what to feed bun?

[Muffinxo]

Ok, just needing some reassurance! I read a few comments on another post re food and just want to make sure i am feeding her properly! She’s coming up for 9 months and we have had her since she was two months old. In the morning and at dinner time she gets a bowl of veg (handful of kale, 2 babycorn and a few green beans) then before bed she gets nuggets (some in a bowl and some in a treat ball) does this seem like too much? do buns prefer nugs in the morning? help!

[Deleted User]

I give mine nuggets in the morning and veg in the evening, no idea why just always have. if your bun is happy enough than I don’t see why it would be a problem

Aslong as she has hay to graze on she wont go hungry

[Muffinxo]

I was worried incase i was maybe over feeding her veg as she gets 2 bowls daily? Yes she has 3 different types of hay to nibble on

[tobyluv]

Corn and green beans are not the best veggies to give to rabbits. Here are 2 lists of good veggies/greens:

http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/
https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/VeggieList/tabid/144/Default.aspx

I assume that you mean rabbit pellets when you say nuggets. At 9 months of age, you should limit the amount of pellets according to your rabbit’s weight. Since she is used to getting pellets at bedtime, that’s a good time for her.  It’s good that you are giving a variety of hay. Hay should make up the bulk of her diet.

[Azerane]

I agree that corn and green beans are not appropriate. Corn can be given but poses a risk of intestinal blockage as the shells of the kernels can’t be digested. I recommend introducing some herbs such as cilantro or basil, or even something like romaine or red leaf lettuce as part of the daily diet.

In terms of when you feed nuggets, I don’t think it matters. You can’t really overfeed on leafy greens (unless it’s upsetting their tummy) although fruits and veg can be overfed. Pellets are the main concern to avoid feeding to much of. Depending on the size of your bunny 1/4 cup of nuggets daily is all you really need to give. Sounds like things are pretty good though with all that hay available

[Aki]

Go on rabbit.org, like tobyluv suggested. They have a reliable list of vegetables but also an article about what you should give and in which quantities.
I agree to that corn and green beans aren’t good. Vegetables should be about 2/3 leafy greens (mainly lettuces which aren’t Iceberg / chicoree / herbs…).
Which nuggets you are giving and how much?

[Muffinxo]

I will thank you. I can remember checking the save a fluff website when we first got her to check what foods she could have, seems like each website says different. What do you feed your rabbits? Thanks for all the help

[Q8bunny]

My bun gets a tablespoon of pellets (usually Oxbow) and a couple cups of leafy greens (the combination I use changes all the time) and a bit of fresh pineapple peel – all this both morning and night. He has unlimited hay of course, along with tiny bits of fresh veg and fruit as treats from time to time and bites of whatever food I’m eating that he manages to pilfer.

[Jillian191j]

The main concern with the corn and green beans (besides the intestinal blockage with corn) is their sugar and starch content. They’re kind of nutritionally dead for rabbits.

Monte gets a big handful of romaine lettuce, collard greens, chard, dandelion greens, parsley, or cilantro. I rotate 2 of those choices weekly depending on what looks good at the market or produce stand. She also gets a piece or two of broccoli, carrot, kale (this i feed very occasionally since theres very mixed reviews about kale and rabbits), brussel sprouts, or snap peas. I rotate 1 of these every so often. These are those sugary/starchy vegetables so we keep it to a couple pieces.

Also be wary of what pellets/nuggets you’re feeding your rabbit. Stick to the plain ones that are mostly hay based. None of those “pretty” mixes with all the treats and colorful pieces in them.

[Muffinxo]

I have checked a few sites and on RSPCA it said both babycorn & green beans are safe.. i’ll give her a change anyway. I researched a good bit before i bought her nuggets, she gets Burgess Excel Nuggets with Mint
Any website i check gives a massive list of all the wonderful bunny safe foods but i can never find any in the stores. (im from the UK) might have to go a veg shop instead of supermarket? Stressful.

[Aki]

If you can, vegetables bought in a real market from local farmers are always better than those you find in a supermarket (even for you ! ) which are generally drenched in pesticides or bleach… They aren’t even more expensive, at least not in France.
So, I looked at the ingredients for Burgess Excel Nuggets with Mint – it’s not very good. There is salt, lots of cereals and oil and they are too fattening (2% of fat is ideal, you are at 4% here). Your rabbit is not going to drop dead from it, but for once, I can recommend the pellets I use as the UK also has zooplus! I buy those and as you can see, the composition is flawless (it took me a while to find it, it was the 3rd kind I’ve tried – my rabbits have been eating this for 5 years now):
http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/food/rabbit/jr_farm/186298

For my rabbits, I give unlimited hay (the “normal” kind : http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/food/hay/hay/229318 ; and second crop / crau hay which my rabbits love but which are really expensive and harder to find even on the Internet, I have to admit I splurge more easily now that Aki is 7 years old and closer each day to being an old lady) ; a very small amount of pellets in the morning as a supplement (like 10g per rabbit) and 8% of their body weight in vegetables (around 5 different vegetables every week, trying not to give the same from one week to another even if batavia or curly endive are almost always on the menu) at night with a handful of grass for hydratation and extra fibers these days. I give a branch from an apple tree or an hazelnut tree when I get the chance because it’s good for the teeth and Tybalt loves to peel the bark…

[Q8bunny]

Aki – I want to be one of your buns. It sounds like they eat like pro athletes.

[Azerane]

Burgess Excel is a good brand, I switched to it from Oxbow. They are grass hay based. Yes it has wheat and salt (0.18% most brands that have salt have about 0.5%), but so do many brands. In terms of “bad” brands, I wouldn’t count Burgess as one of them. It has 4% fat, but so do those pellets that you feed. I think it’s fantastic that they’re grainless, but it doesn’t make all pellets with grain bad. We don’t have any grain free pellet brands in my country, and out of all the research I’ve done, Burgess comes out on top in regards to ingredients and guaranteed analysis of brands we do have available.

Muffinxo, it’s a shame that the RSPCA website listed those things. While they certainly can be fed and aren’t toxic to a rabbit, they’re really not the sort of things a rabbit should be eating on a regular basis, if at all, simply because they’re not suitable. I see some lists that recommend feeding cabbage, brussel sprouts or broccoli every day. I never fed those at all because they can lead to problems, especially if fed daily. Brussel sprouts and broccoli especially have a tendency to cause gas which can lead to GI stasis. The main thing to realise is that just because something is on a rabbit safe list, doesn’t mean that it should be fed daily or in large amounts. A variety of leafy greens is a good daily staple, but within that, you need to make sure that you’re not feeding a high oxalate green every day (like chard), or a high calcium green (like kale), every day.

[Muffinxo]

Sorry I haven’t checked this thread for a little while! Thanks everyone for the help & advice! Somehow where i stay there really isnt a large selection of veg to choose from (doesnt help that she is fussy) i have tried her with everything i can find in the supermarkets but she basically only likes kale. I’ve found a website that delivers fresh veg to you so think i’ll try that! Thank you again

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