Your rabbit food patterns...

[BarneyBabe]

Hi all.

So I used to feed my baby about 20/30g or pellets a day. He ate them all in one go.

I’ve recently upped it to 50/60g a day, he doesn’t finish them all in one go. He eats for a long time. Leaves about 10 pellets. Has a little break, eats the rest half an hour later/ an hour later. He always flops or poops in between.
I know this is a weird question but should I be worried he leaves a few pellets??
Thanks! XX

 

[BarneyBabe]

I should say, I upped it on vet advice. His moulting has gone funny as a result of lack of nutrients!

 

[zuppa]

Hi all.

So I used to feed my baby about 20/30g or pellets a day. He ate them all in one go.

I’ve recently upped it to 50/60g a day, he doesn’t finish them all in one go. He eats for a long time. Leaves about 10 pellets. Has a little break, eats the rest half an hour later/ an hour later. He always flops or poops in between.
I know this is a weird question but should I be worried he leaves a few pellets??
Thanks! XX

Hi, what age is your rabbit? Size, breed? Is he under/overweight? What pellets you feed him? Name, ingredients, % of fibre, protein, calcium?

50-60 gram is normal suggested portion for an average adult rabbit, he doesn't have to eat it in one go, just in 24 hours, if after 24h there are still some pellets in his bowl maybe this portion is just too much for him, if his body looks/feels like normal not underweight he probably just had enough and you can reduce a little bit.

Most of my rabbits eat a half or less at once but in 24 hours when it's dinner time they look so excited and definitely look so hungry like they were never fed before. You can split that 50-60 gram and give him twice a day if you feel better, but I think it's fine and he will finish when needed.

I have a dwarf/mini lop couple they would come running for their dinner but eat just a little and go on their shelf for a little nap, but I know they will eat the rest later so don't worry. They are 10 months now. Bernie, my other rabbit she's 2 years and 1 month I adopted her when she was 6-7 months old, she was always like that, would only eat half and will finish later, but now getting older she would only eat 1/4 or 1/3 of her bowl at once. She eats lots of hay and she is in a very good shape so I don't worry. Her portion is a bit smaller than other rabbits, her body feels good and I am happy that she's always very enthusiastic about her hay.

Pellets are only an addition to hay. they have all vitamins needed so it is nice that your rabbit gets all the needed stuff from them but his main food is hay.

What was wrong with his shedding, can you post some pics perhaps?

 

[Oreo and bella]

My both rabbits have different ways of eating Oreo will eat her hay then her pellets then Bella will eat her pellets and hay lol they have veggies in the evening when they are running in there pen both girls are moulting and I've noticed there eating more hay do you brush your bunny if it's having issues with molting

 

[Diane R]

Our vet (who teaches rabbit medicine) advises not more than 1tbsp pellets a day, basically think of pellets as treats. And scatter feed or put the pellets in toys or hay so they have to forage for them. I am pretty sure the moulting has nothing to do with the amount of pellets.

 

[BarneyBabe]

Hi, what age is your rabbit? Size, breed? Is he under/overweight? What pellets you feed him? Name, ingredients, % of fibre, protein, calcium?

50-60 gram is normal suggested portion for an average adult rabbit, he doesn't have to eat it in one go, just in 24 hours, if after 24h there are still some pellets in his bowl maybe this portion is just too much for him, if his body looks/feels like normal not underweight he probably just had enough and you can reduce a little bit.

Most of my rabbits eat a half or less at once but in 24 hours when it's dinner time they look so excited and definitely look so hungry like they were never fed before. You can split that 50-60 gram and give him twice a day if you feel better, but I think it's fine and he will finish when needed.

I have a dwarf/mini lop couple they would come running for their dinner but eat just a little and go on their shelf for a little nap, but I know they will eat the rest later so don't worry. They are 10 months now. Bernie, my other rabbit she's 2 years and 1 month I adopted her when she was 6-7 months old, she was always like that, would only eat half and will finish later, but now getting older she would only eat 1/4 or 1/3 of her bowl at once. She eats lots of hay and she is in a very good shape so I don't worry. Her portion is a bit smaller than other rabbits, her body feels good and I am happy that she's always very enthusiastic about her hay.

Pellets are only an addition to hay. they have all vitamins needed so it is nice that your rabbit gets all the needed stuff from them but his main food is hay.

What was wrong with his shedding, can you post some pics perhaps?

Thanks for your replies! He’s a Dutch, 1 year, 2.2kg and not under or over as far as vet says

His moult got stuck basically, and they thought of it as potentially a nutrients problem, he gets very gassy with quite a few greens.

I’m basically worried as he had molar spurs about 12 weeks ago which he got them shaved off.

The sign then was not finishing his pellets in one go - but he was in obvious pain and ground his teeth all the time.


He’s not finishing them all in one go now - but he isn’t in any obvious pain and flops straight after eating them. I’ve also changed to orchard hay and he eats probably 3X as much hay now.

He’s eating all hay, including the stalkiest bits and eats his celery. He’s chewing cardboard, wood as he always does. I went to the vets three weeks ago and they said that other than him having big molars (they said it must be normal for him) he was totally fine. I feel silly going back again for no sign other than pellets.

I think I’m just driving myself crazy worrying about it, and I’m worried about him not finishing his pellets in case it’s spurs again

thanks for listening and replying to the ramble, I’m just being over anxious I think!!

 

[cuteus]

Our vet (who teaches rabbit medicine) advises not more than 1tbsp pellets a day, basically think of pellets as treats. And scatter feed or put the pellets in toys or hay so they have to forage for them. I am pretty sure the moulting has nothing to do with the amount of pellets.

1tbsp? That would not work with my rabbits. That can only be done if a rabbit is devouring tons of hay as main food and many don't. I had one rabbit that never went for hay. None of my exotics vets had a problem with my keeping a small bowl of pellets available for free feeding as long as greens and hay are part of the feeding.

 

[Diane R]

1tbsp? That would not work with my rabbits. That can only be done if a rabbit is devouring tons of hay as main food and many don't. I had one rabbit that never went for hay. None of my exotics vets had a problem with my keeping a small bowl of pellets available for free feeding as long as greens and hay are part of the feeding.

Most bunnies will not eat enough hay if you give more pellets. UK rabbit vets would be horrified at the idea of free feeding pellets. If their teeth are OK and they are offered a variety of hay they will eat it if you give little else. You may have to try lots of different types of hay though.