Confused about veggies

[southernmom]

I have a Holland lop that will be 3 years old in January 2018.  We have only had her for a little over a month.  She can be sweet most of the time but other times a pain.  

As far as diet goes I am confused.  I have read the info about the veggies to feed them.  But it still worries me.  She has unlimited hay and water.  She gets her pellets 2 times a day.  Trust me she knows when it is time to get her pellets.  If I am late getting them to her, she will thump her leg until I get them to her.  

She loves Kale and I give that to her.  Every once and a while she will get a small piece of banana or a grape.  She loves those also.  But what other veggies should she be getting.  How much should she get and how many times a day?  I want to make sure she has a good diet.  

[JosipTheBunny]

My bunnies normally get veggies once a day. In the summer more than in winter, because we have a big garden and tons of veggies. So when I have a huge selection of veggies to give them I only feed pellets as treats, in the winter time they get them every day (but still only a small amount).
As far as the veggies go we feed a different mixture of following veggies: parsley, basil, mint (different kinds), oregano, rocket/arugula, dandelion, different salads and lettuces, endive, radicchio, cucumbers, bell peppers, spinach, kale, cabbage, carrot tops, swiss chard, bok choy, broccoli, raspberry leaves and strawberry leaves.
As treats they get a few times a week small pieces of fruit/high carb veggie depending on what is in season: carrot, nectarine, peach, plum, apple, strawberries, raspberries, cherry tomato, banana, raisins, cranberries, dry apricot etc

They also love to nibble on dandelion roots or certain woods: willow branches, apple tree branches, birch etc.

Portion size of the veggies depends on the size of your bun and also on the fact if he is getting pellets or not. I kind of learned with time how much to give them by observing their poop size and consistency.I would say they each get: 1 big handful of fresh veggies in winter and 2 handfuls in the summer. Oh and my bunnies all weight around 1,5 kg.

This blog post might help you with portion size:
https://bunnyapproved.com/bunnys-pellet-free-diet/
https://bunnyapproved.com/no-more-pellets-an-introduction/

[joea64]

If it’s available at supermarkets in your area, you might try getting packaged spring mix (NO salad dressing!). This has been recommended to me by quite a few people here and elsewhere as an easy way to get bunnies the leafy green vegetables they need – do make sure to read the ingredients on back of the package to make sure the vegs in the mix are all on the “good for buns” list.

[ThorBunny]

I feed veggies once a day as well. I’ve had good luck with those spring mix boxes of salad! It’s nice that they contain a variety. In addition, I add in whatever looks fresh at the market that week: kale, dandelion greens, fennel, parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, dill and radicchio are all favorites around here

When introducing new veggies make sure to do just one every few days and observe her to make sure it doesn’t upset her stomach. A few buns can be sensitive to certain greens so it’s good to check first!

[Deleted User]

I give veggies twice daily, but that’s just my routine. 1 cup in the morning and 1 cup again in the evening. A typical salad consists of various herbs, red and green leaf lettuce, some bell pepper or carrots every now and then. There are tons of veggies that are bunny safe, you just have to find what they like! And make sure not to feed any iceberg lettuce. Anything that can cause gas should be given sparingly, as gas discomfort can lead to stasis.

[sarahthegemini]

Roughly a bun should have 1 cup of leafy greens per 2lbs of body weight. How many feedings per day you split this into doesn’t really matter. It needs to be varied though, not just one type. I would give mine romaine, Chinese leaf, rocket, watercress, bok choy, spring greens, chicory, coriander, dill, curly kale, thyme, mint etc

[LBJ10]

Yes, organic spring mix is an easy way to give variety. Plus mine love the “baby” leaves. They probably taste better, I suppose.

If you’re buying individual items and mixing them together, BB has a nice list:
https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/VeggieList/tabid/144/Default.aspx

[southernmom]

Thank you everyone. Your help is amazing. With the added veggies should I cut back the pellets. I measure out what she gets for pellets.

If I do the spring mix should I only give her one kind of leave for a few days to see how she does. Once I see she can handle each leave then I can give her a mix of it.

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