Overfeeding my rabbits in blumpkins...

[JessyGirL]

:? Wow, I don't know WHY I didn't read up on this before, but I believe I'm not properly feeding my rabbits...I have 4 rabbits, so a small bag of food just doesn't seem like it would last a long time to me...I just fill up their bowls and then when it gets empty, fill them back up...That's bad, isn't it??? I have two mini Rex's that both weigh close to 3.5 lbs...My Lop Eared is around 6 and my Angora/Lion Head is a fatty, maybe around 10...

I thought I was getting an awesome bargain by buying their pellets at Walmart because you can buy a huge bag for like 8 bucks, but now I'm wondering if that food isn't good for my rabbits...My vet told me not to buy alfalfa for my rabbits but it seems like everything I read has alfalfa in it at the pet store, so now I'm all confused...I bought a small bag of timothy based pellets, but it's only like a 10lb bag for 13 bucks...Or maybe it was 5lbs, I forget...

ANYHOW, how should I feed two rabbits that both share the same cage/food dishes? Also, my one rabbit doesn't have front teeth because they sadly had to be removed...I swear they run to the cage when I come in like they're starving, sticking their head through the squares...

Also, I do give them timothy hay, so I'm on the right track there!

Thanks to all those who answer this with advice/help...

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Free feeding can work for some rabbits, but many just eat and get fat. Some rabbits and regulate themselves, but I would say that most can't. It would be better to give a measured amount once or twice a day. You should bring them down slowly. Start buy giving a larger measured amount, about what they would normally eat in a day, let's say that is 1 cup. Give 1 cup a day for a few day, you can also do 1/2 a cup twice a day. Every couple days reduce that by maybe 1 table spoon. Once you get to the amount they should be eating, you can stop reducing it. The amount each rabbit needs depends on a few factors. The general rule is about 1/4 to 1/2 cup per 5 pounds of body weight. Generally, spayed or neutered rabbits who live indoors need less that intact rabbits who maybe used for breeding or are kept outside.
I would have a bowl for each rabbit. This at least lets you give the food and they don't have to compete for the bowl. You may be able to work with them so they eat at different ends of the cage and then aren't really able to eat each others food.

As far as what pellets to use, you will get a ton of different opinions. I would say that the stuff as Walmart (the walmart brand) is not that good. I have heard of rabbits who have had issues on those pellets. Alfalfa pellets are not that bad if you don't feed a lot of them. Some rabbits do have issues and should not have alfalfa due to them having more calcium and the rabbit having problems with that. If you want to use an alfalfa pellet, there are some good ones are feed stores that aren't too expensive. What is available around you can vary, but I have heard some good thing about Purina and Manna Pro. With timothy pellets, they do tend to be higher quality, but are also more expensive. Some rabbits don't like them as much, so it can be hard to switch your rabbit to eating them. You can find good prices if you look around though.
When looking for a pellet, read the ingredients. Most should have hay (alfalfa or timothy) listed first, but it is usually as a meal like Alfalfa meal. I would avoid corn in the feed. Other ingredients do vary. Protein should be about 14-16% and try to get fibre 18% or higher.

Rabbits pretty much always act like they are starving. Not matter how much hay they have or how often you give veggies, they act like they haven't eaten in a week when you offer some pellets.


If the cost is a concern, you can cut costs in other ways. Instead of buying hay from a pet store, try buying bales from a farmer or feed store. These can be $5-10 per bale and bales can be around 60 pounds (this can vary). I tend to go through about 1 bale per rabbit per year, so a years worth of hay would cost be about $60. Compare that to $10 a bag and I save a ton on hay. I also save on litter, I use wood pellets which are about $5-6 for 40 pounds, a bag lasts me about 2 months with 5 rabbits. These sort of changes don't make much difference to the rabbits (as long as they still eat the hay and use the litter), but can make huge differences to your wallet. You can use the money you save to buy better pellets if you want.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat:

 

[Lucy500]

I buy pellets from walmart (small world brand) and I don't think theyre all bad. Theyre made by Manna Pro and have 20% fiber, surely a plus for a poor college student like me.

 

[JessyGirL]

Thanks for the info you all!

I believe that was the brand I was buying too Lucy500, the Small World Brand. I checked the info on it last night. I'm a poor person myself! hehe