Can someone make sure I'm doing this right?

[RattiesSix]

My bunny is getting the same amount of food she was getting when I got her. She gets 1/3 cup pellets each day. And she gets unlimited hay. She was on orchard grass when I got her, but it had A LOT of very prickly bits, so I have her on timothy hay now. She also gets veggies, and small amounts of fruits.



She's a Holland Lop who has been bred a lot before, and we're estimating her at about 4 years old. She's a bit pudgy. I'd say at a guess she's about 7lbs.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

What sort of feed is she on?

She can have all the timothy hay and orchard grass she likes.

 

[pixelle]

what kind of pellets are you giving her? if you want her to lose weight you might want to cut out alfalfa and all sweet treats like fruit.

 

[RattiesSix]

I can cut down on fruit. She doesn't get very much.

And she doesn't get alfalfa.

The pellets are Mazuri.

 

[tonyshuman]

Sorry, I don't know much about Mazuri. Is it an alfalfa-based or timothy-based pellet? Adult bunnies should get a timothy-based pellet if possible. Also, how sure are you that she's a Holland lop? 7 lbs is right in the normal weight range for a Mini Lop, which do look different from Hollands in other characteristics than size. A pic of her would be nice to judge whether she's a Holland or Mini. 7 lbs is pretty darn big for a Holland.

As for hay, the more the better! Offering more than one kind of hay is good too--more nutritious and less boredom.

 

[RattiesSix]

I stand corrected. The diet she's on is LabDiet:

http://www.labdiet.com/



And it IS an alfalfa based product, which I wasn't aware of. I've not had her long, and am just feeding the food she came with, which was in a big bag. The Chin that I got from the same place is on Mazuri, so I assumed she was, as well. But I called and asked, and it's LabDiet.



What is a good timothy based pellet? Preferably that can be purchased at a store, but if not, online will do.



And here's Fresca, my dear:

Her ears are almost always in that position. I was told she has a pedigree, but I haven't gotten a copy of it.



As previously stated, she was a breeder for a very long time. Her breed doesn't matter to me, and I was only guessing at her weight. I haven't actually weighed her. I don't havea scale. The chair shes under is just a wooden kitchen table chair. And the chew marks aren't hers, they're my puppies. Lol.

 

[tonyshuman]

She is a real cutie! She does look Holland with that flat nose, but is definitely a mix because of the helicopter ears. Mini lops don't have as flat a face and have longer ears, I think. She doesn't look 7 lb or unhealthy to me. My Muffin is a Holland mix with helicopter ears (but they're not quite as cute as Fresca's). She weighs somewhere around 4 lbs, which is normal for a Holland, and she looks similar in size to Fresca. Because Fresca was probably a brood doe (used only for breeding) she may be larger than breed standard.

If she is doing fine on that food, it's probably ok. It is best for adult bunnies to be on a timothy pellet like Oxbow Bunny Basics T (available at Petsmart, although it's terribly expensive there) rather than an alfalfa pellet. Alfalfa has too much protein and calcium for most adult bunnies. I also might be a bit concerned about the protein/fiber content. One of the LabDiet rabbit foods has too much protein and too little fiber for an adult bunny--the "Rabbit Diet" food. The other ones seem ok. Protein of greater than 15% is too much and fiber of less than 20% is too little. The Hi-Fiber and HF diet versions of their feed seem fine.

If you're concerned that she's too fat, cut back on pellets. I feed my guys 1/4c between the two of them (Tony and Muffin). You could also switch to a Timothy pellet. Any changes you make, do them slowly. Thanks for all the info on her feed and the pics! She really is a cute one. :inlove:

 

[RattiesSix]

Thanks so much!

I'll definitely look into the Oxbow. That's the type of timothy hay I'm feeding, and my local Petland carries it.

And she thanks you for the compliments. :]

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I don't know what is available there. I use Oxbow and I don't know what is compareable. She's just such a cutie! I love those ears!