Feed them once or twice a day?

[Matty]

 I know others have sounded off on this topic before but it seems there is no “official” answer.  

I am going out of town for the long weekend and while I usually feed Turbo twice a day, I’m considering having my neighbors feed him once a day so that they don’t “burn out” on coming over to feed him.  Is this a bad idea?

Thanks!

-Matty

[osprey]

I have asked friends to come in and take care of the bunnies overnight a couple of times, and it worked out fine. When you say you feed him twice a day, do you mean veggies, pellets or hay? The reason I ask is that hay should always be available, so I really pack the hay rack full and leave a basket or two of additional hay in the pen, as well as an additional water bowl just in case. My guys usually get greens twice a day, but when people are stopping in for an overnight I only ask them to feed greens once. To save work, you can premeasure the pellets, and keep a regular bunny salad wrapped and prepared in the fridge, so all your friends have to do is top off the hay rack and water bowls, give the prepared meals and go on their way. You can prepare a small note with what to feed and how, with a contact number on it just in case.

For more than an overnight, I always go with a sitter. Too much bad stuff can happen to a rabbit in 48 hours to leave them unattended for that long.

[Matty]

Thanks for the feedback. Since I keep his hayracks full, I’m referring to how many times a day I should feed him veggies and pellets. Good idea about pre-measuring everything!

[Dee]

I always keep hay available, and give them a 1/2 cup of pellets a day (they don’t usually finish them). On an ideal day, I feed them assorted greens in the morning and at night. At night they get fruit with their greens, which they go crazy for. They literally run into each other and hop over each other in a feeding frenzy when I appear with their bowl of food.
Some days I just don’t have time to wash and prep greens in the morning. I try to wash/prep a couple days wirth when I buy greens to make it easier. You may already know this, but I found a great way to keep greens fresh: Unwashed, I wrap them in paper towels and keep them in the veggie drawer of the fridge. After I wash/prep them, I line a large plastic strainer with paper towels, place the greens inside, and cover with damp paper towels. The ventilation and moisture keep the greens crisp and fresh for a few days.
So yeah.. I think your buns would be fine being fed greens only once a day while you’re away. As long as they are safe, have people checking in on them, and have their home kept at a comfortable tempurature, they should be fine. My husband and I are going to Laconia in June and leaving our buns for 4 nights! My son will be staying home with them to care for them- he is 16 and amazingly responsible. Good luck and have fun!

[Beka27]

We’re going on vacation this summer, so we’re facing a similar issue. We haven’t been on a real vacation since before our son was born (he is turning 7 in JULY!) so I’m a little concerned about this as well, b/c I don’t have someone who can come over twice a day… I always feed veggies and pellets about 12 hours apart. Fresh greens and processed pellets digest at different rates and can cause an upset tummy if fed at the same time. My boy isn’t affected by this, but my girl is so sensitive, that I’m wondering if I need to start slowly feeding them pellets and veggies closer together?

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