When Do You Feed?

[MyBabyBunnies]

I'm curious, when do you feed your rabbits? I know most people feed morning and night but I'm wondering when you feed each specific item I've been feeding pellets in the morning and veggies at night for convience sake.

But I did a trial run of feeding pellets are night and veggies in the morning and I found that the rabbits were more likely to finish the pellets faster at night and ate the veggies right away in the day. While before they would nibble a few pellets during the day if fed in the morning and when I fed them their veggies at night, they'd still have pellets left in their bowls. I figure on hot days they are less interested in eating pellets until it cools off in the evenings but since the veggies are high in water content, they were eating them more if fed veggies during the day.

Has anyone else noticed this sort of thing? When do you feed each item? And do you think it makes a difference at which time you feed certain items?

 

[rubysmom]

I have two adult rabbits each weighing 10 pounds. I feed them each 1/4 c. Oxbow Bunny-T in the morning. They get unlimited fresh timothy hay from a local farm all day and all night. Then at night they share about 5-6 c. of fresh greens. They are eager for all their food. They are quite good eaters and pretty much chow down whenever I put their fresh food out. I just recently switched from feeding pellets and greens at night at the same time this new schedule. I just wanted to space things out for them.

 

[Pet_Bunny]

Vegsin the morning and during the day, as they are eaten right away, no spoilage.

Combination of Pellets, oats, sunflower seeds, alfalfa bits at night.

Unlimited Hay at all times.

Rainbows!

 

[SOOOSKA]

Hey Raibows, do you give the shell on the sunflower seeds or do you buy them already peeled (i'm sure that's not the right word).

I'd be scared they could choke on the hard part.

Soooska:apollo:

 

[Bunman]

Seeds of any kind are actually not recommended, they are fattening.

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/treat.html

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

Seeds are good for the coat but they are not recommended in large amounts. They are recommended to be fed during cold days in teh winter if they are outside because they are a hot food. They are ok to be fed but they should not be fed in high quantities. They should also not be given to over weight bunnies because they will not help a rabbit lose weight.

And there is no choking hazard with sunflower seeds, it's no different than pellets to be honest. The hardness is comparable. Also think that rabbits who chew on wood get chunks off as well which is just like a sunflower seeds. I bought a small bag of black oil sunflower seeds from the local feed store. I feed them once every 2 weeks but very few and in the winter I feed them to add and maintain weight in the winter.

 

[canela_2004]

i give pellets in the morning, along with fresh hay and veggies/fruit at night. however Kahlua is more of a hay/veggie eater so she will have pellets around all day while her hay and veggies go really fast.

 

[manda]

hay all the time

pellets in the morning

veggies at night

and sometimes i will refill Alex's pellet bowl. i recently started giving 1 8th cup of timothy pellets and i think i did it too quickly so i refill his bowl. i will gradualy stop doing that

 

[pamnock]

We feed once in the evening. I did twice a day feedings form many years, but have noticed not change in condition or general health since switching to once a day feeding.

Pam

 

[Bramble Briar86]

I also feed once in the evening. If you feed pellets at night, rabbits are more likely to finish them off, since they are less active during the day and it may get much hotter (in the summer) they do not like to eat much when fed in the morning.

Ellie

 

[Hollie]

I feed fresh veg in the evening, but they always have dried food mix and unlimited hay during the day which they both play with and eat.

 

[Bunman]

By dried food mix, you mean the type with colored bits? Straight pellets are healthier:

http://www.wisconsinhrs.org/Articles/Rabbit Treat Foods.htm

 

[JimD]

MyBabyBunnies wrote:

Seeds are good for the coat but they are not recommended in large amounts. They are recommended to be fed during cold days in teh winter if they are outside because they are a hot food. They are ok to be fed but they should not be fed in high quantities. They should also not be given to over weight bunnies because they will not help a rabbit lose weight.

And there is no choking hazard with sunflower seeds, it's no different than pellets to be honest. The hardness is comparable. Also think that rabbits who chew on wood get chunks off as well which is just like a sunflower seeds. I bought a small bag of black oil sunflower seeds from the local feed store. I feed them once every 2 weeks but very few and in the winter I feed them to add and maintain weight in the winter.

Good post MBB ! :thumbup

~Jim