Eating question

[Picksgirl]

Hi all.  Sorry for posting so much; it must seem maybe I don’t know as much about bunnies as I thought I did.    Comet seems to be mostly interested in eating his pellets.  I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.  I really thought he’d eat more hay (timothy) than he has been.  The pellets seem to be his fav thing to eat.  I give Comet a quarter cup at 7am and a quarter cup at 7pm.  He has lots of hay to eat throughout the day but doesn’t seem to eat much (maybe a handful; is that enough?).  I tried to give him a little piece of broccoli and green pepper tonite but all he did was take a little nibble of the broccoli and wouldn’t touch the green pepper.  I know he loves apple but he’s had it twice already in 4 days so I don’t want to give him any more today.  Is he okay to just eat mostly pellets and some hay and not veggies???

Thx so much for all your input.  I have a lot to learn about caring for this little cutie pie!!!!

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[Scarlet_Rose]

Oh hey don’t worry about posting so much, that’s what we’re here for, for goodness sake.  No one expects anyone to know "everything" so don’t be so hard on yourself O.K.?

Comet sounds like he is a picky eater although you may want to have his molars and teeth checked by a vet as that could be part of the problem. The pellets without veggies is definately not ideal, but it is OK.  However the small amount of hay is a concern.  Bunnnies need lots of fiber to keep things moving.  Have you tried different hays? Have your tried mixing it?  We’ve had several discussions about this very topic.  You can also try mixing some flowers like lavender, chamomile, hibiscus and rosebuds in to get Comet interested and perhaps eat more. Are his poops normal or small, black or brown, soft or hard?  Is anything runny?

If it is that he is a picky eater when it comes to eating hay, stop feeding treats to see if that makes him resort to hay rather than "junk" food.  With the veggies, how many have you tried? Is his background such that he isn’t used to having this variety? What type of pellets are you feeding by the way? Are they alfalfa or timothy based?

Here are a few articles on picky eaters:

http://www.coloradohrs.com/articles/diet_misc_feeding.asp

http://www.coloradohrs.com/articles/diet_hay_crisis.asp

 

[Gravehearted]

ScarletRose shared some very helpful tips. A few things – rabbits only really like fresh hay. Yesterday’s hay is stupid according to my rabbits who won’t eat it. So, instead I give them a big handful in the morning and another before bed time. Mix up the kinds of hay you offer. Oat, brome, orchard grass are all good choices in addition to the timothy.

Broc is ok in small amounts, but can cause gas. Pepper is ok too, but not really the kind of leafy veggie that is most popular with the bunnies. Try something like flat leaf parsley, chard, dill, spring mix or dandelion greens. The fresher the better, so if you have a farmer’s market that’s your best bet. You’re right not to over do the apple – it’s a treat food and should be offered in very small amounts – like a tiny sliver a day.

[Floppy]

I should try getting floppy some dill or chard, he hasnt had those yet…and dill smells so delicious!

[Picksgirl]

Hi.  Thx for your helpful info.  Comet did end up eating the all the broccoli but not the green pepper.  The pellets are alphafa based; maybe not the best kind for him to be on.  Going to see if I can find something better and pick out some new veggies for him to try.  His poop seems fine, no issues there.

This morning I filled a paper bag with hay and added some pellets in, then I poked some holes in the bag.  So hopefully I’ll find it all eaten by the time I get home. 

 

[wendyzski]

Pepper originally hated green pepper but now she loves it.  It’s higher in sugar than  some veggies too, so I’m sparing with it (1/4 of a smallish pepper at a time). 

[Scarlet_Rose]

picksgirl that’s great you stuffed it in a paper bag! I picked that tip up from Binky Bunny and my two adore it! Not to mention they make piggies out of themselves with the hay too.  Try a few other veggies as broccoli, peppers and zuccini aren’t usually well liked by rabbits. Like gravehearted mentioned the peppers and broccoli isn’t well tolerated by most buns either.

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