Is my bunny eating too much?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 2sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 10 months ago by joea64.

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- 09/10/2017 at 11:31 PM
  kdee1377
  Participant
  1 posts
  I just got my bunny a couple of days ago and he is only 3 months old. I read that such young bunnies should get unlimited pellets but I’m worried I’m feeding him too much. I give him half a cup of romaine lettuce, clean water, and a handful of pellets in the morning. As the day goes on I refill his bowl with pellets. I refill quite a bit and he seems to be eating constantly and I’m not sure if this is normal or not. I don’t usually measure out the pellets since I figured unlimited is pretty much as much as he wants but I typically just do a handful.
- 09/10/2017 at 11:49 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  Welcome kdee and congratulations on your new bunny!
  
  Does he have access to hay at all? It’s important to encourage good hay eating habits. My concern would be if he’s eating pellets and snubbing hay completely.
  
  I never gave my own rabbits unlimited pellets when they were young and they seemed to do fine. I know it is often recommended though. I think it’s one of those things one needs to tailor to their own rabbits and their eating habits.
- 09/11/2017 at 7:56 AM
  joea64
  Participant
  1423 posts
  Young bunnies should get unlimited alfalfa pellets and hay at that age (3 months), as they need the protein to grow; but as they get older, you should start transitioning them to timothy and other, lower-protein, high-fiber, hays as well as timothy-based pellets. After 6 months or so they shouldn’t get large quantities of alfalfa, either in hay or pellets. Adult rabbits should only get a small quantity of timothy-based pellets per day, generally 1/8 to 1/4 cup per 5 pounds adult body weight. The vast majority of their diet must always be grass hay (timothy and other types such as orchard and oat), at least 75% of what they eat daily. I find that my own two buns get their daily requirement of hay if I provide them with big handfuls at least equivalent to their body volume/size in their litterbox at least twice per 24-hour period, along with more hay in the hay feeder attached to their condo. They do most of their hay-eating in their active hours around dawn and dusk but will nibble occasionally throughout the day.
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