Christiaan
Active Member
I have a female dwarf loinhead. She used to eat her 3 little scoops of pellets religiously 3 times a day. I just had her spayed 3 weeks ago and she barely eats 1 scoop now. Is that normal?
Last edited:
Pellet eating questio
- Thread starter Christiaan
- Start date
Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:
rabbit_lady13
Member
As long as she's eating, there shouldn't be too much concern. But to make sure it's not GI, you should probably consult a vet. Usually female buns take more time to bounce back than males.
Christiaan
Active Member
Yeah it looks like she's eating her hay like normal. Just used to her eating a lot more. She's only 7 months old. Do they eat more while younger? And do you think I should switch to a different pellets? Sorry for all the questions. She's kinda like my child. Was I worry a lot.
rabbit_lady13
Member
No not at all! I completely get it. My buns are my fur children so I'm the same way. What pellets are you feeding her now? And usually it's pretty important for baby buns to eat a lot so that they get all the vitamins they need. When mine were small, they ate mostly pellets but now their diet has expanded to greens, fruits, veggies and berrys. You could try introducing her to those types of foods to see if she will eat more. But as long as she's eating her hay, she is getting all of her important nutrients and that's what is important.
Christiaan
Active Member
Great! Thank you so much. I feel a lot better now. I'm actually getting another loin head on Friday. Kinda nervous about this bonding training I'll have to do for them though. Scared they won't get along.
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2006
- Messages
- 4,327
- Reaction score
- 1,310
Make sure their BOTH spayed/neutered before you try bonding.
As per pellets, once their done growing (around 6 months for most breeds) you're best to limit to 1/4cup per 5lbs of bunnys body weight. Less is fine. Hay is better anyway
You will also want to swap to Timothy based pellets to cut down on protein and calcium %'s
As per pellets, once their done growing (around 6 months for most breeds) you're best to limit to 1/4cup per 5lbs of bunnys body weight. Less is fine. Hay is better anyway
You will also want to swap to Timothy based pellets to cut down on protein and calcium %'s
Christiaan
Active Member
That actually brings up another question I have. Stella is 7 months old now. Just spayed. I have to wait months before I can spay my new rabbit since he's only 7 weeks now. Picking him up on Friday. Does that mean I can't bond them until he's like 6 months? Does that mean keeping them separate for all those month?
That's correct. They should be kept apart until after he is neutered. The reason for this is that his hormones can cause erratic behavior (in several weeks) which can lead to fighting. Any fighting can prevent a future bond.
You could also reconsider getting such a young rabbit. Getting such a young one that is not yet neutered runs the risk that the two rabbits may not bond at all. There are no guarantees with bonding. (have dealt with a few like this myself)
The ideal way to ensure a bond with your current girl is to allow her to bunny date some already neutered males. This way the buns can be pre-screened for potential compatibility. Rabbit rescues work with owners to ensure they wind up with an actual bond. This means that if one attempted rabbit ends up not bonding with yours, then they allow an exchange to be sure you do end up with a bondable pair.
rabbit_lady13
Member
Bonding can be tough. And honestly, seeing your baby buns fight can be scary. When I brought my first three home (they were all brothers and sisters) they were great until they became of age and they started fighting. It woke me up in the middle of the night and left one of my rabbits injured. Even now that they are all fixed, they don't get along. Be cautions with your introductions.
Yea, it's going to be a bit touchy if they're together. It will take a few weeks for the hormones to settle down in your female, so until then she may get aggressive with the young male. Once he's a little bit older, his hormones will kick in and he'll try to hump her or there could be fights.
