buck to be able to see and smell a Doe and not be able to get to her. I would arrange to get the Buck neutered, the Doe can be spayed from about 5-6 months of age as long as she weighs at least 1kg.

Once they are both 6 weeks post neuter/spay you can start to rebond them.

I am assuming that you are 100% certain about the genders of the Rabbits ?

 

[Binky&Bellamy]

Hi all, Binky has slimmed down beautifully and has a far smaller dewlap and no butt fat anymore. The two younger buns have been rehomed. Binky hasnt been in my care for 2 years, in that time she bonded with another female that got killed by a dog and she was attacked and injured by a different doe. Binks used to be so gentle and docile but now growls at me and lunges at my shoes when I go into her enclosure. She has never done that previously. Will this pass? Or has her personality changed because of the trauma she's been through do you think? Shes about 8 years old. After I reassure her I'm safe, she calms down and lets me fuss and stroke her and no more growling.

 

[InspectorMorse]

Is Binky spayed ? Does are very territorial, more so if they are entire. This can make them aggressive in defence of where they live. Also, entire Does are at risk of developing uterine adenocarcinoma from the age of 5. This can initially present as the Doe becoming increasingly aggressive. I would get her checked over by a Vet anyway, to rule out any underlying health problems that might contribute to her aggression.

If she is healthy and now at the correct weight I would also discuss the possibility of spaying her. It might be concluded that at 8 the risks of spaying now are greater than the benefits. I would want her to have blood tests to check her renal and liver function and a chest X-ray to check for any signs of metastatic disease from an already established uterine cancer prior to going ahead with a spay if the Vet felt that a spay would still be in her best interests despite her being 8.

Spaying can reduce hormonal driven aggression, but in an older Rabbit the behaviour is likely to be ingrained. Spaying might make no difference at all.

With time and patience she might mellow a bit. But she might always remain somewhat aggressive. Rabbits have very poor near vision. They have a blind spot directly in front of their nose.So bear this in mind when you go to touch her. If you approach her head on she’s more likely to lunge at you.

 

[Binky&Bellamy]

Is Binky spayed ? Does are very territorial, more so if they are entire. This can make them aggressive in defence of where they live. Also, entire Does are at risk of developing uterine adenocarcinoma from the age of 5. This can initially present as the Doe becoming increasingly aggressive. I would get her checked over by a Vet anyway, to rule out any underlying health problems that might contribute to her aggression.

If she is healthy and now at the correct weight I would also discuss the possibility of spaying her. It might be concluded that at 8 the risks of spaying now are greater than the benefits. I would want her to have blood tests to check her renal and liver function and a chest X-ray to check for any signs of metastatic disease from an already established uterine cancer prior to going ahead with a spay if the Vet felt that a spay would still be in her best interests despite her being 8.

Spaying can reduce hormonal driven aggression, but in an older Rabbit the behaviour is likely to be ingrained. Spaying might make no difference at all.

With time and patience she might mellow a bit. But she might always remain somewhat aggressive. Rabbits have very poor near vision. They have a blind spot directly in front of their nose.So bear this in mind when you go to touch her. If you approach her head on she’s more likely to lunge at you.

She has not been spayed, but has never displayed this kind of beaviour, never as in never. She has always been very docile. The behaviour only surfaced recently after years, after years of being a chilled, friendly bun. I thought that her being attacked may have triggered it. Vet was not keen to spay and we are aware of the risks of not spaying. Thats why I rehomed the two young buns I had. I was going to try bond one with her for company after spaying. Thank you for the feedback.

 

[InspectorMorse]

I think it will be a case of just trying to manage her behaviour and to understand what is likely to trigger her.

 

[Omi]

Hello Well done for reducing Binky's weight. That will be hugely more healthy for her. It also needs commitment from the owner.

I can imagine it must be upsetting to see her more aggressive behaviour towards you. I think being attacked and being away from you is likely to have caused this. I would take it as a positive that her behaviour calms down and she settles after a while with you. I don't think that this aggressive behaviour will necessarily remain forever in that case. I think that if I were you I would spend time with her, possibly not even touching her very much until she is completely relaxed. It may be that she never returns to the chilled bunny that she previously was, but I do think she could improve in time.

It's probably beneficial that the two younger bunnies have been rehomed, as far as Binky is concerned. You have so many other creatures 'wandering about' at your home, that I don't think she will get too lonely. Whilst it's best for rabbits to have a friend of their own kind, sometimes that's just not possible. I have one remaining chicken, who spends a lot of the day with us. She even sleeps in the kitchen. She has decided that my two rabbits are her friends and spends time being close to them the other side of their wire enclosure. She's even decided that rabbit pellets are far tastier than chicken ones, so when I hand feed the bunnies she also gets two or three of her own

 

[Binky&Bellamy]

Hello Well done for reducing Binky's weight. That will be hugely more healthy for her. It also needs commitment from the owner.

I can imagine it must be upsetting to see her more aggressive behaviour towards you. I think being attacked and being away from you is likely to have caused this. I would take it as a positive that her behaviour calms down and she settles after a while with you. I don't think that this aggressive behaviour will necessarily remain forever in that case. I think that if I were you I would spend time with her, possibly not even touching her very much until she is completely relaxed. It may be that she never returns to the chilled bunny that she previously was, but I do think she could improve in time.

It's probably beneficial that the two younger bunnies have been rehomed, as far as Binky is concerned. You have so many other creatures 'wandering about' at your home, that I don't think she will get too lonely. Whilst it's best for rabbits to have a friend of their own kind, sometimes that's just not possible. I have one remaining chicken, who spends a lot of the day with us. She even sleeps in the kitchen. She has decided that my two rabbits are her friends and spends time being close to them the other side of their wire enclosure. She's even decided that rabbit pellets are far tastier than chicken ones, so when I hand feed the bunnies she also gets two or three of her own

Thank you so much for your encouragement. I don't have children, so my pets are very dear to me and yes I have some unusual ones

 

[Binky&Bellamy]

Is Binky spayed ? Does are very territorial, more so if they are entire. This can make them aggressive in defence of where they live. Also, entire Does are at risk of developing uterine adenocarcinoma from the age of 5. This can initially present as the Doe becoming increasingly aggressive. I would get her checked over by a Vet anyway, to rule out any underlying health problems that might contribute to her aggression.

If she is healthy and now at the correct weight I would also discuss the possibility of spaying her. It might be concluded that at 8 the risks of spaying now are greater than the benefits. I would want her to have blood tests to check her renal and liver function and a chest X-ray to check for any signs of metastatic disease from an already established uterine cancer prior to going ahead with a spay if the Vet felt that a spay would still be in her best interests despite her being 8.

Spaying can reduce hormonal driven aggression, but in an older Rabbit the behaviour is likely to be ingrained. Spaying might make no difference at all.

With time and patience she might mellow a bit. But she might always remain somewhat aggressive. Rabbits have very poor near vision. They have a blind spot directly in front of their nose.So bear this in mind when you go to touch her. If you approach her head on she’s more likely to lunge at you.

She lunges at my shoes, I was beginning to wonder if she hadnt been kicked, or shoved around by someones foot Its good to have her home.

 

[Zarla]

Dusty weighed about 2.7bs at that age. Here she is aged 17 weeks.

 

[Binky&Bellamy]

The good news is that she isn't trying to attack my shoes or the broom anymore. It took some time, and lots of patience, but I definitely think she had a bad experience and that made her act out of fear, not aggression. She was away from me for two years. She hasn't growled or lunged at me in in almost a month and is far more relaxed and accepting of me being in her space now. Prayers that our next home will have a garden for her to roam, and be safe in.