Amount of pellets

[Rayen]

Alright, so I've been reading various websites, talking to my vet, reading around on different forums, and there's like fifty different opinions on how many pellets to feed per five pounds. My vet, as well as several different websites/books I've seen, have told me 1/8 of a cup per 5 pounds. I see many people suggest various different amounts, some say 1/4 some say 1/2 I've seen other massive amounts that I wouldn't even dare to feed to my rabbits. (they don't eat enough hay as it is!)

Is there one agreed upon amount to feed a (lazy) house rabbit? I've got my two down to about a 1/4 of a cup now, they're still young (7-8 months) so I'm in no hurry to decrease it anymore right away.

 

[Maureen Las]

Your rabbits are still really young so you have time to think about it ..some 7-8 month old buns are still free fed alfalfa pellets althought this is a good time to change

an adiut 5 lb rabbit should get 1/4 - 1/8 th cup pellets daily depending on exercise and body build ..more towards the 1/4 th cup in your age range

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Lazy house buns do beautifully on 1/8-1/4 c. timothy-based pellets daily. Unlimited Timothy hay for adults.

Pellets should look very boring, with no pretty bits/seeds mixed in at all.

I probably dump 1/2 a cup of pellets in every few days, so my estimate is that my adult buck (5 pounds maybe..) consumes 1/8-1/4c. daily of his own free will.

Obviously, constant water supply to help the pellets go down.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

I'd suggest about 1/4 cup per 5 lbs. body weight daily, if you are not supplementing with greens. Hay doesn't really contain enough protein and fat to live well off of.

 

[tonyshuman]

I feed a lot of veggies, but my 4-5 lb guys get a teaspoon (1/16 cup) each a day. The 2-3 lb guys (dwarves) get 1/8 cup each a day, the idea being that they're more active because they're hyper little guys. That's the bf's decision however, as they are his bunnies. I think they're getting a bit chunky, but they were recently taken down from 1/4 c each a day. All of our bunnies come to us in not so great condition because we like to adopt them from shelters etc, so we start out with more food than recommended to get good body condition, and then put them on a more normal diet.

However, at 7-8 months, they should get a bunch. You can still free-feed alfalfa if you like, or cut down to 1/2c per 5lb of body weight. By the time they reach 1 yr, you want to be at about 1/4c per 5lb, and then you can gradually switch to a timothy-based pellet.

 

[Rayen]

Thanks for the replies! Unfortunately, I will not be free-feeding them still now. My female got quite chunky while I still free-fed her pellets, and she loves them to the point that she will just keep eating as long as there is food in the dish and completely ignore her hay/veggies. I'm going to keep them at 1/4 of a cup for now and think about decreasing it again once they're a bit older.

 

[kirbyultra]

Does neutered/spayed status of the bun also play into it? I've heard fixed buns get chubby quicker. Is that just because fixed buns are less hormonal and less likely to be as hyperactive, therefore with same amount of feed gain more weight? If so then does the 1/4 cup per 5 lb get adjusted depending on the bun?

 

[tonyshuman]

That's definitely possible, kirbyultra. Less energy spent humping stuffed toys/feet/whatever they can find, less energy spent running circles around the object of affection, etc.

I think 1/4c per 5lb of bun is good to start off at. If they're healthy on that, keep it there. Many bunnies will gain weight with that much, though, so you just have to reduce it until you find a good amount for your bunny and his activity level.