Diet ?s

[ilr369]

Does anyone know how much pellets i should be feeding my bunny. I just got him and the pellets I bought him say to give it to him “free-choice”. The brand I bought is “Mazuri”

Also the place where i got my bunny said that Oreo (my bunny) was full grown, and the vet said that he’s not one year old yet. Should I be feeding him veggies?

One last question: Would a 1 lb rabbit be considered small?

[Beka27]

the general rule is about 1/4 cup of pellets per five pounds of rabbit. if he is so small, you could probbaly do 1/8th of a cup. that is in addition to unlimited timothy hay, and at least two cups of veggies per day.

the diet should be 80% hay, 15% veggies, and only 5% timothy pellets (with no added seeds or junk in them.)

if you go up to the diet info section at the top, it explains everything very well, and there is a list of acceptable veggies. make sure to introduce them one at a time if you’re not feeding them yet.

[Beka27]

i just checked the mazuri website. from what i see, the only rabbit pellets it has listed are alfalfa based. you’ll want to switch him to pellets that are timothy based. timothy hay should be the first ingredient listed.

[MooBunnay]

Following on Beka’s comment – a good place to get timothy based pellets is oxbow (www.oxbowhay.com) – and their “Bunny Basics T” is a great rabbit pellet. This is the type that I use for my bunnies. Free choice is definitely not a good “diet plan” because you’ll end up with some chubby bunnies!

Yes, I would say a 1 lb. bunny is considered the smallest they get. I have one 1 lb. bunny and she is the tiniest of the 7 that we have. If your bun is just one pound he is likely not full-grown yet (though it is possible that he is). If you find that the veggies are giving him runny poops, then I would cut back, but otherwise, if he is tolerating them well, I think you an continue feeding him his veggies.

[ilr369]

Would my one pound bunny be able to eat one handful of hay? I usually give him 3 handfuls, but he barely touches it.

Can two cups of vegetables fit in my bunny?

What should I do if Oreo doesn’t want to come out of his cage and exercise?

[Beka27]

i think once he’s on limited pellets, the hay intake should increase. most bunnies love their veggies and will actually pick veggies over pellets, altho you have the few that would only eat pellets if given the choice. you might want to feed them at separate times, like veggies in the morning and then he can graze on them all day, and pellets around dinnertime.

i would give him one handful of hay at a time. bunnies tend to eat more when it’s replenished frequently. so check the hay a couple times a day and add a bit more each time. a hay rack is nice b/c the hay doesn’t go to waste, but i know with some buns it’s necessary to have hay in the litterbox.

can he come and go from the cage as he pleases, or does he have to be lifted out? you might want to try expanding his territory by attaching an xpen so he can feel secure in a larger area. he might not be an explorer.

what kind of “outside cage” excitement does he have? put some things he likes outside of the cage so he has to leave to get to them. you could try cardboard boxes, phone books, other toys, tunnels, or even the new BB MazeHaven. the more places he is made to feel comfortable in, the more likely he’d be to come out.

[ilr369]

I’ll go and try your plan today, and see if it’s better.

His exercise problem is solved, as today he ran all around the room.

Thanks for all the help!

[Author]

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