diet questions

[mfraz25]

We got our bun babies on Feb 3rd and we were told that they were 6-7 weeks.

 I read that we shouldn’t feed them fresh vegetables until they are 12 weeks. They have access to unlimited hay and water. They get a quarter cup of food every afternoon. They also get 2-3 treats every day such as, dried carrot, dried banana, raisin dried papaya or dried apple. The guy that was helping us at the pet store told us that young and nursing bunnies need alfalfa and not to give them Timothy at all until they are at least 8 months old and that we HAVE to give them their vita-drops in their water. 

 The food we are giving them came with the “starter kit” and is the Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health for Juveniles.
Is this a good choice as far as food goes? They only get a quarter cup a day.

The hay is Kaytee Timothy hay with mint and alfalfa mix. They do not like the Timothy hay at all.
Is there another option we can give for hay since they won’t touch Timothy and I don’t want to overload them with alfalfa since their pellets are alfalfa?

The treats were actually pieces in a bag of food that came in their second cage. I separated the treats from the pellets. This is the food:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4255550&lmdn=Pet+Type&f=PAD%2FpsNotAvailInUS%2FNo
is it alright to give them the treats or should we just stick to fruits and vegetables we dehydrate ourselves?

 And one final question, do we need to give them the vita-drops?

 

thank you in advance,
Morgan

[peppypoo]

Welcome, and congrats on your new bunnies! Here is some good basic information about diet FAQ’s: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html

As to your specific questions:

Since they are still growing, it is best to provide them with an unlimited pellet supply. Oxbow is a brand that is very popular among our members; they make both a juvenile rabbit pellet as well as one for adults.

If they are under 6 months, giving them unlimited alfalfa hay is fine. However, if they show no interest in timothy hay as they get older, there are plenty of healthy alternatives that can be given instead, such as orchard grass or oat hay.

Vita-drops are not necessary if a complete and balanced diet is provided.

I think switching to home-dehydrated fruits and veggies is certainly a more healthy option (no preservatives/added ingredients), but if you would prefer to finish giving the dried fruits/veggies from the pellet mix, I don’t think it would be especially horrible or anything as long as they are given on a treat basis.

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