How much veg is to much?

[I_heart_Fraggles]

Fraggles is a nine month old checkered giant/rex mix. Her father is purebreed giant and her mother is a half giant half standard rex. So she leans toward the giant. I feed her quite a bit of dark leaf greens. Broccoli,brussels,parsley a little romaine ect. She gets it several times a day and I do stay away from carrots she does not even like them that much. She gets a little fruit couple times a week. She likes apple and pear. I am still feeding alfalfa but will be switching to timothy in the next few days. I just wanna know how much is to much? Can I get away with more veg since she doesent get pellets? I choose not to feed pellets at all. She weighs about 14 pounds so any advice is great.

 

[amdfarm]

I'll be interested to see what the responses are. My Flemish is the same age as Fraggles, but a couple pounds heavier. She's currently free fed pellets, the same mix the breeder feeds his stock, and timothy hay free choice. She gets carrots as a treat a couple times and week along w/ a apple slice once a week, which SHE LOVES!! Now that she's nursing kits, I've added a little calf manna to her regular pellets, as well. I'm going to add some fresh veggies to her diet also. I would think pellets and hay get boring after awhile. I'd like her to be a little heavier come show time this summer also. She's not nearly as heavy as her full sister that the breeder still has and is keeping to show and breed.

Does Fraggles have a veggie preference?

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

Fraggles loves brussels and broccoli. She never cared for carrots to much, just ate the tops and left the rest so I took them off the menu. She enjoys mint leaves and turns up her nose at asparagus all together. She likes celery a lot but that's a treat also as its pretty empty. Her breeder dident feed pellets at all so that's why I don't. They just seem to be loaded with fat. She is free fed hay all day though and its time to take her off the alfalfa. The vet said that giant breeds should stay on alfalfa longer because there slower to mature. I'm just trying to learn as much about health and diet as I can because I'm buying a high quality standard rex for show this summer. Lisa I do have a question for you. Is there a big difference between checkered and flemish? I know there totally different breeds of course but as far as size and temperament? I read that checkered came from flemish stock. Checkered tend to be a little temperamental and most don't like other buns. Fraggles is very checkered acting although she is built like a very big rex with a black/white coat.

 

[amdfarm]

Thanks, Katie. I'll have to get a few different kinds and see what she likes. We can eat what's left over or my rodents and piggy can eat it. They likeveggies and treats, too.

As for the checkered vs flemish. From what I've heard and read. The checkered are more excitable verses the laid back flemish, but if you add the rex personality, they are considered curious. There is no max weight for checkered or flemish.Hope's breeder has a 25lb doe! She's HUGE, almost obese. He's got her on a diet and bred her hoping to get some weight off her. He won heaviest rabbit at our state fair last year when she was 22lbs.Her name is Baby, which I find very funny!

Hope that helps.

 

[itsazoo]

I play the veggies by eye, I see how they do and up or drop the amount based on that..Peepers for example has been dropped because being sick has made her less active and she is putting on weight. the "limits" dont really apply when your pellet free(I do pellet free as well) because the hay and veg is the diet, as opposed to a "treat"

 

[elrohwen]

Since you're not feeeding pellets, I would be careful to give her as wide a variety of veggies as possible.

My buns are less than half her size and they get about 2cups of veggies per day in addition to 1/4c of pellets, so I think she can handle a lot of veggies.

I would talk to your vet. I know someone who can't feed pellets due to bladder sludge and her vet recommended some other things to add to her bun's diet (I thinks sweet potato was one) to give him the nutrients he needed.

 

[tamsin]

I feed about 10% of my buns weight in veg, but it probably doesn't multiply up exactly. As long as she eats plenty of hay and maintains a healthy weight you are probably doing well. She may eat a little more after swapping off alfalfa.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

Ysa I'm a little worried about the alfalfa swap because I have heard that some buns refuse the grass hays after they have gotten a taste for alfalfa.

 

[amdfarm]

Katie... My horses feel the same way after they get a taste of alfalfa then have to go back to grass. I call alfalfa "horsey crack." They think I'm depriving them and are punishing them for something... the poor fat things. LOL

I would do it gradually. Start mixing in some grass w/ her alfalfa to give her tummy time to adjust to the change and for the palate change, as well. Might not make her getting the alfalfa taken completely away as upsetting to her.

I gave my bun a tablespoon of alfalfa pellets last night and she definitely approves!! She thought they were a great addition to her diet. Since I already get them for the horses, it's nothing to feed her some daily.

Good luck w/ the switch.