5 Week Old Bunny Diet?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 5sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 9 months ago by Bam.

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- 07/28/2012 at 4:32 PM
  Katrina
  Participant
  30 posts
  Hi there! So my bunny is about 5 weeks old. I’ve been feeding him Oxbow Young Rabbit Food and hay that I got from his previous owner. I know that bunnies can’t have vegetables until they are about 12 weeks old, so he hasn’t had any of that yet. I’ve read that young bunnies should be fed alfalfa hay, but when I was at the vets he said that it’s too sugary, and that timothy would be fine. I’m quite sure that the hay I got from his previous owner is the hay they feed all the bunnies they’re raising. She said I could go back and get a shopping bag full of hay for a dollar once I run out if I’d like. Would it be healthier for my bunny to keep getting hay from her until he’s older (and then start feeding him timothy hay), buy alfalfa hay for him until he’s older, or would it be okay to start feeding him timothy hay now? If not, at what age is it best to introduce timothy hay? Also, is the right age to switch to Oxbow Adult Rabbit Food a year old? I’m sorry this post is so long, it’s just that I’ve seen information about all of this scattered different places, and I want to make sure I know for sure about this! Thank you so much!
- 07/28/2012 at 5:03 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  Hi Katrina
  
  It’s good you have the food the bunny was already on. Continuing with that and starting on Timothy hay should be fine. The pellets should cover nutritional needs for growing.
  
  You can start on an adult pellet about 6-7 months of age. Even younger if you find the junior pellets too rich for your rabbit. There is more info on this site under “Bunny Info/Diet”. Also at rabbit.org
  
  5 weeks is a bit too young for the kits to be away from the mother. Although they are eating solid foods and drinking less milk (if any), ideally they should be with the mum til 8 weeks of age. Did the previous owner let all the kits go at this age?
  
  It does sound as if your little bunny is doing well despite this and I hope continues to. It’s great you’ve already got a vet and are seeking advice from them also.
  
  Hope you are enjoying all the cuteness!!
- 07/28/2012 at 5:16 PM
  Katrina
  Participant
  30 posts
  Thank you so much for all of this!!! It means a lot to me!
  Sadly the owner gave him and his two siblings away a week ago. She had already given the two siblings away the day before I got my bunny. I know it’s too soon. The owner had taken them away from their mom like, 2 days before… :/
  Yes, I sure am!
- 07/28/2012 at 5:26 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  Oh that’s sad. I hope they do ok. I’ve had one from 4weeks of age (stray) and he did great but I was nervous at the time.
  
  Anyway, you’re at the right place to learn all things bunny. Great info here. Welcome!
- 06/11/2018 at 12:00 AM
  Lucas henry
  Participant
  1 posts
  Okay I need to know what to feed my 5 week old rabbit I’ve read some articles that say certain types of hay or Alfalfa but then some say that certain types of hair good for it and then some say that Alfalfa’s too sugary and then some say if I try to feed a normal pellets that it could hurt the rabbit so I just need help on what I can feed this rabbit
- 06/11/2018 at 1:12 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17029 posts
  You can feed both alfalfa and normal hay. Alfalfa isn’t sugary, it’s high in protein and calcium, and that’s why it’s not recommended for buns over 6 months of age. But it’s excellent for a baby bunny. Baby bunnies need the protein and calcium to grow.
  
  But it’s also good to give a little bit of grass hay as well, because you want your bunny to get healthy eating habits from the start, and grass hay is the healthiest food for a grown up bun.
  
  Normal pellets won’t hurt the bunny, but if you can get alfalfa-based pellets, I’d choose that for a bun this young. If you can only get “normal” pellets for adult buns you can just feed a larger amount.
  
  At 5 weeks a bun should ideally still be with his mum and siblings, so try to spend as much time with him as you can. Monitor his poop rather closely – his tummy is extra sensitive because he’s so young. At 12 weeks you can start introducing greens.
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