Hi, everyone! I’m new here and I’m looking for help. (My questions are at the bottom if you don’t want to read the whole backstory!) I’ve got two lop mixes and I was told by their breeder that they were both males. They were about 8 months when I got them and I’ve had them for about 5 months. These aren’t the first rabbits I’ve had, but my situation is slightly different with these two because they weren’t completely tame when I got them. They were both very stressed when I brought them home, so I decided to keep them together until they got more used to the new environment. The breeder told me that they’d eventually need separated because male rabbits tend to fight. I’d had every intention of separating them, but they hadn’t started fighting, so I decided to wait. About two or three weeks ago, however, I noticed that one of them was missing large patches of fur, and so I assumed that they had begun fighting. I finally separated them and thought everything would be fine, but the one missing hair continued to lose it and there were large clumps filling the nest box. That’s when I realized it wasn’t normal, so after extensive research I discovered that the most likely reason for “his” hair pulling was that he was actually a girl and was probably preparing for babies. A little over a week ago, I went out to feed them and change bedding and discovered four little babies in her nest. One of them was already dead and then another died the next day. The other two are very healthy and growing pretty rapidly, which is great! However, I’m now concerned because Momma has basically stopped eating her pellets. I’ve been providing her with extra, so she can get more nutrients, but she’s not even touching them. Along with more pellets, she’s been receiving more hay, as well. She moves most of the hay into the nest, so she’s eating about the same amount of it that she was before. She gets fresh grass and veggies every day as well. Should I be concerned that she’s not eating her pellets? I’ve tried everything to get her to eat more of them, but she seems disinterested. Any advice?? Thanks!
New mother won’t eat pellets?
- Thread starter MaryJaneC
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Hi, what is the name of your pellets can you post ingredients here? She should be very hungry if she feeds them, she needs to produce milk now.
How's her poo? Can you see cecotropes around or she still eats them as usual?
What else on her menu, any vegs?
What is her actual age, you said they were 8 months 5 months ago but I believe they were 8 weeks then, otherwise you'd have babies sooner!
How's her poo? Can you see cecotropes around or she still eats them as usual?
What else on her menu, any vegs?
What is her actual age, you said they were 8 months 5 months ago but I believe they were 8 weeks then, otherwise you'd have babies sooner!
Does this happen to be a new bag? Or did you change the pellet type or brand around the time she stopped eating them? Do they smell sour or musty at all?
Thank you for replying!
I feed them Oxbow Basics Adult Rabbit food. Here are the ingredients and nutrition info:
Timothy Grass Meal, Soybean Hulls, Wheat Middlings, Soybean Meal, Cane Molasses, Sodium Bentonite, Soybean Oil, Salt, Lignin Sulfonate, Limestone, Yeast Culture (Dehydrated), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Biotin, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate
Her poo seems normal, I haven’t seen any cecotropes.
Along with her hay and pellets, she gets fresh veggies. Usually lots of leafy greens, herbs, celery. Occasionally she’ll get a couple baby carrots (but not very often, they’re treats.) She also loves to eat dandelions, so she’ll get those as well.
The breeder keeps logs on when each of the bunnies are born, and both of mine were born on March 7th, 2019. So they’re a year and a month, now. They haven’t grown very much, if any, since I got them, so I don’t think they were 8 weeks, which is part of the reason why I was so shocked to get babies! They’d been together for so long, but never had babies until now.
Thanks again for replying!
I feed them Oxbow Basics Adult Rabbit food. Here are the ingredients and nutrition info:
| Guaranteed Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Crude Protein | 14.0% min |
| Crude Fat | 2.0% min |
| Crude Fiber | 25.0% min |
| Crude Fiber | 29.0% max |
| Moisture | 10.0% max |
| Calcium | 0.35% min |
| Calcium | 0.75% max |
| Phosphorus | 0.25% min |
| Vitamin A | 10,000 IU/kg min |
| Vitamin D | 900 IU/kg min |
| Vitamin E | 190 IU/kg min |
Her poo seems normal, I haven’t seen any cecotropes.
Along with her hay and pellets, she gets fresh veggies. Usually lots of leafy greens, herbs, celery. Occasionally she’ll get a couple baby carrots (but not very often, they’re treats.) She also loves to eat dandelions, so she’ll get those as well.
The breeder keeps logs on when each of the bunnies are born, and both of mine were born on March 7th, 2019. So they’re a year and a month, now. They haven’t grown very much, if any, since I got them, so I don’t think they were 8 weeks, which is part of the reason why I was so shocked to get babies! They’d been together for so long, but never had babies until now.
Thanks again for replying!
It sounds like it's not a problem with the pellets then.
Because she is a nursing mother, I would try switching her to the alfalfa based young rabbit pellets. She will need the increased protein and calcium they provide, and she might be more inclined to eat them because they taste better. Though a slow introduction to new pellets is better, you might need to accelerate the introduction because she really needs more nutrients than grass hay will provide to a nursing rabbit.
Another option would be to start feeding her some alfalfa hay. It will provide the extra protein and calcium needed for a nursing doe. Nursing does eat a lot, so pellets or alfalfa hay, she'll need to be fed a good amount to support her nursing needs.
Because she is a nursing mother, I would try switching her to the alfalfa based young rabbit pellets. She will need the increased protein and calcium they provide, and she might be more inclined to eat them because they taste better. Though a slow introduction to new pellets is better, you might need to accelerate the introduction because she really needs more nutrients than grass hay will provide to a nursing rabbit.
Another option would be to start feeding her some alfalfa hay. It will provide the extra protein and calcium needed for a nursing doe. Nursing does eat a lot, so pellets or alfalfa hay, she'll need to be fed a good amount to support her nursing needs.
I agree maybe try moving her on alfalfa based junior pellets with 16% protein and higher calcium, babies get everything from her milk and she needs to eat a lot, usually nursing mothers are very hungry, it is great that she gets fresh vegetables but she really needs pellets now. Hopefully she will start eating them, please keep us updated
Hey everyone! I just wanted to give a little update.. this morning I went out and bought a bag of alfalfa pellets, like you guys suggested. I mixed them in with her old pellets, to introduce it slowly and she ate all of it! (Even the old ones.) I filled her bowl up again, just so she can have plenty, and she ate about half of it. Thank you guys so much for the advice!
