At What Age to Reduce Pellets, Increase Veggies?

[Bunman]

At what age should a rabbit have its pellet ration reduced & more veggies fed?

 

[Lissa]

It depends onthe breed. Typically I add vegetables and switch to timothy-based pellets at 6 months of age.

 

[bunnydude]

I think that I switched Devon to timothy basedpellets at 7 or 8 mos. of age. Lissa is correct when she say thatbunnies should not be introduced to veggies into they are 6 mos.However, Devon has had veggies since 3 mos. because he was being fedthem at the shelter, and I did not want to change his diet. He seems noworse for the wear!

 

[JimD]

Hi Bunman!

Before misdirecting you, I would like to state that some breeds aredifferent than others in this respect....such as Flemish Giants.

Most of my bunnies were taken off of free feed at around 6 months orso. Flemish can continue to grow for over a year and need the free feedduring that time.

As far as veggies are concerned....mine were all introducedat young ages to small quantities and then increased as they becameaccustomed. Never had any problems in this dept.

~Jim

 

[Bunman]

Thanks all. See the House Rabbit Society dietsection. (cut & paste is not working here) Another site whichgoes into the timothy vs alfalfa pellet controversy says that due tovarious factors there may be no significant difference between the two.

As far as feed amounts, of course it's not an exact science & depends in part on the particular bun

 

[JimD]

Bunman wrote:

Another site which goes into the timothy vsalfalfa pellet controversy says that due to various factors there maybe no significant difference between the two.

I switched one of our buns to timothy based pellets because they'relower in protein (12% vs 16%). Some older buns can have a problemprocessing high % of protein resulting in soft mushy poops and cecals.

~JimD

 

[bunnydude]

I like feeding my bunnies timothy pellets because of their high fiber.

 

[Bunman]

I suspect if they get unlimited hay, that istaken care of. HRS suggests only 1/4 cup pellets for adultsper day, so it may not matter much which kind they have. I know a typelower in protein than the "growth formula" is suggested however.

 

[Mika]

After reading this, I'm not sure if i'm feeding my bunny right at ALL!!

Someone PLEASE HELP!!

My bun is about 1 year old, holland lop. I actually startedher on the timothy based pellets, but switched to alfalfa ones instead- someone at the petstore said it was totally fine, and the price isMUCH cheaper.

Anyway, I give her 1 yogurt cup of pellets a day and a handfull of timothy hay.

Should I be giving her more? I don't want her to get obese.

Also, i don't give fresh veggies because she never like them at all.

Thanks!!

 

[Nicky Snow]

Mika, one cup of pellets seems good, and thatwhat i give my bunnies. However bunnies should get unlimited hay. ifyour bun doesn't like veggies, thats okay. you could also try addingcanned pumpkin and oats to your buns diet.

Nicole

 

[Pipp]

It's normally recommended that young bunniesaround eight months old start slowly switching to a limitedpelletand veggie diet, soa year-old rabbit is wellwithin the range, and your bunny looks very healthy and VERY cute!

The alfalfa concerns areweight but also high calcium andprotein levels, soyou may want tomix some Timothypellets in with the alfalfa and see how that goes. You'llfind that many people feed their rabbits alfalfa pellets, and they havefor years with no dire consequences. But it always depends onthe bunny. Veggies also contain calcium, so that's anotherreason to think that the levels in the alfalfa pellets may be tolerable(although veggies contain water which helps wash out thecalcium).

The rule of thumb is an eighth to a quarter cup of pellets twice a dayfor each five pounds of body weight, but if she doesn'teatveggies,I'd think more pellets are necessary, and if Nickysaysa cup is fine, I believeher.

You'll find endless debates about pellet diets vs. vegetable diets,alfalfa vs. timothy pellets, etc, even among vets. so there reallyareno cut and dried rules. Again, it depends on thebunny. Watch for urinary problems likeslugeandkidney stones,and make sure she drinks.

I also agree with Nicky thatyou shouldn't limit the timothyhay, though. It'sa better source of fiber than thepumpkin and oats, which can add also calories (which may or may not bean issue), so if she likes her hay, you shouldn't have aproblem.

It sounds like you've doing fine, so far, so good! Keep us posted on how she's doing!

SAS and PIPP :bunnydance:

PS: We'd love to seemore pics!

 

[Bunman]

I second what Pipp says, & would add that yogurt is not good for a bun:

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Food/yogurt.htm

Cute rabbit!

 

[Mika]

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!!! :wave:

Here's one more pic of my bun.....this is a pic from the first day I brought her home

I'll try to post more :bunnybuttics when I find them!

 

[nose_twitch]

what an adorable little face on that thing!!

 

[JimD]

Bunman wrote:

I second what Pipp says, & would add that yogurt is not good for a bun:

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Food/yogurt.htm

Cute rabbit!

onder:...I think she that she uses an empty yogurt cup to measure out the pellets.

When I first read it, I thought it said that the bun got "a cup of yogurt":shock:

 

[JimD]

Pipp wrote:

You'll find endless debates about pellet diets vs. vegetablediets, alfalfa vs. timothy pellets, etc, even among vets. so therereally areno cut and dried rules. Again, it dependson the bunny.
SAS and PIPP :bunnydance:

PS: We'd love to seemore pics!

Isn't that the truth. There's as many diet differences as there are bunnie owners.

My buns are on:

> Limited pellets daily....approx 1/2to 1 oz ofpellets per lb of a normal weight. In otherwords....base it on theweight the bun SHOULD be. All my buns are adults. I use alfalfa-basedpellets for all but one bun that can't tolerate the higher protien.

> Unlimited timothy hay. I fill the racks 2 - 3 times a day sometimes.

> 1 tsp of rolled oats daily

> Greens 2 - 3 times a week

> Dried papaya once a week (Saturday treat)

~Jim

 

[Mika]

:rofl: I was wondering why people were commenting on yogurt!!! LOL!!

Yes, I use an *empty* yogurt container to measure how much pellets to give

My bun is only ~2 lbs max I think.



*unrelated note*

Do buns need wood shavings? or are there other things that can be usedin the cage - just asking because everytime my bun jumps outof her cage, all these wood shavings follow along :bunnydance:

 

[Bunman]

Wood shavings emit toxic chemicals & should never be used for bedding:

http://petlovers101.com/petinformation/rabbits.html#Are%20Wood%20Shavings%20Safe%20For%20Your%20Pet?

There are a variety of safe bedding materials - you can usehay or newspapers, or commercial products made from processed paper orwood.

 

[Mika]

Really? I use the aspen one though - I thought that was safe :shock:

 

[Bunman]

Aspen is safe, it's made from hardwood.

http://www.aracnet.com/~seagull/faq/beddingfaq.shtml