How much to feed?

[BenjaminBunny]

Hi all, so my little buns is around 4 months old now, and has already had a pretty big growth spurt since coming home a month and a half ago. I just have a quick question regarding how much to feed. Currently he is eating around 2 shot glasses of junior pellets a day, unlimited hay and a small handful of greens eg. cauliflower leaves, kale, broccoli, mint (all of which were introduced slowly as to make sure tummy did not get upset)

How much vegetables should he be eating a day (amount wise? I read 2 cups a day, which means he needs to get alot more) and is the pellets too much or too little (2 shot glasses)? Also any other vegetable ideas would be appreciated. Want to keep the spice of life alive for Mr. Buns.

Thanks 🙂 Looking forward to some feedback and for some advice

[Sarita]

Here are the guidelines from the House Rabbit Society:

What quantities of food should I feed babies and “teenagers”?

Birth to 3 weeks–mother’s milk
3 to 4 weeks–mother’s milk, nibbles of alfalfa and pellets
4 to 7 weeks–mother’s milk, access to alfalfa and pellets
7 weeks to 7 months–unlimited pellets, unlimited hay (plus see 12 weeks below)
12 weeks–introduce vegetables (one at a time, quantities under 1/2 oz.)

For veggies, read this link to an article by Dr. Susan Brown DVM on House Rabbit Society:

http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

[Elliriyanna]

At 4 months he should be getting unlimited pellets, However … due to my rabbit getting unlimited pellets he was not eating his hay. So I cut him back to the adult amount.

for veggies they should get about 2 cups ( introduced and increased slowly) , and Hay should always be available.

Remember though these are just guidelines, do whats best for your rabbit.

[HereComesTheBun]

My rabbit is about the same age as yours is, and as the others have mentioned, generally, young rabbits get unlimited pellets. However, like Elliriyanna, I’m a little looser about this, as I try to make sure that hay is still the main staple in his diet. He gets about 1/2 cup each day. I’m not sure how big your shot glasses are. Do you have a measuring cup? If so, maybe you could figure out about how many cups he’s getting. 

According to the House Rabbit Society, adult rabbits should be getting about a 1/2 cup of pellets per 6 lbs. I’m not sure what kind of rabbit you have, but I believe that smaller rabbits tend to stop growing before bigger ones, so I plan to put my Holland Lop on an adult diet when he’s about six months old. I’m not knowledgeable about other sized rabbits, though.

As far as vegetables go, my rabbit loves romaine and other types of leafy lettuce, as well as dandelion greens. He also eats carrot tops, swiss chard, baby spinach, parsley, dill, and was just introduced to fennel. Of these vegetables, I highly recommend lettuce, since it’s less expensive and the easiest to find. Just avoid iceberg. I buy a pre-washed, undressed spring mix, which is great. The one problem is that the mix also includes chard and baby spinach, so I have to be vigilant about what I’m feeding him, so that he doesn’t get too many vegetables with oxalic acid in each salad. 

Adult rabbits get about a cup of vegetables per two pounds. I’m still in the process of putting my rabbit on the adult portion, so he receives about a cup now. 

I constantly check the HRS article on vegetables. Binky Bunny also has a great article:  https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/Veg…fault.aspx. 

[Troubledbunnymom]

I don’t like the unlimited pellet as the bunnies won’t eat their hay. I usually put the pellet inside a treat ball so the bunnies can have some exercise while trying to get the food.

Not sure how big your shot glasses are, but consider using a measuring cup to get an accurate reading of the food you’re giving.

The link provided by Sarita and HereComesTheBun are very helpful.

[Author]

Messages