Hi, I have just purchased two eight week old mini lops 2 days ago from a local breeder however she was not very good with the advice. I was wondering what to feed Lulu and Coco on a daily basis and how much and often I should feed them. My feeding routine right now is once in the morning and once in the evening. With each feed, I feed them both a handful vegetables (small variety), top up hay and water. They are currently eating oaten hay, bok choy, kale, celery, basil, coriander and spinach. They also have been drinking water out of bowls.
What to feed 2 8 week old Mini Lop rabbits
- Thread starter Phu
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Are the kits used with veggies since before? If not then you should introduce the veggies around 12 weeks old.
What food did they eat at the breeder?
Too drastic food change can cause their stomach to stop working, how does their droppings look like.
Droppings will tell all about their diet and if they are healthy or something seem wrong.
A bit of information about droppings: https://www.saveafluff.co.uk/rabbit-info/rabbit-poo
Best would let your kits to have timothy orchard grass as hay, a bit of pellets to help with growing and later on veggies on a daily bases.
Spinach and celery should they only be given sometimes because they can cause kidney stones. Celery have a high level of calcium while spinach will bind calcium.
Bunnies should have access to hay 24/7. So just stack it up, you will have hay waste but that’s just natural and they will pick what hay they want to eat and not eat xD
You always slowly change the diet over a few weeks, never change abruptly. It can cause GI stasis, bloating, gas and constipated .
What food did they eat at the breeder?
Too drastic food change can cause their stomach to stop working, how does their droppings look like.
Droppings will tell all about their diet and if they are healthy or something seem wrong.
A bit of information about droppings: https://www.saveafluff.co.uk/rabbit-info/rabbit-poo
Best would let your kits to have timothy orchard grass as hay, a bit of pellets to help with growing and later on veggies on a daily bases.
Spinach and celery should they only be given sometimes because they can cause kidney stones. Celery have a high level of calcium while spinach will bind calcium.
Bunnies should have access to hay 24/7. So just stack it up, you will have hay waste but that’s just natural and they will pick what hay they want to eat and not eat xD
You always slowly change the diet over a few weeks, never change abruptly. It can cause GI stasis, bloating, gas and constipated .
The breeder has informed me that the kits have been fed vegetables before. The breeder had been feeding them them kale, corn cob, carrot peels and tops, broccoli, cabbage, fruit such as apple (no seeds) watermelon and Timothy hay.
The droppings are around the size of a grain of rice and are hard and very dark, almost black.
If I were to introduce pellets, how much would I feed each bunny daily?
I also read that Alfalfa hay should be fed to assist growth, should I be doing that?
The droppings are around the size of a grain of rice and are hard and very dark, almost black.
If I were to introduce pellets, how much would I feed each bunny daily?
I also read that Alfalfa hay should be fed to assist growth, should I be doing that?
The droppings aren’t good and better with timothy hay than alfalfa. Because you want to be sure they will eat the hay they will always have. The pellets for kits can be unlimited but I rater keep it limit if it’s a dwarf breed. I feed the amount they would have as adults but a bit more like for a holland lop kit would get 1/4 cup of pellets. But because they aren’t used with pellets, you can slowly introduce it to their diet. Bunnies won’t need pellets as adult, if they get greens which you seem to be feeding later on. Pellets it’s just a supplement to help them keep the weight and good for growing kits so they get everything they need.
They can still have kale but the rest I would avoid until you slowly introduce new veggies at 12 weeks.
The droppings should be big golden brown cocoa puff.
No, not necessary when they are used to it. Just keep feeding what they are used to. Not too much though, they need to eat hay too. With being weaned they go through enough change anyway, any other rapid changes to their diet pose some risk. The 12 weeks refer to introducing greens and veggies to rabbits that never had them, if they and the doe were fed that stuff all their lives it isn't a problem because they already got the right bacteria to digest that.
What type of hay isn't that important, as long as they eat it. Alfalfa is great when your goal is to get them up to butchering weight asap, otherwise not really necessary.
You can start to introduce pellets if you plan to feed those, but do it really slow, starting with a few pieces and increasing that over a week to a Tablespoon or so each, but keep an eye on their poops. Shake the pellet box before giving them any, or make some other distinctive noise - I use pellets as treats to train them to go back to the hutch.
In addition to the suggestions above, House Rabbit Society is a well-respected, trusted site for all bunny issues, vets (worldwide), including proper diet and care: https://rabbit.org/category/care/diet/
I agree that if they are used to greens, it is fine to keep feeding them. Basil and coriander are great choices that are safe to feed daily. Spinach is high in oxolates, so not ideal for every day (every few days is fine). Celery should be cut into 1" slices so the strings don't get tangled in their gut. [You said they had been fed corn cobs. That's a huge no. Rabbits should not be fed corn at all.]
Given their young age, I'd also avoid any fruits. Fruits are just added sugar and are fine for an occasional treat but totally unnecessary as part of a regular diet. Young rabbits have such sensitive tummies that there is only risk in offering sugary treats. Either eliminate the fruits altogether or only offer a little bit (one slice) every several days. You can offer them later when they are older.
Since they were already used to timothy hay from the breeder, I would definitely try to get some timothy hay. It is the staple of any rabbit diet. The hay should make up the bulk of their diet. Oat hay is fine to mix in with it. Refresh the hay every day.
As for pellets, follow @Preitler suggestion for slow introductions. Be sure they are plain pellets (no colorful add-ins or gourmet mixes).
Given their young age, I'd also avoid any fruits. Fruits are just added sugar and are fine for an occasional treat but totally unnecessary as part of a regular diet. Young rabbits have such sensitive tummies that there is only risk in offering sugary treats. Either eliminate the fruits altogether or only offer a little bit (one slice) every several days. You can offer them later when they are older.
Since they were already used to timothy hay from the breeder, I would definitely try to get some timothy hay. It is the staple of any rabbit diet. The hay should make up the bulk of their diet. Oat hay is fine to mix in with it. Refresh the hay every day.
As for pellets, follow @Preitler suggestion for slow introductions. Be sure they are plain pellets (no colorful add-ins or gourmet mixes).
