Brand New Owner – Diet Questions

[hulijing]

I just got my very first rabbit ever and I’m quite the nutrition newb. He’s a lionhead, about a month and a half old. I have some questions on the proper diet for his age and breed. Firstly, should I be feeding him alfalfa since he’s so young? Should I provide a mineral or salt block? I’ve heard so much contradicting opinions on it. How much veggies should he get? I’ve read he should get about a cup of fresh greens a day. How much pellets should I be giving such a small breed? Do I need to change his diet when he matures or even again when he’s a senior?

[hulijing]

Also just read bunnies shouldn’t have fresh greens until they’re 7 months old. Is that true?

[Luna]

Hi! Congrats on your first bun. If he is only a month and a half old, his diet should be limited to unlimited hay and unlimited pellets. No veggies until he is at least 6 months of age. As he transitions from a juvenile to an adult, the pellets should be the ones for “adults” and should be limited in amount. Alfalfa hay or timothy hay is ok, but I don’t know if alfalfa-based pellets (as opposed to timothy pellets) can be given in conjunction with alfalfa hay. Maybe another member can weigh in on whether there is a “too much alfalfa” rule for younger buns? As for the mineral/salt block, I too have heard mixed reviews, and I just do not provide one based on personal choice and also because it also is not a necessary amenity for buns.

[sarahthegemini]

You can start him out on veggies from around 12 weeks old, just introduce them slowly. And only introduce one at a time, so one new veggie per week. Start off with just a small piece, keep an eye on their poop and if all is okay, increase the amount gradually over a week or so. Then try the next one. Romaine is a good veg to start on.

Pellets can be unlimited however if your bun doesn’t eat enough hay, I would definitely limit them. My bunnies were never big hay eaters (as it happens it was because I hadn’t found one yummy enough!) so I only gave my buns two tablespoons per day. That was enough for them, obviously if you do end up having to limit their pellets you’ll need to make sure you keep an eye on their weight so they don’t end up underweight.

Alfalfa hay can be fed up until 6 months but it isn’t essential – Timothy Hay or other grass hays are fine. If you do go for Alfalfa then at around 6 months you’ll need to transition to a grass hay which can be tricky as buns generally prefer the taste of alfalfa.

As for salt/mineral licks, I’ve no idea!

[tobyluv]

Salt or mineral blocks are not needed. Most lionheads weigh around 3 pounds or so. An adult rabbit of that weight would get about 1/8 cup of pellets a day. Since he is young now, he can have unlimited pellets, but you don’t want to overfeed him either. Some rabbits can be piggy about their pellets. Don’t keep refilling the bowl but see how much he eats in a day and if he isn’t eating a lot of hay you may need to cut back a bit on the pellets. It is correct that rabbits shouldn’t have greens or veggies until they are 12 weeks old, and that you should only try one new one a week. Have you looked at the BUNNY INFO tab at the top of the page here? It has great information on all the basics of rabbit care, including lists of good greens for rabbits and some greens that should be given more sparingly.

[hulijing]

Thank you for the replies! He’s currently being fed Timothy hay with a little alfalfa pellets. Lucky for me he actually seems to prefer the hay over the pellets. I have looked over the info sheets on here and they’ve been super helpful Guess I’ll pass on the mineral block then. I was wondering since a local breeder includes one with every bunny she sells, but I guess it’s not needed. And good to know the suggestion of what veggie to start him with when he’s older.

[Jessica]

Did your breeder already start him on fresh greens? My breeder sent me home with a list of greens my bun had already been eating, but she starts greens right away with her litters

[Author]

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