How much to feed?

[Jameson]

I've read tons about feeding - the one thing that escapes me... the X amount per 6 pounds of rabbit... is that a "feed it daily, and once eaten, it should be done" or is it a "you should expect it to eat about this much"?

I guess what I'm getting at is can/should I leave a bunch of food and let him eat until he decides hes done, or should I limit it to a set amount each day, to prevent overfeeding/overeating/obesity? I know rabbits can become obese, and it can shorten their lives... will my rabbit stop eating when hes full and not fatten himself up, or will he eat everything I give him and pork up if I dont limit his intake?

Right now hes not even 3 months old yet - so I'm not worried now hes still growing. But once that tapers off... limit his food, or let him have at it?

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Until he is about 6 months, you can free feed him. Give him as much as he wants, but not so much that he doesn't eat hay. I would not limit it unless he is not eating hay.

After 6 months, you can limit it to about 1/4 cup per 5 pounds. If he is 6 pounds now, he will probably get fairly big. Depending on how big, you may be feeding a lot. Some rabbits do put on weight easily, so you don't want to give too much.

 

[ra7751]

Young rabbits, under about 6 months old, should be free fed. As they pass 6 months, their diet should be primarily hay. They should have hay available at all times. Pellets should be offered in a limited amount to maintain body weight and conditioning. Most people, even with the guidelines, still overfeed pellets. I have a pair of bonded and very large Flemish....they get only about 1/3 cup pellets per day to shareand they both weigh in the mid-20s. Too many pellets result in obesity, dental problems, GI problems and possible renal issues.

Randy

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Randy, great point to make, when I assigned him to only feed Snuff a half of an eigth a day, he freaked, but now he understands it, haha. Our bun gets an eigth twice a day of pellets. Rest hay, which is what he needs mostly. So, a 1/4 cup a day of pellets altogether is what we feed.