Baxter eats like a horse!

[Nibbles_NZ]

When I took Baxter to the Vet in the middle of May he was only 3.9 lbs. Then he was wieghed again 4 weeks later when he was neutered and in that time he wieghed exactly 4.9 lbs. Then, exactly 4 days later, he was 5.1 lbs! He is gaining wieght like crazy! He is quite a bit bigger now! He eats a ton too! He eats 2 cups of pellets a day. He gets unlimited since he is still young and growing, he gets 3 large leafs of Romaine and a small bushel of parsley per day and he eats a lot of Timmy hay. He isn’t at all fat. He is normal and healthy…..and expensive lol. He looks huge next to Bell. He is a large breed bunny but is he over eating? He looks very long and lean. Not skinny lean but healthy.

[Monkeybun]

How old is he now? You can probably start cutting down on his pellets if he’s already been neutered… not long after neuter age is when you can start that.

[Nibbles_NZ]

He is only 5 months old. I’ve read that you are supposed to wait until they are 1 year old before you start taking thier pellets down. He is a large breed bunny so he won’t stop growing until he is at least 12 months sometimes up to 18 months for his breed. That’s what I have read anyway.

[BinkyBunny]

Nibbles — it does sound from your description of the way he looks he’s just growing. What breed is he again?

If your bunny is just “growing” and young bunnies grow very fast then that’s different than getting fat. And so again, from the sounds of it, he’s just growing since he’s a large breed. The HRS website does say unlimited pellets until 7 months but we’ve had members bunnies get overweight prior tho that (and sometimes it’s just due to the type of pellet) so it just something that each bunny owner has to watch. Smaller bunnies will reach their ideal weight normally quicker than larger bunnies. Since he’s growing so fast, you should take photos every week — then you can morph them together.

[Beka27]

I would start to limit the pellets within the next 2-3 months. Even if he’s a 10 pound bunny, eventually he won’t be getting more than a 1/2 cup pellets a day. And with a smaller breed bunny, assuming they are bonded and living together, you won’t be able to have that many pellets in the pen, because Bell will be at risk of becoming overweight.

[Nibbles_NZ]

Thanks. Baxter is a New Zealand breed. Thier wieght is 9-12 lbs. I don’t think he is over wieght. I was just surprised that he eats so much lol. I will reduce the pellets in a few months. Baxter and Bell will hopefully be bonded sometime this winter so I still have time to limit pellets so Bell doesn’t become overwieght. Although, Bell is more interested in hay than pellets. Thank you. I didn’t even think about Bell becoming overwieght from it. Good advice.

[bunnnnnnie!]

I’m no expert but it sounds like a normal, growing, larger bun to me.  Zeus is a bigger bun as well, full grown.  He eats 1/3 cup pellets per day (he’d probably eat about a cup of pellets a day if I allowed it, when I first got him he was on ad lib pellets from the previous owner).  7-8 leaves of romaine a day, half of a carrot per day (give or take a few inches of the carrot!), and a large handful of mixed grass hay per day.

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