How long do I do with out feeding ‘nice things’

[MellowsMum]

Hey All,

I have realised my rabbit is not eating 80% hay.

It’s prob much more 50% hay.

She gets an egg cup of nugs at night and the same again in the morning.

She then gets a cup of greens at night and the same in the morning.

I want to increase how much hay she eats.

What’s the next way to increase hay consumption?

Do I withdraw nugs and greens totally or just massively reduce?

Thanks

 

[Preitler]

That 80% is just one recommendation, one way to feed rabbits, it's not one of the 10 commandments but a rule of thumb.
How would you even compare, by weight, volume, calories.....?

I would look at the rabbit: Is she chunky or not, are there excess cecotropes, is her poo fine etc., no point in fixing something that ain't broken.

Reducing pellets to treat level is always possible, they don't really need those. Same with root vegetables.
Leafy greens, grasses, weeds etc. are the fresh, whole version of hay, I don't see a reason to cut back on that if there is no issue.
I feed mostly fresh forage when available, hay is offered but ignored most of the year.

Good read about feeding pet rabbits:
https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/articles/free-food-for-rabbits

 

[James + Ted]

My Ted’s diet is approximately
60% Tim hay
30% veggies
10% oxbow nuggs, alfalfa cubes, fruit

the vet just examined him a few days ago, said his health is excellent

I don’t give him his veggies until he eats his hay, and only give nuggs 2 or 3 times per week.

also sometimes I take a small piece of banana and mush it into his hay, to add variety

 

[Shmibunny]

Do I withdraw nugs and greens totally or just massively reduce?

When making dietary changes, it's often best to make them gradually so the bun has time to adjust. You could weigh both the bunny and the pellets daily, as well as monitor her poop quality, to keep track of how the changes in her diet are affecting her.

Greens are good, as they provide water too, and depending on the bunny and its age, it probably needs some pellets to get all the nutrients & calories it needs, especially if growing, nursing, or older. The recommended amount for an adult bunny is up to about 20 - 25 grams of pellets/kg of body weight. The lower the better as long as the bunny maintains a healthy weight & body condition and their poops are good.