Is it normal for bunnies to eat grass all day?

[ralgal]

Hey

I just got some new pet bunnies for my bday. I kept them indoors feeding them hay, palletes and green vegetables. Recently i took them out in my yard(which is covered in untreated grass) and left them there in a large pen.



The problem is they eat all day! They eat grass and dont stop, although i have toys and tunnels in the pen for them to play/ rest they seldom go there. The reason i am posting this is because i can feel them heavier when i pick them up at night and bring them in the house. Should i limit the time they spend outdoors? Can i get them fat by letting them eat all the grass they like? They also have hay at their disposal but they dont eat it that much.

 

[Pipp]

Well in the wild they eat grass all summer and hay all winter so it balances out.

They are eating machines, aren't they? LOL!

You might want to cut back on the pellets. If they're outside exposed to sunlight eating grass and also getting hay and veggies, they don't really need them. A few tablespoons at most. Grass and veggies can be a bit fattening, some more than others, but the pellets more so.

And its hard to keep them from eating the grass. I'm sure they're having fun. You may slow them down a bit by scattering a little hay in their pen on the lawn, they may eat that too!


sas :bunnydance:

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

ralgal wrote:

Hey

I just got some new pet bunnies for my bday. I kept them indoors feeding them hay, palletes and green vegetables. Recently i took them out in my yard(which is covered in untreated grass) and left them there in a large pen.



The problem is they eat all day! They eat grass and dont stop, although i have toys and tunnels in the pen for them to play/ rest they seldom go there. The reason i am posting this is because i can feel them heavier when i pick them up at night and bring them in the house. Should i limit the time they spend outdoors? Can i get them fat by letting them eat all the grass they like? They also have hay at their disposal but they dont eat it that much.

I don't think you have to cut their pellets way back like that. Some rabbits may be able to handle a few tablespoons, but most cannot. They need the pellets so they are getting enough nutrition. As long as they are getting a limitted amount and what they will clean up in a day, they will be fine.

Grass kind of works like hay does. Its good foraging and roughage for them. They will be fine if they are able to eat all they want. Those that grow their rabbits out in tractor pens also offer the amount of pellets the rabbit will clean up in a day so they will get the right amount of nutrition. Because sometimes the grass alone just doesn't cut it.

I also put mine in yard pens when I can. Sometimes its all day, sometimes for a few hours. They get their pellets at night when they go back in their cages. Been doing this for a couple of years. No problems so far.

 

[Pipp]

Ralgal, what kind of pellets are you feeding them? What do they have in Romania, I'm curious!

Are they plain pellets or do they have contents like flaked peas, corn, fruit or anything like that? What does the bag say re: protein, fiber and fat contents?

What kind of hay is it? From a farm or a pet store?

And are they Holland Lops with floppy ears or Netherland Dwarfs with tiny ears?

Welcome to RO by the way!


sas :welcome1 :hello

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

ralgal wrote:

Hey

I just got some new pet bunnies for my bday. I kept them indoors feeding them hay, palletes and green vegetables. Recently i took them out in my yard(which is covered in untreated grass) and left them there in a large pen.



The problem is they eat all day! They eat grass and dont stop, although i have toys and tunnels in the pen for them to play/ rest they seldom go there. The reason i am posting this is because i can feel them heavier when i pick them up at night and bring them in the house. Should i limit the time they spend outdoors? Can i get them fat by letting them eat all the grass they like? They also have hay at their disposal but they dont eat it that much.

sounds like you are well ahead of the curve,,the bunnies anyway....with ample water to wash down the hay,ie..timothy,orchard,yard grasses--this is great,,watch the poops.//.these hind gut fermenters largely diet on these grasses-,which keeps those constantly growing teeth ground down,,and makes for a very happy gi-tract,,..-good going--my babies are rather finicky eaters...sincerely james waller:big wink:

 

[ralgal]

Hey

Sorry it took so long to respond seems i am not watching this topic(hmm??dunno why). Well i did what u suggested... put some hay in the pen but they ended up eating the hay and then the grass They always seem pretty hungry.. when they're not eating they;re sleeping in a tube i have prepared especially for them.


Well to be honest with u pellets are hard to find in Romania. I got some off a pet store that promised they're 100% natural and no sugars and all that but they smelled funny when i opened the bag and the bunnies wouldn't go near them so i am stuck with some "complete food".
I currently feed them Vitakraft Menu Daily Rabbit food. And here are the details on the back:
Proteins 13%; oil 3%;13,5 Fibers,6%ash??, 10%moisture, 54%carbohydrate, 0,9%calcium.

This is the only one that looks like its mostly pellets. The rest have dried vegetables, fruit, corn seeds etc and i read those arent too good to feed to them. Is it ok if i feed them like half a cup a day(for all 3 of them)? What else should i look for? They mostly eat hay and their vegetables.

Ow and i have another question.. not related to this topic: i have 2 males and one female and lately one of the males started nipping the female on the back and they end up running around the room chasing each other. She isnt hurt, i don't think he bites and no humping going on... is it their way of playing or is he ...ummm courting her?

Thx for all the replies i am watching this topic now so i'll answer quicker

 

[ralgal]

Well the guy at the pet store said they are holland dwarfs but i'm not so sure about that. I've been looking online for breeds and i think only the black one is. Can you tell me what they are?
(Black and Gray one are the males, White is the female) And yes i do want her to give birth once before i take them all to be neutered. I have lots of neighbors that asked for pet rabbits from me. Will the males start fighting over her?

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Oh my gosh, they are the cutest things ever! The white one looks like my baby girl who died two years ago :inlove: What sweet babies. I'm worried about all those electrical cords though. They can chew really fast and get electrocuted! And better be careful about letting them play together, before you know it they'll be old enough to breed. You'd be best off taking a look at their genitals so you can determine what sex they are, I wouldn't go off what a pet store said- they're often wrong. Them being wrong could result in you having babies if you put what you think are the 2 boys together. There's lots of info on the forum about sexing bunnies, you have to know what you're looking for when you do it or you'll probably think they'll all boys!

What are their names? Can't get over how adorable they are. Especially the white one

 

[ralgal]

Well.. white one(girl as i've heard): Merminco
Black one(boy): Arro(from Arrogant)
and gray one: Pufuletz(which means fluffy in romanian

I wanna have baby bunnies... i have several requests and i know they will be in good hands Thats why i am letting the girl give birth once.

Do you know what nipping from the black bunny on her back means?Affection? Sexual? I really dunno how old they are..nor can i guess....

ps: the electrical cords are not electrical at all they are UTP cables(internet.. low voltage..not a threat) and besides they don't eat cables...they just like eating a whole lettuce )

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Even if you want the girl to have babies, it isn't healthy for her to have them when she's really young and if she's kept with boys, she will get pregnant young. It would be kind of like an 11 year old girl having a baby. Yes, it may be possible, but it's not healthy.

 

[ralgal]

I will try to find a vet that specializes in rabbits(...which will be hard..) to ask him about their age and prepare for neutering. By the way, will my bunnies hate me after wards for taking them to the vet for the surgery. They seem very happy and always let me pet and play with them, come and greet me etc, will i betray their trust if i take them to the vet?(i heard rabbits can hold grudges)

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

If you want her to have babies, its best to wait till she is about 8 months to a year old. Otherwise its best to have her fixed. Does can get very hormonal. And sometimes they can bite. If you want to breed them, you will have to make sure you have the right equipment, and extras cages to keep them in. You will need a nest box for the does, and a grow out cage for the babies once they are weaned. Sometimes does will lose their first litters to.

 

[todd131]

dixonsrabbitry1 wrote:

ralgal wrote:

Hey

I just got some new pet bunnies for my bday. I kept them indoors feeding them hay, palletes and green vegetables. Recently i took them out in my yard(which is covered in untreated grass) and left them there in a large pen.



The problem is they eat all day! They eat grass and dont stop, although i have toys and tunnels in the pen for them to play/ rest they seldom go there. The reason i am posting this is because i can feel them heavier when i pick them up at night and bring them in the house. Should i limit the time they spend outdoors? Can i get them fat by letting them eat all the grass they like? They also have hay at their disposal but they dont eat it that much.

I don't think you have to cut their pellets way back like that. Some rabbits may be able to handle a few tablespoons, but most cannot. They need the pellets so they are getting enough nutrition. As long as they are getting a limitted amount and what they will clean up in a day, they will be fine.

everybody says this and every time i wonder to myself, how do they survive in the wild without pellets just fine? i see cottontails frequently eating grass in the field behind my house. unless they are sneaking in my hutches when i am not looking, the cottontails dont get any pellets.

i actually have started feeding grass clippings in addition to hay to my buns and they love it every time i mow(i use no fertilizers besides rabbit poop and no pesticides on my lawn). they get so excited forfresh cut grassand sit there for hours eating it.

 

[Myia09]

Cottontails are in no way the same as domestic rabbits, and are a different genus. They can't even breed together
Also; most domestic rabbits are desendents from European rabbits.

Pellets are also compounded hay (Either timothy or alfalfa) which is in fact "grass" with added nutriants. Cottontails (Which are overpopulated in Arizona, and in fact, I can see four out my window) will also occasionaly snack on protien sources and other types of food.

Here is a snip from Purina food:
"Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Wheat Middlings, Ground Soybean Hulls, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Wheat Flour, Cane Molasses, Soybean Oil, Ground Oat Hulls"

Soy for rabbits I believe is still widley debated, but that is your protien right there. The more research I do on wild rabbits, the more I find the importance of wheat and oat in diets as well.

 

[mistyjr]

Maybe I need to start feeding my buns grass.. This weekend when I had the yard sale the babies and momma ate grass all weekend and loved it.

 

[Myia09]

mistyjr wrote:

Maybe I need to start feeding my buns grass.. This weekend when I had the yard sale the babies and momma ate grass all weekend and loved it.

I am growingwheat grassin a medium pot with bunny poop as soil/fert.

I will let you know how it goes! Unfortunatly; all the Arizona grass is just Burmeuda Grass (Which is actually a weed) and my rabbits will not touch it nor Burmeuda hay.

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

Most domestic rabbits don't survive long out in the wild. Those that are lucky enough to usually end up looking skinny, or end up infested with parasites. Wild rabbits also don't eat the large amount of produce, greens, and veggies provided to some of the rabbits here and elsewhere either. Their deit mostly consists mostly of grass, and seeds.

 

[todd131]

Myia09 wrote:

Cottontails are in no way the same as domestic rabbits, and are a different genus. They can't even breed together
Also; most domestic rabbits are desendents from European rabbits.

Pellets are also compounded hay (Either timothy or alfalfa) which is in fact "grass" with added nutriants. Cottontails (Which are overpopulated in Arizona, and in fact, I can see four out my window) will also occasionaly snack on protien sources and other types of food.

Here is a snip from Purina food:
"Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Wheat Middlings, Ground Soybean Hulls, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Wheat Flour, Cane Molasses, Soybean Oil, Ground Oat Hulls"

Soy for rabbits I believe is still widley debated, but that is your protien right there. The more research I do on wild rabbits, the more I find the importance of wheat and oat in diets as well.

i never said they were the same genus. i understand and have read extensively aboutthe origins and differences between domestic and european rabbits.

if soy is widely debated then why is it in just about every one of the pelleted food.

are you saying that wild european rabbits eat pellets?


edit: i dont feed my rabbits any GMO food the pellets i have chosen have someorganic soy in them. i wouldn't feed soy if there was another option and i have been looking forone.

 

[Myia09]

I was just saying todd that being different genus, they obviously don't have the same dietary needs. You seemed you were comparing the needs of a cottontail to a domestic rabbit.

And no; I am not, but European rabbits have vastly different diets than cottontails which are mostly found in the midwestern United States.

The pelleted diet is closly regarded to the European diet needs; not the cottontail, although similarites can be drawn. The european rabbit is more likley to eat more grains, and more leafty greens and roots since such are not very common in the midwest US (naturally) and have a larger intake of fiber; which is why high fiber pellets are very regarded. They will have less of a protien intake than a cottontail, which is also why you want to chose a low protien pellet.


I think soy is mostly debated because *most* rabbits don't have access to soy in the wild (With exceptions) but like humans, it can be a great replacement. You can't drink lactose, so you drink soy kind of thing.

 

[Pipp]

There is very little difference in the dietary needs of rabbits world wide. They eat vegetation. Period. The type of vegetation is dictated solely by their environment at the time.

They eat mostly grass, leaves, flowers, berries, etc. in the summer (be it herbs, 'vegetables', weeds, whatever), and dried grass (which is hay), tree bark, twigs, dried berries, etc, in the winter, again depending on what they can find.

I don't think seeds are a huge part of their diet at all, and fruit is a rare treat. They prefer young plants before they go to seed.

Young plants gives them higher protein and less carbs as well as a lot of fibre. They get a 'roughage' fiber sources in the summer and a long dry fiber sources in the winter.

A rabbit getting a varied diet and some sunlight will not need pellets.

Please keep in mind that different parts of the world will provide different diets, and all parts of a rabbit's diet is contingent on the other parts. There is no one-size-fits-all diet.

But you can't go wrong with variety.


sas :expressionless