Diet Question...

[maherwoman]

Ok, here goes. I want to be sure I'm giving Bunny a complete diet, so here goes...this is what we feed her regularly right now. Can you guys let me know if there's something additional that should be in her diet? THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Her diet currently consists of the following (quantities and frequency listed):

- Kaytee Timothy Hay, loose (not cubed or anything), handful given once daily (any more, and it winds up living on the bottom of the cage as additional bedding)

- Kaytee Forti-Diet alfalfa pellets, about 3oz daily in a container she regularly dumps (gotta solve that...lol)

- Leaf Lettuce (not iceburg), little more than a handful every other day

- half a carrot once a week (she won't eat any more than that)

As for my questions...

I've noticed that some food mixes include fruit, but I've also read that giving Bunny too much fruit will give her the runs, so I hesitate. Does she need fruit in her diet?

Would Kaytee Timothy Complete be a better choice for food?

Do I need to include mineral treats?

Do bunnies really like pumice chew things?

Does she need salt wheels?

Do I need to give her a multi-vitamin?

Do bunnies like those Shred-A-Bowl type things?

I also noticed "Small Pet Treat Sticks", the rabbit variety contains oats, wheat, milo, corn, peas, barley, sunflower, safflower, honey and other wholesome grains...good choice??

Sorry for so many questions...I would just like to find this stuff out from fellow bunny owners to know if these things are needed/wanted, and how much and how often. If you guys could help me out, that would be wonderful!

Thanks so much for your help guys. Just wanna make sure my baby's eating healthy and getting all she needs!

 

[naturestee]

Have you checked Bunny 101 yet? There are lots of opinions and choices, you'll need to find out what works best for you and Bunny. Her young age will play part of it.

Feeding Your Rabbit:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12046&forum_id=17

maherwoman wrote:

Ok, here goes. I want to be sure I'm giving Bunny a complete diet, so here goes...this is what we feed her regularly right now. Can you guys let me know if there's something additional that should be in her diet? THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Her diet currently consists of the following (quantities and frequency listed):

- Kaytee Timothy Hay, loose (not cubed or anything), handful given once daily (any more, and it winds up living on the bottom of the cage as additional bedding)
She can have as much hay as she'll eat.

- Kaytee Forti-Diet alfalfa pellets, about 3oz daily in a container she regularly dumps (gotta solve that...lol)
Have you tried a heavy ceramic pet bowl? I don't like Forti-Diet, it has too much protein and not enough fiber. Look for something that is plain pellets, 16% protein or less, and 18% or more fiber. You can often find good quality alfalfa pellets at feed stores.

- Leaf Lettuce (not iceburg), little more than a handful every other day
Veggie feeding varies a lot between people and rabbits. I feed a variety of leafy greens every day, about a cup and a half or so per bun. Others only feed a smidge daily or as a treat.

- half a carrot once a week (she won't eat any more than that)

As for my questions...

I've noticed that some food mixes include fruit, but I've also read that giving Bunny too much fruit will give her the runs, so I hesitate. Does she need fruit in her diet?
No, not unless she needs the vitamins because she's on a pelletless diet. I feed fruit as a rare treat.

Would Kaytee Timothy Complete be a better choice for food?
Not at this age. Growing rabbits need the protein and calcium of alfalfa pellets.

Do I need to include mineral treats?
No. She should get the minerals she needs from her pellets.

Do bunnies really like pumice chew things?
No. I've heard that they may not be good for them. Wood chew toys are much better.

Does she need salt wheels?
No. Same as with the mineral treats.

Do I need to give her a multi-vitamin?
Nope. Same as above.

Do bunnies like those Shred-A-Bowl type things?
Never tried them. I stuff a paper lunch bag with different types of hay and a chew toy or two, punch holes in it, and tie it shut with a piece of twine.

I also noticed "Small Pet Treat Sticks", the rabbit variety contains oats, wheat, milo, corn, peas, barley, sunflower, safflower, honey and other wholesome grains...good choice??
Definately not. Most pet store treats are really bad for rabbits.

Sorry for so many questions...I would just like to find this stuff out from fellow bunny owners to know if these things are needed/wanted, and how much and how often. If you guys could help me out, that would be wonderful!

Thanks so much for your help guys. Just wanna make sure my baby's eating healthy and getting all she needs!

 

[maherwoman]

Thank you so much for your help and all your answers, naturestee!! I read the article you provided (before I even noticed you'd answered my questions), and found through it and what you answered that we're, indeed, not feeding her the right pellets. We'll fix that right away.

The article mentioned that bunnies my baby's age shouldn't get much leafy greens, as it will cause them to get the poops...but the people that had her had already been feeding them to her, and in the amount she's been eating, her poop seems just fine (nice round, semi-dry but not runny pellets). Does it sound okay, then, to continue feeding her the amount of leaf lettuce I mentioned?

Should I include alfalfa hay in her diet?

 

[naturestee]

I started feeding greens to Mocha when she was 8 weeks old. If they aren't causing Bunny any problems, it's okay to continue.

You can give her alfalfa hay if you want. You could use it like a treat hay and put it in toys and such. I do that with oat hay. I don't see a need to switch her completely over to alfalfa hay as she'll need to be eating timothy hay in a few months anyway.

 

[maherwoman]

Ok, great. Another question about hay...sorry...lol.

Should I give her lots of different types of hays in addition to Timothy Hay? If so, are there hay mixes that are sold that I can give her?

 

[Krissa]

When I go to the pet store I get lots of Timothy Hay and then 2 or 3 other kinds of hay that they happen to have. When I get home I mix the hay up in a container, about 75% Timothy and 25% of the other types. I figure this way they eat mostly Timothy Hay but also get some variety. (One of my bunnies needs lots of Timothy cause she gets runny poops very easy).