Bunnies Producing a lot of Cecals

[hokankai]

My fosters are 6 weeks old now and they are on an alfalfa pellet and a timothy/orchard hay diet. They are producing a lot of cecals lately...is that okay for young rabbits? They are supposed to be on an unlimited alfalfa pellet diet so is this just because the pellets are so rich?

 

[LakeCondo]

I think so, if the bnnies seem healthy. If they don't look good you could try feeding one cecal to each of them, I guess.

 

[PupTheRabbit]

Are cecals the soft poops that smell really bad?

 

[hokankai]

yup

 

[ZRabbits]

I did a quick search and read that babies like yours that produce more cecals need to have their pellets gradually cut back and more hay given. The hay, with it's fiber will help form up the cecal to regular poo. I've read that you really need to do this slowly because you don't want to set off an inbalance in a young system that's just starting to develop. Also I've read that some kits that are pulled from Mom too soon will also produce more cecals. Now that Mom isn't there, I would recommend just cutting back on the pellets. Babies do need alfalfa pellets but just not a lot. They need to really start focusing on hay as well.

My two youngin's have found that balance of hay and pellets so I've been lucky. Only once did I see cecal from Neville. Luna, I've not seen one.

K

 

[hokankai]

Ok, that's what I've been doing. I generally let them run out of food and then they have to munch on hay through the night. And I don't know if it had to do with them being weaned early, because they were producing a lot with mom still with them and mom was producing a lot as well. I think it just has to do with the whole unlimited pellet thing.