chubby bubby

[rabbitgirl]

Ok, Pam, you do unlimited feed during the growingperiod, right? Bub is very mildly chunky (can't call it fat, it's sominor at this point). I want him to reach his full growth and haveenough "coverage" for winter. Should I keep going and not worry aboutthe few extra ounces unless it gets a lot worse? I usually go forslender bunnies but I think that has worked against me when I cut thefood down too early in the growth period.

Honestly--he eats THREE tuna cans full of pellets. That's twice as muchas all the rest together. His metabolism has got to be unbelievablyfast right now, he's got energy for three bunnies. If I fed the otherguys that much they'd be the proportions of bowling balls, not just atiny padding layer on the ribs.

Rose

 

[pamnock]

Wow! What a little piggy!LOL Rabbits do require more energy to heat theirbodies if they are kept outdoors during the winter. Showrabbits can get too soft (over finished) in flesh when overfed andbeing overweight isn't healthy. You can also supplement withsome hay to help fill him up without adding the additional calories.





Pam

 

[rabbitgirl]

So he's about 3 1/2 months now. Are there any growth concerns with cutting his food at this stage?

And I heard oats are good for adding flesh, not fat. Should I be addingmore oats? He sure is WILD!!! And I should add, he's bigger than daddyright now--lengthwise anyway. Powerful too.

Thanks!

Rose

 

[pamnock]

It's hard for me to say with outactually seeing him as to whether he's getting too much feed. If he'schunky, then he's getting too much food, and you should cut back alittle. The tendency to build up fat can also be genetic, andgetting the right balance when feeding can be a challenge.Rolled oats can help to add flesh without adding fat, but then you arealtering the nutrition balance of the pellets, which contain thecorrect amounts of vitamins and minerals for optimal growth.The growth rate and bone length are also genetically influenced, so insome cases extra feed will not help a rabbit achieve the minimum weightfor their breed.

Breeders need to be familiar with their lines, rate of weight gain andcomparison to others in the litter to help determine whether or nottheir animals will be the proper weight and how much they need to befed to maintain proper condition.

It is very difficult to get flesh condition back after a rabbit hasbeen overfed. It's much like an overweight human who loosesweight and is left with the flabby, loose, stretched-out skin.

Pam

 

[rabbitgirl]

Ah. Ok, I'll cut down slowly. So far he's pretty fit too, but better now than later when it's harder to reverse.

Rose

 

[rabbitgirl]

Ok, bubby's metabolism is really weird! He mustbe hitting a growth spurt because his weight changesaLOTfrom day to day.

I decided not to cut down the food after checking him today. Could definitely feel those ribs!

Sheesh, these bigbunnies. He's healthy as a horse, though,but it's hard to believe I'm seeing these changes so quickly. Although,at his current activity level I shouldn't be surprised.

Small breeds are definitely different. I haven't had a big bun growingup for a long time (let's see, about 8 yrs.), and I'd forgotten a lotof weird things that happen during this time. The late Minnie usedtohave the same thing with weight--extra fat didn't lastlong! The little guys matureearly and the growth period isn'tas drastic. Their weight needs watching more.

Rose

 

[pamnock]

You are certainly right -- the metabolism oflarge breeds is very different from that of the larger bunns.The bigger bunns actually require *less* feed per pound than do thelittle guys who have a faster heart rate, burn calories faster, andrequire more calories to keep warm.

Pam

 

[rabbitgirl]

You're kidding!! My little guys seemed to burncalories slower! Weird. Maybe I've just had hyperactive large bunnies.Bub sure is.

Come to think of it, though, little Fen DOES burn calories faster thanhis mom at least. Wow, that seems totally opposite of what one wouldexpect, doesn't it?

Ya learn something every day!

Rose