LadyBug
Well-Known Member
how much food should i give Jamie? he's almost 6 months old and i think thats about the time that i'm supposed to start rationing his food. he's about 4 pounds(Holland Lop). thanks!
Anna and Jamie
Anna and Jamie
How Much Food?
- Thread starter LadyBug
- Start date
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JimD
Well-Known Member
It really depends on what else your feeding your bunny.
Mine are on a ration dependant on their normal body weight,,,and then it's adjusted and supplemented based on their individual needs.
Here's the link for our Library.
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12046&forum_id=17
Mine are on a ration dependant on their normal body weight,,,and then it's adjusted and supplemented based on their individual needs.
Here's the link for our Library.
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12046&forum_id=17
LadyBug
Well-Known Member
i've been feeding him Nutriphase. i'm going to switch him over to timothy hay after he finishes the bag of alfalfa he's on right now. he gets about 1-1 1/2 cups of lettuce a day, a piece of carrot, and a small piece of banana(i try to give him natural treats more than things from the store like yogurt drops.). correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't you supposed to give unlimited hay? i'm trying to give him the best diet possible, but since i've never had a bunny before and mom didn't have one when she was a kid(i think dad's sister had one, but i'm not sure. any way, we don't talk much.
and rabbit cares come a long way since then, any way.:dude thanks so much for your help, every body!
Anna
and rabbit cares come a long way since then, any way.:dude thanks so much for your help, every body!Anna
Marietta
Well-Known Member
Hallo, Anna!
First of all, as Jim told you, please do find the time to read the relevant articles in the Library section. There you'lldiscover everything you need to know about a healthy, balancedand proper diet, as well as suggested quantities.
In short, to answer your specific questions, the basis of a good diet is, indeed, unlimited hay. Jamie should have fresh, nice smelling hay available 24/7. The second element should be high quality pellets (i.e. containing fibre from 16% upwards, the more fibre content, the best, fat up to 2.5%, proteins up to 12.5% max. If you read on the pellet box the guaranteed analysis, i.e. what the pellet is made of, you'll find the above data) and thirdly a variety of leafy greens. Lettuce (give only the dark leaf one, not romaine and not iceberg lettuce) is high in water content, but doesn't contain a lot of nutrients, so you should give a wider variety of greens. Please remember to add one different species of veggies per 2-3 days and keep the quantities fed low at the beginning. Add a bigger quantity and variety progressively over a period of 1.5-2 weeks, to avoid GI issues.
Look at the "safe vegetables and safe fruit'' lists in the library to get an idea what could you safely feed your bunny. Fruits and herbs are safe treats. You should give veggies in moderate quantities and fruits only as a treat, i.e. a thin slice every now and then. Buns love banana but it is high in sugar, as carrot is also, so don't give them every day.
You are right about commercial treats, they should not be fed. Yogurt and yogurt drops are a big NO-NO, they can potentially create GI problems.
Please go check the library articles and, if you have any queries on what you read, we'll be happy to answer them and clarify whatever you may not understand.
Marietta
First of all, as Jim told you, please do find the time to read the relevant articles in the Library section. There you'lldiscover everything you need to know about a healthy, balancedand proper diet, as well as suggested quantities.
In short, to answer your specific questions, the basis of a good diet is, indeed, unlimited hay. Jamie should have fresh, nice smelling hay available 24/7. The second element should be high quality pellets (i.e. containing fibre from 16% upwards, the more fibre content, the best, fat up to 2.5%, proteins up to 12.5% max. If you read on the pellet box the guaranteed analysis, i.e. what the pellet is made of, you'll find the above data) and thirdly a variety of leafy greens. Lettuce (give only the dark leaf one, not romaine and not iceberg lettuce) is high in water content, but doesn't contain a lot of nutrients, so you should give a wider variety of greens. Please remember to add one different species of veggies per 2-3 days and keep the quantities fed low at the beginning. Add a bigger quantity and variety progressively over a period of 1.5-2 weeks, to avoid GI issues.
Look at the "safe vegetables and safe fruit'' lists in the library to get an idea what could you safely feed your bunny. Fruits and herbs are safe treats. You should give veggies in moderate quantities and fruits only as a treat, i.e. a thin slice every now and then. Buns love banana but it is high in sugar, as carrot is also, so don't give them every day.
You are right about commercial treats, they should not be fed. Yogurt and yogurt drops are a big NO-NO, they can potentially create GI problems.
Please go check the library articles and, if you have any queries on what you read, we'll be happy to answer them and clarify whatever you may not understand.
Marietta
Marietta
Well-Known Member
Oh, in regard to quantities, HRS suggests 1/4 of a cup of pellets per day per 1 pound of rabbit weight, divided in 2 portions, 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening. Keep the veggies to 1 cup per day, also divided in 2 portions.
Marietta
Marietta
Thumpers_Mom
Well-Known Member
Marietta wrote:
Hey Marietta, I think you meant 1/4 cup per 6 pounds of rabbit.
I agree with the others Anna, check out the link provided and if you have yet, rabbit.org hasa lot of info on what is best to feed the buns.:biggrin2:
*jackie
Hey Marietta, I think you meant 1/4 cup per 6 pounds of rabbit.
I agree with the others Anna, check out the link provided and if you have yet, rabbit.org hasa lot of info on what is best to feed the buns.:biggrin2:
*jackie
Marietta
Well-Known Member
Oh, Thumpers_Mom, yes, I did, thanks for noticing and thanks for the correction! It hard for me to express in pounds and not kilogramms and I'm fighting with my calculator all the time! Well, this time, I missed it...
Thanks again,
Marietta
Thanks again,
Marietta
BlueGiants
Well-Known Member
LadyBug:
i've been feeding him Nutriphase. i'm going to switch him over to timothy hay after he finishes the bag of alfalfa he's on right now.
Please don't wait until you are at the bottom of the bag to switch him. If you are going to change his pellets, start mixing the Timothy pellets in with his food and gradually switch him, over 10-14 days. It's better for his digestion and less likely he'll have issues with the change.
Unlimited Hay is excellent, and maybe cut back on the banana a little, that can be fattening for an adult rabbit. Try small slices of apple or orange, fresh papaya, cilantro, parsley, etc. Check out the list of suggested foods in the RO library... Remember to add anything new gradually and make sure there are no reactions before introducing something else.
i've been feeding him Nutriphase. i'm going to switch him over to timothy hay after he finishes the bag of alfalfa he's on right now.
Please don't wait until you are at the bottom of the bag to switch him. If you are going to change his pellets, start mixing the Timothy pellets in with his food and gradually switch him, over 10-14 days. It's better for his digestion and less likely he'll have issues with the change.
Unlimited Hay is excellent, and maybe cut back on the banana a little, that can be fattening for an adult rabbit. Try small slices of apple or orange, fresh papaya, cilantro, parsley, etc. Check out the list of suggested foods in the RO library... Remember to add anything new gradually and make sure there are no reactions before introducing something else.
