Bunnies Diets

[Becca]

At the moment all the bunnies get nearly a full bowl of pellets each morning and a bit more at night and grass ocassionally and carrot, and unlimited hay.

I know thats not very good. I need a bit of help though.

I want to introduce the following veggies to my bunnies will they be okay?:
Brussel Sprouts
Carrot
Celery
Clover
Parsley
Romaine Lettuce

How many of them should I feed a day?
How much pellets shall i feed a day? Should I give them 1/2 cup? How big is 1/2 a cup? What size is the cup?

ETA: Oops I've put it in the wrong section can someone please move it to Nutrition and Behaviour? Thank you

 

[Jess_sully]

For pellets, it depends on the age and size of your bunnies. There is a good overview here:
http://www.mybunny.org/info/rabbit_nutrition.htm
The way to tell how much a 1/2 cup (and etc) are is probably to use measuring cups. You can buy a set (usually in fun colors) really cheap at most stores. I would just keep the measuring cup with the food, that's what I do.
All of those veggies are fine- just introduce them in small amounts so your rabbits' digestive systems don't get overwhelmed and cause diarrhea. Be careful with celery though- they can choke on the fibers, so cut it into very small pieces.
My Flynn LOVES tomato, you could try that- but I think it's supposed to be more of a treat food. Don't feed tomato leaves though, just the fruit itself.

 

[JimD]

What you're presently feeding them isn't really all that bad.
But adding veggies would be a great move!

I would only introduce one type at a time, and start with a small amount to see how their systems react.

I recommend starting with Romaine.

Parsley is good to, but it contains a high level of oxalic acid, a prime component in the formation of kidney stones.

I've only given celery tops, not the actual stalks.

Lots of natural sugar in carrots....better given as an occasional treat.

I always get confused between the white and pink clover....so I don't offer it.

Brussel sprouts? Don't know. Would it make their breath smell like feet?

 

[tinymonster]

I don't know how readily available or cheap this is where you live, but Muffin LOVES bok choy (a Chinese green vegetable) and it's on the safe list. It's pretty cheap in Australia.

I also give him broccoli and baby spinach leaves, but in smaller amounts because they contain a lot of calcium.

 

[BethM]

I've read that celery should only be given in short (1") lengths, because of the strings. Or peel it. I tend to just give them the leaves, I don't like them but the bunnies eat them up.

Mine love brussels sprouts. I have to cut each one in 4 pieces, so they can each get some, otherwise they will fight over them. My Mr. Nick has a sensitive tummy, and will leave lots of squishy cecals if he gets lots of kale/cabbage/broccoli/brussels sprouts, etc., so I just give a few pieces of things like that, every day for a week or two, like treats. (I don't think my two girls have problems with those foods, but I keep everyone on his schedule because it's easier. Also, if his cagemate had treats, he would steal them, anyway.)

 

[Luv-bunniz]

tinymonster wrote:

I don't know how readily available or cheap this is where you live, but Muffin LOVES bok choy (a Chinese green vegetable) and it's on the safe list. It's pretty cheap in Australia.

Its called "Pak Choi" in this country (great huh? who just thought "ooooh! yay! lets call it Bok Choy in asutralia and Pak Choi in england!!" :? )

Keep in mind Brussel Sprouts contain high levels of calcium and can cause gas if given to often. The main veggies/salads/fruits I would keep to would be

Romain Lettuce: a leaf each per day (£1 after 7:30pm in tesco in the sale area!)
Coriander : couple of sprigs everyother day (like 20p per pot again after 7:30pm and you can plant it in a bigger pot and keep it growing)
Capisicum/pepper : 1/8th daily (59p. green and orange are best, dont feed seeds or stalk)
Cucumber: 1/4" slice everyother day (great in the summer for hydration, about £1)
Round lettuce: 2-3 leaves per day (about 39p, dosent last long though)
Cherry tomato: 1 everyother day (under £1 per packet)

Also, buying those packets of fresh salad from the reduced area givens loads more variety and is pretty cheap.
If you want to feed clover, buy the seeds and grow it in a seed tray. It dosent last long so best to pick what you need from the tray and feed ASAP.
And things like plantain are good and easy to grow.

 

[Hazel-Mom]

Hazel gets 2 baskets full of greens, one each morning and evening.
Her main greens are romaine, red leaf and grean leaf lettuce, curly kale and "dino kale", endive, dandelion leaves, italian parsley, dill. This is suplemented with more seasonal greens from our garden: clover, basils, tarragon, thyme, sage, and any other herbs we grow, strawberry leaves (and the occasional wild strawberry), cilantro (coriander in UK) leaves, rose petals leaves and buds, pineapple sage leaves and flowers, mints, alfalfa flowers, grass. Probably some other edible flowers and herbs too.
However, she hardly has any pellets, they are more like treats to her. She loves dried fruit as treats, too. We get her dried apple, pear and mango, dehydrated banana slices from the health food store. She also likes the occasional cherry tomatoe or dark cherry when they are in season.
We also dry lots of basil, mints and other herbs for her to use as hay in winter.

 

[dirtyduckz]

I'm confused...

A Flemish breeder told me to feed barley in with my pellets and hay because it promotes muscle growth.

Barleyis also on the "safe to eat" list

But isn't barley a grain? Here: http://www.mybunny.org/info/rabbit_nutrition.htmit says grain is not safe?

What do you all think about Barley, can it be a daily staple, or should it be a weekly treat, OR not fed at all?

 

[Sabine]

Hazel-Mom wrote:

Hazel gets 2 baskets full of greens, one each morning and evening.
Her main greens are romaine, red leaf and grean leaf lettuce, curly kale and "dino kale", endive, dandelion leaves, italian parsley, dill. This is suplemented with more seasonal greens from our garden: clover, basils, tarragon, thyme, sage, and any other herbs we grow, strawberry leaves (and the occasional wild strawberry), cilantro (coriander in UK) leaves, rose petals leaves and buds, pineapple sage leaves and flowers, mints, alfalfa flowers, grass. Probably some other edible flowers and herbs too.
However, she hardly has any pellets, they are more like treats to her. She loves dried fruit as treats, too. We get her dried apple, pear and mango, dehydrated banana slices from the health food store. She also likes the occasional cherry tomatoe or dark cherry when they are in season.
We also dry lots of basil, mints and other herbs for her to use as hay in winter.

Wow your bunny's diet sounds mouth watering. I wish I was better organised with the fresh supplies. I often end up going foraging in the countryside because our garden is completely depleted by our free range bunnies.

 

[Hazel-Mom]

Sabine, I'm guessing it's a lot easyer for me here, in California climate, than for you in Ireland . We have a lot of fresh produce in our local stores, at very good prices, and even a lot of it organically grown. Also, there's usually at least a few things growing in our yard to supplement store-boughts with. "Winter" here is actually the main growing season for wild greens, in summer everything goes dry and dead, and the garden needs a lot of watering.

Dirtyduckz, you can get barley flakes in many stores, maybe that's safer than the barley grains. I know that some people supplement their pellets with flaked oats, I would guess flaked barley would do the same.

 

[Sabine]

I went to a country market today with loads of local/organic produce. Whenever I buy from a stall I mention slyly I have rabbits and they soooo loooove carrot tops and any leftover leaves that might be lying around. It usually works but some don't get the hint and I end up having to buy the carrots as well (baby will have to have carrot puree yet again)