Unknown bunny age diet *help*

[Aggeliki]

Hello, I have a question.
So I was going to adopt a bunny but my friends got me a bunny from a pet shop (21st of May) he was about 3-4 months ,now I have him for 2 months and I am not sure if he is 5 or 6 months old. I know you need to start vegetables after 6 months old but I am not sure when to start feeding him vegetables... And as you know bunnies after 6 months you need to change his diet.... start feeding him veggies, changing his hay and food. For example Oxbow alfafa hay is for bunnies under 6 months old should I stop using alfafa and start using timothy (timothy is for 6 months old or older) with something else (like orchard) or should I wait for 1 month to stop alfafa and start timothy and give him vegetables too?

 

[Butterscotch]

I would think it would be ok to start introducing your bunny to timothy hay at any time. My rabbits are 12 and 14 weeks old and they only get a pinch of alfalfa in their litter boxes in the morning and at bed time. They get unlimited timothy and orchard hay all day and night. They are on Oxbow young rabbit food, which is alfalfa based, so I know they are getting additional nutrients for growing. Regardless of their age, you need to introduce adult pellets slowly, so you will have a few weeks of transition time between 5 and 6 months of age for your rabbit if your rabbit is indeed 5 months old and you start now. The same is true for greens, you should only feed tiny amounts of one type of green at first and increase the variety and amounts over time. I think if you're concerned, it wouldn't hurt to wait a few weeks and then slowly start introducing adult pellets and greens. Other more experienced rabbit parents may have different advice for you but that's what I plan to do for my bunnies when my youngest is 6 months. I don't think 2 weeks makes much difference at this life stage, especially since we will be doing slow transitions. If I'm wrong I hope others will chime in to correct me....

 

[Blue eyes]

Greens can start now. (Greens can actually begin at 3 months of age.) Think more in terms of greens than veggies. You just need to start very slowly with small amounts and only one type at a time. How to introduce greens is explained in more detail here.

If the only hay you've been feeding has been alfalfa, then immediately start mixing in some timothy as well. If he's been getting alfalfa-based pellets anyway, he doesn't need alfalfa hay too. It is fine for it to be just timothy. He may resist the timothy, though, so try mixing it with the alfalfa hay, gradually increasing the proportion of timothy hay to the alfalfa.

If he has been getting unlimited pellets, the amount of pellets should begin to be limited as well. This should also encourage him to eat more hay (timothy mix). Just cut back the amount of pellets gradually. As he begins to eat more greens and transition to timothy hay and timothy pellets, eventually he will be down to 1/4 cup of pellets per day (so you have an idea of what the goal will be).