just wondering…..(about pellets)

[bunnycutie]

hi everyone. i just had a question about how i feed my rabbit. again… LOL. anyways, everyday he gets 1 cup of chopped veggies, 1 table spoon of chopped fruit, and a fourth cup pellets. he also gets a large bowl filled with hay each evening. at that time i usually pick him a handful of grass(just because that “help! im starving!” bunny look gets to me  i only give him pellets and veggies once a day. is he getting enough pellets? should he be getting two meals a day? he’s approx. 3 lbs. 

 

 

thanks for helping!

 

[Elrohwen]

I give my bun a similar amount of pellets (he’s still growing, so he probably gets more than 1/4 cup) but I split it up into two feedings. That way he finishes his morning food by dinner time, then finishes his dinner by breakfast time. I think two meals is generally better for most animals because they can digest throughout the day.

[Toki+Pumpkin+Elmo]

My lionheads are about 3 lbs each also. I give 1/4 cup for each bunny. I only feed pellets in the morning and the veggies as dinner. They get plenty of hay to chew on throughout the day.

Are you giving him hay only at night? I think the feeding schedule varies depepnding on whatever works best for your schedule and what your bunny likes.

[katie, max & penny]

I feed max and penny out of the same bowl and they get 1/4 in the morning and 1/4 in the evening. they’re really good about only eating their half so they each get about 1/4 a cup a day. and fresh veggies with every meal.

[bunnycutie]

thanks everyone. im thinking of splitting it up into 2 meals of 1/4 cup. and veggies. thanks again    

 

 

he has been getting hay at about 5 pm.  i give it to him at night because he won’t eat it during the day. during the day he has pellets and veggies, so he wont touch his hay 

[RabbitPam]

I used to give pellets twice a day with veggies, but Sammy doesn’t finish her morning batch until later, so I don’t give her more since she kind of self disciplines. Except around 6 AM she wants those new pellets. Bunny alarm clock.

[bunnycutie]

yes, it takes a whle for buttons to finish his morning food. usually he finishes it around two in the afternoon.

[KatnipCrzy]

I think if you are giving Buttons pellets in the morning and he does not finish them until the afternoon- he is getting too many pellets and that is why he is not eating his hay.  The guidelines are 1/4 to 1/2 cup total per day for a 6lb bunny- and if your buuny weighs only 3 lbs than I think a reduced pellet ration would be healthier and increase hay consumption.

I feed my buns 1-2 Tablespoons twice a day- and will cutting back to 1 Tablespoon twice a day as soon as Schroeder is 100% back to normal after his recent GI episode.  I find it helpful to use a 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon so I know EXACTLY how much I am feeding.  Both of my bunnies are 5 1/2 lbs.

Julie

[Beka27]

I think some schedule tweaking might be in order. I’m concerned that he’s not eating more hay when really, he should be nibbling it all thru out the day. Maybe feed pellets in the evening, greens and hay during the day (and another fresh bowl of hay at night).

[bunnycutie]

katnipcrzy- I usually provide buttons with 1/4 cup of pellets a day. but recently, I found out he was only three pounds. my scale is not very accurate, but he is somewhere around there. i have to find a very accurate scale. in october, he is scheduled for an ARBA show. dutch rabbits must be between 5 and 5 1/2 ponds to show. i am working on increasing his weight. he does always eat his hay, but he will only wants it at night when he has no other food. he practically starves himself before giving into the hay. he hates hay so much. every morning its gone though.

beka27- good idea. i might try something similar. im thinking of greens in the morning, hay in afternoon and pellets at night. not sure though

[KatnipCrzy]

I think you should try to find an accurate way to weigh Buttons- most vet clinics use baby scales to weigh small pets including bunnies and cats.  Check with your local vet- but I have never worked at a clinic where this is a charge for weighing only.  In fact if clients are trying to get their pet to lose or gain weight- we encourage them to bring their pets in for a free weigh in and we will record it in their medical records so they can keep track of any gains/losses.

If Buttons is only 3 lbs and is at a healthy, normal weight now-  if you are even able to get him to gain 2 lbs in 3 months it will be very detrimental to his health!  Rabbits tend to carry excess weight on their bellies and sometimes chest.  It will be very obvious if he is that overweight- not only visually but physically if the judges touch the rabbits at all. 

2 lbs does not sounds like a lot of weight- but when you are only 3 lbs to start with that is increasing the body mass by 66%!  Buttons may no longer be able to groom himself properly if he gains that much weight.

I would double with the ARBA to make sure on the weight requirement and if you still want to proceed on a radical weight gain program- you should consult to vet to make sure it would be healthy to do so.

[Sarita]

Well, the 5 to 5 1/2 pounds is just a guideline. It does not mean that Buttons is underweight as Katnip said. Definitely consult with a vet – he surely looks at a healthy weight to me but that is just based on the photo in his avatar – a vet can look at his overall body tone and weight to determine if he is underweight or not.

[RabbitPam]

I would get a baby or food scale to weigh him. If you can find a digital one with tenths of a pound it will be more accurate.

I would suggest letting him try different kinds of hay, like Oat, Orchard Grass, or second cut Timothy to see if he will eat it more. He really should always have unlimited hay available.

As far as the competition goes, my thought is that if you let him grow naturally on a healthy diet, rather than try to achieve a goal weight for him, he may be judged as a healthy bunny at whatever size he maintains. The judges will know if he’s right for his age. The weight requirement may be their way of limiting the ages of bunnies entered. But if he is only 4 lbs, and healthy and beautiful, that should carry the day for him.

[Beka27]

I think even with purebred bunnies, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are going to be the “standard” weight (or color, or marking, or ear length, the list goes on and on). People who DO show bunnies, breed many of them until they find the “right” one. Out of an entire litter, there may only be one that stands a chance at a competition. It’s not likely that the breeder sold you that one special rabbit who is going to win. I think Buttons is adorable… I just don’t want you to be disappointed in him if he doesn’t win or place.

It is unhealthy for him to gain more weight if he’s at a good weight (for his build) right now. I will agree with everyone and say that he’ll need to be seen by a vet to determine if he needs to gain weight, and if so, the best way to go about it safely. Some breeders (and some people who show) will feed unhealthy diets designed to make buns grow quickly and make their fur extra shiny. I don’t think that’s what is best for Buttons. You are trying very hard to get him on a good diet (a well-rounded diet!) and I think you should keep with what you’re doing and just make some of those fine adjustments.

I am still concerned about his hay intake. I understand that you say he doesn’t like his hay, but the fact that he’s eating it is very good. Like Pam said, I would try to give him different grass hays. My buns prefer Orchard hay over Timothy, and it’s available at most petstores. If his hay is gone in the morning, you are not giving him enough. His hay should never be completely empty. It needs to be refilled before it is empty. He may be eating all of it right after you go to bed and then he might have no food for hours until the morning. This is dangerous, a bunny’s gut needs to always be moving. Can you try to give him a refill of hay every morning AND every night, regardless of how much he has eaten?

[bunnycutie]

beka- i love buttons! i know he’s just from a county fair, i don’t expect him to win. i simply love the experience. to me, of course, he will always be my baby boy and my beautiful boy

i am very proud of buttons for beginning to accept hay. YAY! currently he is getting a mixture of oxbow timothy, first cutting timothy(from a local hay farmer. its very good quality even though its intended for horses) and blue bunny mix (from BB). i went to the local petsmart too! im very excited because i got a purple hay rack. i am going to put it up in his cage today. i am just going to fill his rack up more whenever it needs it. everytime i go out, i’ll add some. i’ll make sure its always full he does like brome hay from what i remember. but right now we have so much other hay. after he finishes what hes got, i get that. i am also altering his feed schedule to encourage hay eating.

new schedule-
8 am: greens
hay all day & night
5pm- 1/4 cup pellets

he has found a really good amount of food and it will be a well rounded diet (once i provide unlimited hay)!

he seems to be a healthy weight. his bones don’t jut out(god forbid!) as his ribs are slightly padded, but not to the extent that i can feel one or two.

[Beka27]

Yay!!! That’s excellent! From the pics I’ve seen of Buttons, he does look to be a pretty good weight. He doesn’t look obviously skinny or obviously overweight.

[bunnycutie]

awww thanks beka!

[bunnymama]

Just wanted to add my vet gave me as a guideline 1/8 cup pellets (timothy hay based for adult rabbits) for every 2 pounds of bunny. My buns are all around 4 pounds so they get 1/4 cup each day. Sometimes they eat it all and other times they don’t. This has worked pretty well for me. Try not to get those “hopped” up pellets with all the stuff in them that look good to a human but are not good for the bun.

[BinkyBunny]

I’m just catching up on this thread now but that updated schedule sounds much better bunnycutie! Plenty of hydration from greens in the am, and then if he gets hunger pangs afterward, he can munch out on hay until his pellet time. I bet you will find more hay consumption that way which of course is so much better for a healthy bunny/healthy digestive system.

Let us know how that goes!

[bunnycutie]

a href=”http://s909.photobucket.com/albums/ac293/bunnyluvr14/?action=view&current=DSCN2124.jpg” target=”_blank”>

thanks for the help! i will keep giving you updates. glad you all liked the schedule. beka27 helped me alot! thanks beka today is his first day on the schedule. i let you know tomorrow how it went

this is the hay rack i bought

[Beka27]

Your pic didn’t come up bunnycutie! Can you see if there’s an online pic and post that link?

[bunnycutie]

oh poo. let me give you a link.

/Users/conradreeves/Desktop/H/DSCN2124.JPG

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