Food left in Bowl

[Haley]

Hi guys!

Im still new so I dont know if this has been discussed before. I noticed in a lot of people's pictures their food and water bowls are empty. Do you guys have a scheduled feeding time and only put in what they will eat? I guess I have been thinking that my guys wont eat any more than they need, as they arent overweight.

I just put fresh food and hay in their bowls in the AM and recheck it throughout the day to make sure neither are empty. Is it better keep the bowl full or just put in what they will eat right away?

Im confused!

Haley

 

[maherwoman]

Feeding amounts really depends on age. Here's a site that lays out per age what the feeding requirements are. Line it up with your buns' ages, and you'll be able to figure out if you're feeding enough, etc. for each bunny.

I can tell you from my own experience that both my buns get unlimited Timothy hay and Alfalfa pellet food, and I have 6mo and 3mo old buns. I'm not too sure at what age that changes, but I believe it's around nine months (?).

Anyway, here's the site...check it out!

http://www.carrotcafe.com/diet/index.html

Also, check out the other things Rabbit 101 in this forum has to offer as far as Feeding your Rabbit: http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12046&forum_id=17

There are so many links there that have such wonderful information!

Hugs!

 

[Haley]

Thanks for the web sites!

Its just so hard to monitor what each is eating, as they share bowls and both are in and out eating all day. I guess the way Im doing things are probably okay, as both are healthy and in great shape.

If anyone has any other advice on this let me know.

Thanks again.

Haley

 

[maherwoman]

You're welcome! Glad I could help a little...wish I could lend more, but I'm quite the newbie and have no experience with feeding adult bunnies yet.

 

[pamnock]

Our does and litters are on full feed (unless the doe and/or litter are becoming too fat). Everyone else (including young bunnies) are on a measured amount of feed that is given once a day. Hay can be given in addition so the rabbits have something to chew on throughout the day.

Water dishes should never be empty when a rabbit is on a dry concentrate feed (pellets).

Pam

 

[Haley]

Thanks Pam.

Right now their water/food/hay dishes are all always full. I just got confused when I saw in some pics people did have any food in their dishes, maybe they were young buns on measured amounts. I will just stick with unlimited everything (unless my Basil gets overweight again...but that was before we switched to healthy timothy hay pellets

Thanks all!

Haley

 

[Runestonez]

We free feed our bunns. They have a full bowl of pellets, a full water bottle, loads of veggies all dayand tons of hay. Ours very rarely eat many pellets(though I have noticed they do eat more when they are moulting) and drink very little water. We just keep an eye on them and if it looks like they are going heavy on the pellets then we will cut them back, but with so many other things to eat they don't seem to bother with their pellets too much!

 

[rubysmom]

I feed my guys a set amount of pellets in the morning (about 1/4 c. each). I put it in two bowls. Then they each get their veggies at night, two heaping pie plates full. They get timothy hay in unlimited quantities all day long which they love. But with more than one young bunnies it might be better to free feed until they are older? My guys each eat about the same. I found that measured feeding helps me notice if anything is amiss. For example, if my guys don't finish their pellets within a few hours then I know something is possibly wrong. Also, the pellets don't go stale or lose their nutritional potency.

 

[Haley]

thanks for the tip rubysmom. I think I will get two separate bowls. That way I can monitor how much each is eating. The only thing Im wondering is how do you keep one from chowing down on the other's food? I think maybe my Basil would eat his share and then go eat whatever Max has left..and Im afraid Max wouldnt get enough or something.

Haley

 

[Spring]

I feed the girls when I wake up. They usually get a handfull of hay and some pellets (I don't measure, I usually just eyeball out the pellets for Pepsi and give unlimited to Pebbles because she doesn't eat many anyways). At night, I give them there vegetables, more hay, more pellets to Pepsi, and refill both water crocks/bottles. My girls always have something to it, if it's the vegetables, pellets or hay.

 

[Bunman]

Actually it's young buns that should have unlimited pellets. Also age is a factor but so is rabbit size.

http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabcare.html#feeding

 

[rubysmom]

My two start out at their own bowls and are pretty hungry at first so they really chow down. But after a while when they are full, they stop eating their pellets and leave the rest for later(about half is eaten when first put down). I am sure they "cross feed" out of each others bowls afterwards but I don't really worry about it. They are each about the same weight, 10 pounds. Plus, I figure that if someone is going to hog the pellets they will do it at the beginning which neither show any signs of doing. While the use of two bowls helped by first two rabbits because my female was a little domineering, it probably isn't really necessary with my two now. It's a habit I have just kept up and I figure they appreciate their own dishes and not being crammed on top of each other at feeding time. Like Bunman mentioned, it is probably best to free feed even if out of two bowls while your bunnies are young. My guys are about 4 years old each so measured feeding works out well for them.

 

[Haley]

thanks for all the advice guys!

I think maybe we will start having two bowls and measuring out the food. They get loads of hay and veggies and such all day, so it would probably good to keep track of the amount of dry food each is consuming. Basil is 6 and Max is 3 so I'll follow the feed amounts for adult rabbits.

Thanks for all the great links and everything as well!

-Haley