Pellet ration suggestion for 9-lb. rabbit?

[Jenk]

My 9-lb. Californian is fed 4 Tbsp. of Oxbow BB/T per day. (It seems that rabbit-savvy vets in a particular area all preach the same info. By me, most of them advocate that rabbits not be fed any pellets, or only fed them in a treat-size amount.)

I'm wondering if my boy should actually receive a slightly larger pellet ration? (I know that many rabbit owners feed a bun his size twice the amount of pellets that I do.) A friend recently commented on the lack of fat on my boy's scruff region. Mind you, my boy is sleek and sassy, not bony. You can't feel his spine easily when petting him, or anything like that. But I can't help question whether or not I should be feeding him a slightly larger pellet ration. (Again, I've kept it low, rounding out his diet with unlimited hay and about 2-3 C. of greens daily, due to what vets by me advocate.)


Thank you,

Jenk

 

[TinysMom]

Is he finishing up all of his pellets? If so - I'd try adding another tbsp for a week and see if it makes any difference in his condition, etc.

I tend to overfeed mine on pellets and I'm trying to cut back - so I'm going to wait for others to suggest an amount....but I figure it never hurts to up it a little and see what the difference is.

 

[Jenk]

TinysMom wrote:

Is he finishing up all of his pellets? If so - I'd try adding another tbsp for a week and see if it makes any difference in his condition, etc.

Most definitely, he finishes them. LOL Most days, he'll eat the 4 Tbsp. of pellets in about 30 minutes' time. On warmer days, he takes about an hour. But unless he feels unwell, all pellets are consumed within an hour.

 

[Jenk]

Jenk wrote:

TinysMom wrote:

Is he finishing up all of his pellets? If so - I'd try adding another tbsp for a week and see if it makes any difference in his condition, etc.

Most definitely, he finishes them. LOL Most days, he'll eat the 4 Tbsp. of pellets in about 30 minutes' time. On warmer days, he takes about an hour. But unless he feels unwell, all pellets are consumed within an hour.

This site won't let me edit my post because it's more than 15 minutes' after I made it. Ugh.

I just checked Pink's pellet dish, and he still has some in there more than an hour after I fed him. But it's been warm (about 77-deg. F) in the house overnight, so he's had a warm start from the get-go today. I suspect that's more the issue. But I stand corrected on what I said earlier about him eating all pellets within an hour.

 

[hillrise]

I wouldn't worry about the lack of fat over his scruff region. Californians are supposed to be a meaty breed with very little fat. Bucks, especially, are tight over the shoulders. I feed my bucks about 3-6 oz. of pellets (18% crude protein) a day, depending on his metabolism and activity. They don't always eat all of their pellets, but I only cut my rabbits back when they start to put a little fat on their shoulders.

There's nothing wrong with feeding rabbits a pelleted diet that's properly formulated, especially if you're giving free hay, too (that let's him balance his own diet).

 

[mochi_ball]

i read somewhere that it should be about 1/4 cup per 5 lbs so for ur 9lb bunny maybe close to 1/2 cup a day?