Less pellets = less energy? I'm worried!

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 13sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 9 months ago by bunnnnnnie!.

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- 06/30/2010 at 10:37 AM
  bunnnnnnie!
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  1491 posts
  I wasn’t sure whether this should go in diet.. or behavior.. or something else.. so I figured posting it here was my best bet.
  
  About a week ago I got Zeus some new hay. It was the same type he was getting before, same grass species and everything, but just from a different bale (I use horse hay). He looooves the new stuff, and he’s eating a lot of it which is good. However, since he’s eating a ton of hay now, he’s not eating nearly as many pellets, and even will turn away from a carrot or greens to snack on the new hay!
  
  I have now noticed that he doesn’t quite have the energy level he did before I changed his hay. HE IS ACTING FINE, he’s eating and drinking and pooping and peeing and grooming and sleeping and such.. but he’s not running around my apartment at 100mph like he was before switching the hay. He also is lounging around a lot more, and just in general seems a bit more relaxed. He was a laidback bun to begin with, but now he’s even MORE laidback.
  
  I’m thinking this is perhaps because he’s not eating as many pellets. In horses, pellets (ie grain) is what gives them energy. If the horse is acting hyper, you cut back their pellets. Is it the same in bunnies? Are their pellets a big source of energy? Or should I be concerned that he’s not as hyper now as he was when eating more pellets and less hay?
  
  (Oh, and for what it’s worth, he’s on Kaytee Timothy Complete.)
- 06/30/2010 at 3:19 PM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Dang, nobody?
- 06/30/2010 at 4:16 PM
  LoveChaCha
  Participant
  6634 posts
  Less running around doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a lot of energy. It looks like he maybe relaxed and content in his surroundings.
  
  What’s his feeding schedule like? Did he eat veggies before? Hay is important to a bunny.. it ensures everything goes through their sensivite digestive systems well!
  
  My bunnys pellets have been cut down significantly since she got spayed in may. She gets very little, and eats more hay, but runs as soon asi give her pellets in the morning.
- 06/30/2010 at 4:37 PM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By Brittany on 06/30/2010 04:16 PM
  
  Less running around doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a lot of energy. It looks like he maybe relaxed and content in his surroundings.
  
  What’s his feeding schedule like? Did he eat veggies before? Hay is important to a bunny.. it ensures everything goes through their sensivite digestive systems well!
  
  My bunnys pellets have been cut down significantly since she got spayed in may. She gets very little, and eats more hay, but runs as soon asi give her pellets in the morning.
  
  He gets 1/6 cup pellets and greens in the morning and in the evening. He has hay available 24/7. Water bottle is changed daily. .
  
  I just want to be sure this behavior is okay (not running around as much), and that I shouldn’t be worrying like I am!
- 06/30/2010 at 4:41 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  I think he is just settling in. When you think about it pellets have more calories so I would imagine that would slow you down – well, it does me LOL.
- 06/30/2010 at 4:43 PM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By Sarita on 06/30/2010 04:41 PM
  
  I think he is just settling in. When you think about it pellets have more calories so I would imagine that would slow you down – well, it does me LOL.
  
  So you think the lowered calorie intake, plus him settling in, is it?
  
  I’m such a worrywort.
- 06/30/2010 at 4:44 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  I do think he’s fine. He’s getting plenty of pellets.
- 06/30/2010 at 4:46 PM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By Sarita on 06/30/2010 04:44 PM
  
  I do think he’s fine. He’s getting plenty of pellets.
  
  Great, thanks for the reassurance. This is my first bun, so when he wasn’t zooming around as much, wasn’t chasing me as much, and was doing more just lounging and napping, I was concerned.
- 06/30/2010 at 4:49 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  He’s on vacation
- 06/30/2010 at 4:53 PM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By Sarita on 06/30/2010 04:49 PM
  
  He’s on vacation.
  
  Yeah! Hahaha!
- 07/01/2010 at 6:54 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  It took me a second to figure out 1/6 cup twice a day! Haha… so total, he gets 1/3 cup a day? Sounds like a good amount of pellets. I certainly wouldn’t give him more than that.
  
  Have you expanded his space yet? Since he’s used to getting more exercise, more regularly, he may not feel a need for frantic running around anymore. Because he KNOWS he will be allowed space and time out of his cage. Some people have noticed that when their buns become free range, they see fewer binkies. Not because the bun is not happy, just because the bun is used to the extra space.
  
  On the contrary, my buns who are confined at night, when I let them out in the morning, it’s a Binky-fest for the first 5 minutes until they calm down. Then I don’t see any for the rest of the day.
- 07/01/2010 at 10:35 AM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By Beka27 on 07/01/2010 06:54 AM
  It took me a second to figure out 1/6 cup twice a day! Haha… so total, he gets 1/3 cup a day? Sounds like a good amount of pellets. I certainly wouldn’t give him more than that.
  
  Have you expanded his space yet? Since he’s used to getting more exercise, more regularly, he may not feel a need for frantic running around anymore. Because he KNOWS he will be allowed space and time out of his cage. Some people have noticed that when their buns become free range, they see fewer binkies. Not because the bun is not happy, just because the bun is used to the extra space.
  
  On the contrary, my buns who are confined at night, when I let them out in the morning, it’s a Binky-fest for the first 5 minutes until they calm down. Then I don’t see any for the rest of the day.
  
  I haven’t added his x-pen yet no (the supplies are at my parents’ house 2 hours away.. but I’m visiting them this weekend and taking Zeus with me, woo!). But he is getting a lot more out of cage time than he did even just a week ago. Since he’s been eating more hay and less pellets I was able to cut out one of his meals, so in the afternoon I don’t have to put him back in his cage to eat until he goes to bed (he now gets fed at 8am and 10pm, where he used to get fed at 8am, 6pm and 10pm).
  
  So before, he was getting about 3.5 hours of out of cage time, scattered throughout the day. Now he gets 5.5 hours. So that could be part of it too.
- 07/01/2010 at 12:26 PM
  LoveChaCha
  Participant
  6634 posts
  Oh wow, we sound alike in eating times and letting out to play times
  She is out more during my days off.
  I hope that Zeus is well during the trip
- 07/01/2010 at 12:33 PM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By Brittany on 07/01/2010 12:26 PM
  Oh wow, we sound alike in eating times and letting out to play times
  She is out more during my days off.
  I hope that Zeus is well during the trip
  
  Yeah on the weekends he’s pretty much out of his cage the entire weekend, save for when I’m sleeping or out running an errand or two.
  
  And thanks! I’m nervous to travel with him, but I think he’ll do okay.
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