Is this ok

Hi all :wave:
So my boys (16 weeks ) are more settled now and I have started on the veg a few weeks ago . I just wanted to check what people thought of their feeding plan .
at 6am they get 2 fibasticks each and 2 handfuls of fresh hay plus a bowl of redi grass .
About 12 they get their veg small amount of curly kale ,parsley,half a carrot slice each , and a slice of celery , I am just introducing them to mint.
About 2 ish they get a egg cup of pellets scattered in their run and more hay if needed.
at 8.30pm they have their tea 2 and a half eggs cups each of pellets and some more hay in their bed and hay tray .
In between all this the kids normally sit and talk to them and feed them some grass and dandelion leaves .

Does this all sound ok . they live outside in a 6ft hutch with a 6ft run attached .

Could you let us know what breed they are please? If they are eating everything you have listed they will be getting all the nutrition they need to grow to maturity. They certainly shouldn't need any more food than what you are giving them. As they get older you might have to cut back on the pellets as they won't need as many and it could prevent them from eating the all important hay if they get too many.

Rabbits digest their food twice to enable them to extract as much nutrition as possible. Their digestive system is designed to survive on low protein food which is high in fibre, making the most out of little.

The boys are brothers and Rex cross

maria71 said:

Hi all :wave:
So my boys (16 weeks ) are more settled now and I have started on the veg a few weeks ago . I just wanted to check what people thought of their feeding plan .
at 6am they get 2 fibasticks each and 2 handfuls of fresh hay plus a bowl of redi grass .
About 12 they get their veg small amount of curly kale ,parsley,half a carrot slice each , and a slice of celery , I am just introducing them to mint.
About 2 ish they get a egg cup of pellets scattered in their run and more hay if needed.
at 8.30pm they have their tea 2 and a half eggs cups each of pellets and some more hay in their bed and hay tray .
In between all this the kids normally sit and talk to them and feed them some grass and dandelion leaves .

Does this all sound ok . they live outside in a 6ft hutch with a 6ft run attached .

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Hi there,

I think you are doing really well not to over feed (which is all too easy) and you are right to ask for advice.

I am not sure they need readigrass if they are getting hay, it could lead to a calcium build up especially as they get older. I would limit how much dry food you give them (fibasticks and pellets) and maybe just give the fiba sticks ever other day or a couple of times a week. Carrots should be a rare treat and not given daily although it is great that you have only been giving them a slice at a time. Kale is fairly dense as it comes from the cabbage family and can cause runny poo if given in large quantities so I would not give this daily either. But parsley, mint and dandelions in moderation are fine. Celery I would only feed in small quantities. The majority of their diet really needs to be hay and or grass. Any fresh veg given should amount to no more than a handful per day.

I must add that you will need probably need to have the boys neutered very soon. As they reach sexual maturity (around 10-20 weeks), their hormone levels (testosterone) will rise and cause them to fight and injure each other. Neutering stops that from happening though. I have two brothers as well and thankfully they were neutered before they got to that stage so they have always had a close bond. Rabbits are notoriously difficult to bond or re bond if they fall out so neutering is they way to go. It can also prevent certain cancers in both sexes.

slightly opposite to the others (despite being a total forage freak) - at that age I would tend to up the pellets. They are still growing!! Think of the amount young teenagers eat!!!:shock::shock:

My bunnies don't have veg just good quality hay, forage and a small amount of pellets. Carrots are high in sugar and kale can potentially lead to gut issues. I try to keep my buns' diet as close to the wild diet as possible.

I would think about neutering now too - take them to the vets together and keep them together afterwards. I have had boy/boy pairs (and have Slipper and Choo now who are neutered boys) and I personally find them easier than the girls.

What you're currently feeding sounds ok, obviously you would need to decrease the pellets a lot from what you are currently feeding if they were fully grown.
Like Parsnip Bun I have been told that young growing rabbits need more pellets than an adult rabbit does.

I would look at the possibility of replacing some of the veg with forage.

I really like that you spread feeding times throughout the day as it's a much more natural way for them to eat

As others have mentioned I would think about getting them neutered soon as they may start to fight.

I feel the need to point out that rabbits should have access to hay 24/7 and not just a handful in the morning and again at night. They need permanent access to it so please ensure they have full hayracks each and every time you go into check on them and top it up regularly.

I don't think they need too much readigrass. They love it, mine do, but only really give a pinch or two as a treat.

Fibafirst is a good aid to digestion; Thumper gets a lot of stomach ache (stasis I think it's called) but since having Fibafirst twice a day (on top of their other food) she's getting less bouts, thankfully.

Pellets, the feeding guide is on the back of the bag but don't forget that manufacturers will always over-quote so give about a third less maybe. If they fill up on pellets and other stuff they won't eat hay and that will be very detrimental to their digestive system, possibly setting them up for problems (some quite serious) in the future.

A tip: get them insured if they're not already. PetPlan is ace!

I only reiterate the importance of fresh, good quality hay: it should be 80-90% of a rabbit's diet - it is what keeps teeth ground down and the digestive system in good order.

Thanks for all your replies.

They do have hay all day I don't think I made that clear they have what I guess would be a under bed storage box that I fill with hay in the morning .

So now I guess I just have to decide about the pellets how much ...
They are going for the snip in the next couple of weeks but I can see any little chicken gibblets on the yet . Any where that I can find a picture so I can compare them please .

Thanks
Maria

If you go onto Cottontails Rabbit Rescue site there are photos there to help distinguish boys from girls.:thumb:

I am not sure they need readigrass if they are getting hay, it could lead to a calcium build up especially as they get older.

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I used to think this, certainly it was quoted alot on the forum when I first joined but I think its now thought to be a bit of a myth. I'm sure there are a few memberswho feed freely with no problems.

It possibly has a higher protein content, but that shouldn't really be a problem unless the bun was overweight to start with.

slightly opposite to the others (despite being a total forage freak) - at that age I would tend to up the pellets. They are still growing!! Think of the amount young teenagers eat!!!

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I don't see a problem with this in young bunnies aslong as its not detrimental to the amount of hay they eat. Personally its not something I've done though, I've always fed minimal pellets (slightly more than the adults admittedly but not a huge amount) and unlimited hay and have never had any problem with underdeveloped buns.

If you don't already do this its safer to chop celery into small bitesize pieces than big slices because of the strings.