Moshu wants more bowls of veggies…

[Avantika]

Most websites state that a bunny should be fed 2 bowls of veggies for every kilogram of their body weight. Moshu is a little one. Being a florida white, she weighs not more than 1.5 kg but well, it’s sure that her size doesnt decide her appetite. Some of you might have read my posts a month back where I talked about how difficult it was getting to make her have hay. She takes a decent amount of hay these days (NOTE : I spray that with honey solution. There is absolutely no other way she takes it dry). Anyways, she takes about 3-4 bowls of hay each day. On top of that, I hope to give her only two bowls of veggies but she starts acting restless and follows me everywhere – obviously saying, “Mommy, please give me more food” I have to give her a bowl more to stop her from following me, jumping on my food, hanging around the kitchen, launching herself on us at the slightest smell of food.. And so, I end up giving her a total of 4 bowls of veggies..

Will this harm her ?

[JackRabbit]

How much is a bowl of hay? Does she have hay available at all times?

If you’ve tried various types of hay and hay toppers (dried herbs, etc), and she will not eat more hay, then non-sugary veggies are probably the next best way to get fiber into her. Keep an eye out for upset tummy (gas, mushy poop, etc) and offer a variety of greens/herbs. I’d still try to push as much hay as possible. I wonder what would happen if you mixed hay in with her salads?

[Tessie]

I agree with JR.

[Bam]

I too would like to know the size of a bowl =serving of veggies or hay.
During the vegetation period I give my bunnies lots and lots of fresh leaves and herbs, a lot more than “recommended”. The recommended amount is more like a minimum requirement. Now, in winter, I don’t have the same access to greens, so the buns have to make do with f ex kale, romaine and cabbage (mine seem to tolerate cabbage very well) and their main source of food has to be hay.

I haven’t noticed any differences in their health-status, probably because spring starts slowly and fall tapers out slowly so the transition becomes smooth and never happen over-night.

If her tummy is working well and she’s not getting fat or losing weight, I don’t think you have to make a lot of changes. Of course its’ good if they eat lots and lots of hay though.

[Beka27]

Veggies are definitely better than too many pellets, so she should be fine having extra. Rabbits can eat a pile of veggies the size of their body each day!

[kirstyol]

I have recently started mixing hay in with Brambles veggies and it seems to be getting him to eat a bit more hay so that is definitely worth a try. Bramble is funny with hay, he will eat loads for a few days then sort of go off it, I rotate two or three hays and buy small bags to make sure its always as fresh as possible for him and that has definitely made a slight difference. I would like him to eat more hay though if I am honest.

[Megabunny]

Wouldn’t we all? I’m curious about your spraying the hay. hmmm

[Frodo Baggins]

My vet even recommends unlimited veggies if possible for buns. Now I do not feed my guy pellets. he gets unlimited hay and a veggie a day. He is at most 3.5 pounds and I have been giving him full heads of romaine lettuce/red leaf lettuce a day, or dandelions bunches, kale,parsley and cilantro all on a weekly basis. Usually one type a day because I do not have the ability to keep more than a weeks worth on hand. He definitely gets more than the recommended 2 cups a day allotment.

[Avantika]

Thats the bowl in which I serve hay and vegetables.

3-4 servings of vegetable salad (cauliflower greens, radish greens, mint, coriander, broccoli, bok choy, celery, romaine lettuce, dill leaves, oregano, green bell pepper are the veggies that I put in her salad depending upon the availability.

3 servings of hay

 

 

 

[Bam]

She’s so beautiful with her pointy nose and those alsmost see-through ears! I think you can keep giving her lots of vegs. There’s no helth-reasons to limit veggies unless there’s poopy butt or other GI problems. They thrive on greens. Moshu is a lucky bunny to get such a good variety. Since she eats hay also, I don’t think there’s a problem, but hay is absolutely vital for grinding down the teeth. She looks very slim and fit.

[Avantika]

@to all :

Sorry for the double post. The image would vanish whenever I’d type something.
I cannot try various types of hay since we dont get any. The pet shop from which I get hay is the most posh pet shop of New Delhi. At maximum, I can arrange alfa alfa. So no brome or orchard. The hay that farmers produce here is sold to livestock owners and not in pet shops. The honey solution works well. I mix honey and water in the ratio 1:5 or 2:5 . I soak hay in it for half hour. When its time to give it to Moshu, I squeeze all honey solution out of the hay and then serve. I wonder how much sugar will that leave in the hay.

Her poops are solid and round, no mushy ones so far. Diarrhea occurred only once so far and it was for other reasons (bad bacteria in cecum and turnip greens).

Ever since I have been giving her hay like this, I have omitted all and any fruit and carrots from her diet. My parents do not understand how the gut of a rabbit works and they think I am being ruthless to her. So they do give her pieces of fruits behind my back *sigh* I cant count the number of times I have tried telling them the facts.

Contrary to the ideal proportion of hay and veggies, which should be 75 % hay and 15-20 % veggies, I think Moshu’s ratio intake goes 50:50. Thats what worries me.

@Bam, I think she has become healthier. That could also be her coat thickening itself as its winters.

@Kirstyol : I’ll try that. My mom suggested that too.

@Froddo Baggins : Its been a a month or two that I have not given pellets to Moshu. That is also the reason why I increased the veggie intake.

[Avantika]

@Bam : Another user here pointed out that her nose is long and pointy Most rabbits I see on internet and even here on BinkyBunny have a pudgy, pillow-like, huggable nose and stature. I guess Florida Whites are petite.

Hay might be a big problem here, but we’re lucky to have a wide variety of vegetables. Winters are especially (and probably only ) good in this.

Thanks for confirming She seems to have such a fun time nomming on the veggies, that I am glad I dont have to cut it down

[Linette]

Not sure if you tried this to get her to eat hay, but rubbing it with a bit of banana…maybe not big difference between that and spraying with honey solution, but most buns find it irresistable.

[Avantika]

Sure they will find it irresistible Moshu loves to gobble on bananas too (though i have to be a strict mommy these days and dont give her any).. Bananas are quite sweet as well, i dont think it will be any less sugary than honey solution (when i am squeezing out almost all of it ). I’ll try it once for a change but the banana will have to reallly gooey so that it actually can be rubbed on the hay !

[MoxieMeadows]

OH MY GOODNESS SHE’S SO ADORABLE!!! I love love LOVE how pointy her little face is!!!

[khrisangel]

If I give my buns lots of veggies they get runny poops;(

[MissGabbster]

I think it should be fine as long her poops and GI tract are healthy. Just have your vet keep on eye out for tooth spurs. Moshu is so beautiful!

[Avantika]

@Moxie Meadows : Aah, Thanks I wish she could know now admired her pointy nose is ^_^

@Khrisangel : Moshu’s parents live entirely on vegetables. They are about only 6 months older than Moshu and I asked the lady who has them, whether or not she gives them hay. Nope, she doesnt. Most people here do not feed hay to their rabbits and I am assuming they do not live for very long, but long enough to surprise you. If you wont feed your bunny hay for two days, he wont be able to deal with that, their systems are not used to it. But here its different. I feel its pretty cruel. If you CAN afford to give them something thats important for their well being, you should. Its funny that people here love their pets, but take them rather lightly.
I am assuming, that because Moshu’s previous generation bunnies were entirely on veggies, her system isnt very fragile as well. Her system is good with most veggies. She was without hay for the first month I brought her home, because I just couldnt find any pet shop here that’d keep hay.. And in that one month, she had GI stasis for 50 hours, but only once. I thought in those 50 hours that I’d lose her but she came out of it without any heavy medication.

@MissGabster : Thank you Moral spurs are what worries me more. I am sure that the wet hay will be less helpful in trimming down them their teeth as dry hay…but oh well…*sigh*

[Megabunny]

It’s my understanding that it isn’t the hay that makes the teeth stay worn down but the WAY they have to chew hay which is different from the way they chew greens and pellets. So wet or dry may not matte but mostly the fact that it’s hay…at least for teeth

[Avantika]

If thats the case, I am glad Molar spurs is what that worries me.

[Bam]

They have to like grind hay between their molars (the front teeth are for pulling the hay into the mouth), because it’s tough. It’s small sideways movements of the jaw as the lower teeth are working against the upper teeth that keep the molars in good shape. Wet hay is tough too, so if she eats a lot of that it should work, I think.

[khrisangel]

Thats very interesting! I have read that different countries feed their buns different things. The most surprising was rice and tofu. Lol I believe that was in Indonesia. My bunnies like veggies but very little. They actually prefer their hay and pellets

[Avantika]

@Bam : Well I hope that the wet hay doesnt make too much of a difference. I try and give her dry hay once in a while to see whether she has changed her mind.. I do that and she shows me her butt.

@Khrisangel : Yes, that was told to us by Beebun. She’s from Indonesia. She’s my mate from timothy-less nation
I read this article about the oldest living rabbit, Do, wherein his hoomin parent disclosed that Do ate only pellets and hay. No veggies or fruits. So maybe, your rabbits innately have healthy preferences

[Beka27]

She is totally gorgeous! I love her!

[Avantika]

Thank you Beka

[Author]

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