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tori

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I have been feeding Jasmine the pellets she was being given before I got her. They are made by Sun Seed. There is 18% protein and 20% fiber in it. She's only about four months old right now, but would this be too rich as she becomes an adult? I remember reading that this is good for babies but I'm not sure about adults.

She is also extremely active and curious. Just wondering if some of you have any suggestions on toys that can keep her entertained when I'm not home for her to run around. She also likes to dig so I was thinking about making her a dig box. Is just shredded newspaper okay to use?

Thanks!
 
18% is a little high for most rabbits. As they are the pellets the breeder fed, they are more for breeding animals to keep them in good condition as breeding can require more energy than being a pet.

I would gradually switch to a pellet with lower protein, then to a timothy pellet. If she is a smaller breed, you could do a 50/50 mix for a few months until she is about 6 months, then do just the timothy pellet. Those kinds or pellets usually come in large bags, so it would take you a while to get through and by the time you do, they will have gone bad. A good pellet for adults should have less than 16% protein and more than 18% fibre. However, 14-15% protein is better and the more fibre the better. I would avoid corn in the food, and if you have no choice, pick one with corn only once (some companies put is a few times, but labelled differently).


Shredded paper is safe, but some rabbits like to shred it themselves. A phone book or just a pile of paper can work. Stuffing hay in a paper towel tube or paper bag can be fun. You can also put treats of a small amount of pellets in with the hay.
 
Okay, I thought it was a little much. Is it obvious on the bag that they are timothy based? Because I can't recall seeing any when skimming the food section. You mentioned it comes in a large bag. Would I have a better chance getting it from the feed store?

I was actually worried because I hadn't noticed her eating much hay. I put some in her toilet paper roll and it was like the best thing in the world :biggrin2:
 
Look at the ingredient list. An alfalfa based food will have Alfalfa hay meal (or something like it) first. A timothy based food will have Timothy hay meal first. Protein is usually less in a timothy food, usually 1% less than the same brands alfalfa pellet. Fibre is usually more. Some do say that it is timothy based of for adult/less active rabbits.
Feed store usually only have alfalfa foods, mostly like the one you are feeding now. Some brands do offer larger bags, but most are sold in 10 pound bag. Feed stores usually only have large bags 30-50 pounds (some are bigger, but not by much). Small pet stores are usually better for good foods and they tend to have better prices than big stores.

She cold be filling up on pellets and not wanting to eat hay. You could limit her a bit by putting 1/4 or 1/2 cup of food in the bowl at a time and no more than twice a day. If she eats it all at once, then she only has hay to eat until you feed her again. If you wanted to, you could see how much is left in the bowl before you feed her and give a bit less if there is still some left. She will then still get enough pellets for a growing rabbits, but not so many that she doesn't eat hay.
 
Okay I will definitely look for it!

I figured she was probably doing that, just munching on pellets all day instead of hay. She always finishes her pellets so I did start to give just a little less. She is actually in her play pen right now chowing on hay after running the bunny 500 lol

Thanks so much! :bunnydance:
 

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