What to Feed Mom and Babies?

[hokankai]

I have a mother lionhead rabbit and her 6 kits, 2 are just about weaned. They have unlimited alfalfa/timothy hay and a mixture of timothy and alfalfa pellets. What quantity of pellets should I put in their bowl for the day? Right now they are free-feeding but they're starting to produce too many cecals so I need to cut back.

Any idea on how much they should be getting for the day?

 

[ZRabbits]

Maybe they are getting a little too much alfalfa with having alfalfa pellets and alfalfa hay in the mix. Maybe cut back on the alfalfa hay but keep the alfalfa pellets with timothy hay. See how that works.

Hopefully those who have had kits that young will chime in.

K

 

[hokankai]

That's what I think I'm gonna do. Or alternate between alfalfa pellets and alfalfa hay since I have both that need to be used up -_- haha

 

[ZRabbits]

hokankai wrote:

That's what I think I'm gonna do. Or alternate between alfalfa pellets and alfalfa hay since I have both that need to be used up -_- haha

With them being so young, I would be worried constantly going back and forth with the pellets. I would cut way back with the alfalfa hay. I know about using up the alfalfa hay. Believe me I understand about over supply. lol Just cut back a bit. But I would not mess with the pellets.

Definitely keep us informed at how the little ones do.

BTW you have two sets of kits at different ages? The younger ones probably aren't eating too much hay. Neville at 6 weeks was only taking a few strands at a time, but really starting eating hay at 7-1/2 weeks.

K

 

[woahlookitsme]

all of our litters and moms get free fed alfalfa based pellets and timothy hay once a day. Never had any problems with it except for my moms polish becoming over weight.

 

[LakeCondo]

Mixing up the hay would be better than switching back & forth.

I see from Rabbit Nutrition that the doe's diet should start to be returned to normal at about 10 days before weaning.

 

[hokankai]

Yeah I currently have a mama, 2 4-5 week old kits, and 3 1 week olds. The previous owner failed to remove the male from the cage...

Ok, I'll stick with the alfalfa pellets. The problem is they don't really eat the Timothy hay...it's all just strewn around the cage which is why I thought the alfalfa hay and the timothy pellets would be better. They like the pellets for the sake of them being pellets, but they don't like the Timothy hay.

 

[ZRabbits]

At 6 weeks Neville was only eating strands. It took a couple of weeks to see him eating more and more. I wouldn't sweat the hay so much as they are so young. They are getting everything they need right now from the pellets. Remember babies only resource than was Mom. I would still put hay out there because they need to learn there is more to life than pellets. Babies do waste, but they need to know about hay.

K