Too Much Hay?

[GrayBunny]

Hi all!!
This forum is like a bible for rabbit raising (at least in our house). Anyway, I have another question.

As some of you may remember we recently added a second bun to our house as a friend for General (which he does not want to be friendly to), but that is another topic!!

Since the arrival of Maggie (Sept. 29) General has been eating hay like crazy, probably 50-75% more than what he usually ate and he has gained a little weight.

Should we cut back on his hay intake or his pellets? We have definitely cut back on treats but that hasn't stopped the weight gain. I know the golden rule is always plenty of hay but even with this weight gain?

**Medical history: about six months ago we had a close call with GI Statis but he made a full recovery**

Thank you all!!

 

[Bo B Bunny]

If it's timothy hay or equivalent (not alfalfa) I wouldn't take any away. It's awesome for a bunny who has had stasis to eat more hay.

 

[GrayBunny]

It is timothy hay.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

What sort of pellets is he eating?

I would say let him eat all he wants on the hay. Some show/breeders limit hay because of grass belly I've heard. but on a pet - who cares?

 

[pamnock]

You'd need to cut back on the pellets. Also try offering some dark, leafy greens for a little variety.

Pot belly can indicate protein deficiency in some cases (as well as a number of other health or nutritional problems), so can be cause forconcern.

Pam

 

[naturestee]

How much hay does he eat compared to his body size? Most of mine eat a pile of hay about as big as themselves every day, some more. That's about what they should be eating according to some of the diet articles, considering they get limited pellets anda fairpileof greens. And hay eating seems to be a communal thing, if one rabbit starts the other joins in so bonding rabbits tends to increase the amount they eat.

You'll probably need to cut back his pellets. What does he get and how much per day?

I've never heard of rabbits getting "grass belly." The only pot-bellied rabbits I've seen had nutritional deficiencies- Fey when I first gother (cruddy food and really gross poops) and Angieluv's Gabrielle who was an emaciated stray baby. Worms could cause it too if it was a severe case.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Really? One of the rabbit show people we know said she doesn't feed hay cause it just causes them to get fat tummies.

Tony gets hay and will get hay.... I don't care if he never gets a ribbon.

 

[BlueGiants]

My rabbits get hay, but no grass... :biggrin2: And we still get ribbons!

 

[jam224]

Hey, your General looks like our Bender! :biggrin2: We, too, have two Mini Rexes!

I agree -- if he's starting to gain weight, I would cut back on his pellets and wouldn't limit his hay intake. The pellets are made of Timothy hay, right?

 

[GrayBunny]

Jam - I saw a picture of your Bender, and my husband and I decided they are twins. I can't believe how much they look alike. Did you have to bond Bender and Lily? We are having a hard time with Maggie and General.

As for the pellets, I think they are called Fiesta for rabbits. I am not sure if that is the brand. It is not just straight pellets, it has little treats mixed in.

His usual "extras" (a few times a week) are carrots, parsley, mint, basil, kale and occasionally strawberries and bananas (about twice a month).

He weighs about 5 pounds so we give him an 1/8 cup in the morning and again at night. He has hay all the time. The amount of hay is a little bigger than his body size.

I have noticed that Maggie and General tend to eat their hay together throughout the day. They are caged next to each other and share meal times.

 

[jam224]

GrayBunny wrote:

Jam - I saw a picture of your Bender, and my husband and I decided they are twins. I can't believe how much they look alike. Did you have to bond Bender and Lily? We are having a hard time with Maggie and General.

Ha -- bonding has been put on hold for now. It seems these two can only stand a couple of hours together and unfortunately, my husband and I haven't had the time and patience lately to devote to bonding. :? We're not giving up hope though! Best of luck with your duo! I would love to stay updated with how they're doing!

GrayBunny wrote:

As for the pellets, I think they are called Fiesta for rabbits. I am not sure if that is the brand. It is not just straight pellets, it has little treats mixed in.

Aha!! There's your culprit! Yes, Fiesta is made by Kaytee and although they are made of Timothy hay (which is good), it does have those extra "treats" mixed in (which is bad). Rabbits, like humans, have a sweet tooth and love those little bits! It would be a good idea to *gradually* switch your rabbits over toplain pellets instead. (I think that the amount that you're feeding them sounds perfectly fine, no need to cut back once they're on the right pellets.) Here's some info I referred to, to help me choose the best kind available near me: Rabbit Info Packet: Pellets. (Our furkids are on Oxbow Bunny Basics T.) Let us know if you need anymore help!

 

[jam224]

Afterthought --here's their Web site, if you want to check out Oxbow's Bunny Basics T: Link.

 

[MsBinky]

Ooooh ewww Fiesta :?Noooooo bad yucky food (If it's the same Fiesta I am thinking about)

Seriously, switch the pellet. A good pellet should be straight, no treats. We can supply enough healthy treats that they really shouldn't be in their food. A good timothy-based pellet is the way to go. Just make sure you switch gradually becausemany buns can get diarrhea when you change the diet. I know many people here recommend Oxbow. I will be switching to that myself very soon. The amount seems right. As long as he gets unlimited hay, water, and his daily greens, he should be fine with little pellet.

Hay should be fed unlimited. Your bun probably just appreciates it a lot or sometimes, they will mimick another bunny so if the other eats plenty of hay, that could be why he does too. Bam-Bam didn't eat much hay until he was with Wiggles.

As for extras: lettuces other than iceberg, carrot tops, fresh parsley, etc. can be fed daily as they are very healthy. You can add a small amount (I say small because my buns get gas from it but I dunno if it's the same in all buns) of spinach, carrots, fruit, etc in as a treat. I have recently started making all of mine a daily salad and add fruit in maybe every 2nd, 3rd day. I really limit the treats for mine but I know some people give them fresh treats daily.

 

[GrayBunny]

Thanks for all the feedback. We are switching to plain pellets this weekend. General is not going to be happy about this. He likes his fiesta, but I guess its like Lucky Charms so that is a no no

 

[Mom of Joy and Love]

The "Fiesta" you mentioned, is that "Kaytee® Fiesta® for Rabbits?

When we won our first bunny, Joy, in a Easter raffle at our church (which I strongly disaproved of and worked to make sure would not happen again.) that was the first food we bought her not knowing any better. Luckily to learn how to proberly take care of her I got right online and found a local Rabbit Rescue and Vet and talked to both. That food went right back.
The reason why they told me that was bad for bunnies are as follows (forgive me if I don't get the wording exactly right)
Seeds are not good for rabbits and can cause statis
The fruit adds to much sugar to their diet and can upset natural digestion.
We were told just to get straight pellets - nothing added.
After learning more both through reading and bunny email list it appears most of the things they sell in petstores like Petsmart and Petco for bunnies is bad for them.

Just worried knowing how good the stuff looked to me and how I felt when I realized what it could do to my bun.

 

[maherwoman]

Be sure to switch slowly...here's a great schedule for switching. If you switch too quickly, you could end up giving your bun the runs.

1st week: 1/4 new food to 3/4 old food
2nd week: 1/2 new, 1/2 old food
3rd week: 3/4 new food, 1/4 old food
4th week and on: all new food

That's a sure-fire good schedule for switching, and is even recommended on the back of Oxbow pellet food bags. I recommend Oxbow Bunny Basics T for grown buns over anything, but if you can't find a place near you that sells it (you can try looking on their site, http://www.oxbowhay.com/index.sp ), Kaytee Timothy Complete is a good one, too. The Kaytee isn't as good as Oxbow, but I had my girls on it for a LONG time, with no problems whatsoever. It's got all the percentages their food needs.

Hugs!

Rosie*

GrayBunny wrote:

Thanks for all the feedback. We are switching to plain pellets this weekend. General is not going to be happy about this. He likes his fiesta, but I guess its like Lucky Charms so that is a no no