There are so many contradictory things online and in leaflets, I just have no idea what to feed my rabbit or how much and how often. He's 4months old and soon to be neutered. Any advice will be welcome, like what are the best brands of rabbit food, how much hay I give him and how many greens etc?
-
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.
What do I feed my rabbit??
- Thread starter pilley
- Start date
Hay should be around 75% of their diet - more is better! You can never overfeed on hay.
At 4 months old I wouldn't overload on greens. He'll still have a delicate digestive system and too many greens could upset it. I don't give mine greens every day but when they get some (they only get spring greens) it's 1 leaf per bun unless it's a massive leaf. How much are you normally feeding him greenwise?
As for pellets, I use Excel. Some people use Science Selective, which is also a popular choice. The most important thing is not to feed muesli, the selective feeding in that can be a problem. I give mine 1 eggcup per bun in the morning and 1 eggcup p/b in the evening, increasingly slightly in winter
A good way to judge is by the colour of their poos. They should be nice and golden, if they're dark then it shows that the rabbit is not eating enough hay
At 4 months old I wouldn't overload on greens. He'll still have a delicate digestive system and too many greens could upset it. I don't give mine greens every day but when they get some (they only get spring greens) it's 1 leaf per bun unless it's a massive leaf. How much are you normally feeding him greenwise?
As for pellets, I use Excel. Some people use Science Selective, which is also a popular choice. The most important thing is not to feed muesli, the selective feeding in that can be a problem. I give mine 1 eggcup per bun in the morning and 1 eggcup p/b in the evening, increasingly slightly in winter
A good way to judge is by the colour of their poos. They should be nice and golden, if they're dark then it shows that the rabbit is not eating enough hay
Thanks, that's really helpful. I've always fed big bowlfuls of pellets and only given a big chunk of hay once a week. And then greens everyday. But I figured I better check out what rabbit are supposed to be fed considering any old pet shop will sell you a rabbit with 0 guidance on how to properly care for them.
When should I increase his greens?
When should I increase his greens?
Whilst I would start cutting down the pellets, I wouldn't go down to one eggcup just yet, because he is young and still growing etc. Cut down gradually, not too sudden, and aim for an eggcup in a couple months ish I'd guess? He should always have fresh hay, I give mine a few fresh handfuls every morning and evening and clean out the old hay every few days.
What sort of greens do you feed him and how much? If he's been having them for a while and he's not had any problems then I wouldn't cut them out completely, plenty of people on here give their bunnies daily greens, it's just getting it so he can still have greens and pellets whilst having the right amount of hay. Hay is definitely the most important part of a rabbits diet - some people don't even feed pellets and have their rabbits on a hay-only diet. If you are going to cut down, then do it gradually, don't suddenly cut them out one day. I tend to do it over a week to ten days, when I'm making changes
As I said before, use the poos! If it's golden then it's good!
For an adult bun the general guidance is roughly 1 eggcup of pellets (not muesli -science selective or excel are the most popular), 1-2 cups of fresh veg (a mixture from things like spring greens, herbs, pak choi, cavolo nero, kale, spinach etc, there are some good 'safe veg' lists in the diet section of the forum) and unlimited hay. Hay should be roughly 80% of their diet or around a pile the same size as themselves every day. This is the single most important thing about bunny diet - hay, hay, hay!
So I would aim to be feeding him that when he is around 6 months old, for now he can have more pellets but still loads of hay. And it is important to introduce new foods gradually, especially the veg as it can upset their tummies so I wouldn't introduce any more than one new veg per week and only in small amounts to begin with.
So I would aim to be feeding him that when he is around 6 months old, for now he can have more pellets but still loads of hay. And it is important to introduce new foods gradually, especially the veg as it can upset their tummies so I wouldn't introduce any more than one new veg per week and only in small amounts to begin with.
Also, there are loads of different types of hay so you could get a couple of different ones for a bit of variety. Mine have meadow hay as their staple hay, and I buy 'treat' hays to give a handful once it twice a day, or to hide in their run in a tunnel or whatever. Mine love the Excel Timothy hay with dandelion and marigold, and you can get hay with peppermint, or rose, and all sorts. You may have to get these online but have a look, I never knew there were so many to choose from!
Springfield24
Alpha Buck
I can't remember where I read it but something said rabbits need their body size in hay each day and same pellets as the size of their head. I'd disagree slightly with this though.
Mine get fresh hay in the morning and again in the afternoon when I change their toilet. I don't look at how much I'm giving more the amount that's left over so if they've eaten it all I need to put more in next time if they've left some of it I can give them the same amount. ROUGHLY an egg cup full between them morning and night. Again if they leave any then you're feeding too much and can feed less next time.
They have a dish full of spring greens a day and sometimes they have treats as in a strawberry/slice of banana each (watch for bum wiggles!)
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
Mine get fresh hay in the morning and again in the afternoon when I change their toilet. I don't look at how much I'm giving more the amount that's left over so if they've eaten it all I need to put more in next time if they've left some of it I can give them the same amount. ROUGHLY an egg cup full between them morning and night. Again if they leave any then you're feeding too much and can feed less next time.
They have a dish full of spring greens a day and sometimes they have treats as in a strawberry/slice of banana each (watch for bum wiggles!)
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
