Help re bunny needing to gain weight

[BirdieBun]

Hey guys :wave:

My little lop Elmo is a very slight bunny and although he is lively and been seen by a vet who wasn't too concerned about his weight, I really want him to gain some and wondered if anybody had successfully had a skinny bun pile on the pounds in a healthy way?

I tell you, I have no luck whatsoever with lop bunnies I am cursed with regards to them

 

[poppymoon]

i'll send you eric's diet sheet he eats loads less than esme but he's one hefty nethie

each day he has couple of different veg - sweetheart cabbage/basil/green beans/carrot tops/mint/parsley - but not too much. he has a few ss pellets and plenty of hay (normal and green oat) so i can't see why he's such a bloater:?

i think the weight gain culprits for him are the occasional pea flakes and sunflower hearts he steals from the hamster:roll:

 

[coco1200]

hellooo, expert bunny fattener here :wave:

Noisette my girlie was terribly underweight when she was poorly, it was such a struggle. I tried a whole number of things for her to gain weight and I have a small list to what I tried :shock:

barley rings (horse feed) - she still gets these now regularly to keep the weight on her!
soaked and cooled porridge oats
mushed banana
grated apple and carrot mixed together (they love it!!)
weetabix/shredded wheat

and I truly believe that bunny muesli mix helped massively to help her gain weight. I gave her an unlimited amount which helped loads

she hated Critical Care/Recovery from the vets as well and refused to eat it!

 

[JLG]

Hey, I'm sorry I can't help, I wish i had your problem, mine are on a diet as i fed them too much for the first 2 months and now I'm cutting them down again. Most of the overfeeding was pellets though, so i wonder if more pellets would help your chap? Someone mentioned porridge on another post but I don't know how you would make it. Someone will know

 

[BirdieBun]

Oh wow ok thats amazing thanks all will deffo try a few of those things I will get started with a mashed banana and oat bowl tonight hahaha!!!!! :wave:

 

[rabswood]

A few sun flower seeds?

 

[katie2000]

Has anyone tried alfalfa hay for weight gain? I have often considered this for my bun who loses a little bit of weight post dental and I am reluctant to feed anything that doesn't benefit their teeth

 

[Galen]

Alfalfa

Alfalfa has high protein and high fibre so is good for bulking other than the fact that the calcium is too high. Feeding it with grains or cereal hay creates the right balance and adds bulk.

Weetabix, flaked beans/peas or oats and alfalfa in equal measure = quick weight gain.

Cereal grass hay and alfalfa 3:2 approx = slightly slower weight gain but better fibre to protein ratio.

Spillers Readigrass is a good balanced food which should also help weight gain, even if it is slower.

 

[BirdieBun]

Thanks everyone for this :0) xxxx