Young E. Lop Feeding Questions!

[MandaNicole]

Hello!
I'm going to pick up my little e. lop doe in about a week and a half now and had a few questions diet-related that I'm hoping some of you can help me with!

1. I've heard a lot of mixed responses regarding alfalfa based/timothy based pellets... from what I've gathered alfalfa based is better for growth, then you would wean off of them to timothy based once the rabbit is a certain age. My question is what is the recommended age to make that switch? Do larger breed rabbits mature slower than smaller breeds? (as I know that's the case with many other types of animals, dogs etc...) Would that mean that my bun should be on the growth pellets until she's older than 6-7 months? (Also, I plan on getting at least a small supply of the feed the breeder is feeding, but I imagine I'll be weaning her onto something a bit better quality, anyone have any recommendations for a high quality pellet? I would really prefer something that is whole food based, as apposed to a lot of the pellets I've seen out there with all sorts of "by-products" and whatnot)

2. Hay! I know that hay is absolutely vital to a rabbit's digestive system, but should I stick to just timothy until she's older, or should I try to rotate varieties/include more than once type of hay as soon as I get her?

annnnd 3. Veggies/greens/fruit. At what age do you guys recommend starting to slowly introduce some greens? I've heard varying opinions on that to, from 3-6 months... Also, are there some specific greens/veggies that are good to start with, or is anything of the "rabbit-safe" lists good?

I have so many questions! I just want to make sure I know absolutely as much as possible BEFORE I bring her home!

thanks so much in advance guys!!

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

For pellets, what you give really depends on a few things. What you can get in your area, what you can afford, what your rabbit will eat and what works for them. Generally, alfalfa based pellets are for young rabbits, very active ones, breeding and showing rabbits as well as those that live outside and some breeds that need some extra protein (like angoras). Basically, rabbits that have higher calorie needs should have alfalfa pellets. The general age to switch to a timothy pellet is when the rabbit is about 6-8 months. Some rabbits can be switched before that while larger breeds might do better to wait. I would wait until the rabbit is full grown.
You probably will not get a lot of pellets from the breeder, so be prepared to start switching soon after you get your rabbit. Try to do it slowly, but that isn't always possible based on how much food you get.
As far as brands, I use Oxbow without issues. They make both an alfalfa and timothy pellet. You'd have to see what is avaliable in your area and decide what works for you. Don't be afraid to switch to something else if one pellet doesn't work out.

When they are young, alfalfa is a better hay. I would give timothy as well as alfalfa so they get used to it. You can also give other hays for variety. Once they get to about 6-8 months, you should cut out the alfalfa and stick to grass hays. Some rabbits to prefer one type to another.

I would start veggies at about 3-4 months. I would also hold off on them until she is settled in and is good with the pellets and hay. Too much change too soon is not good. Start with some romaine lettuce (or another dark leafed lettuce) or parsley or cilantro. These are good for them and most rabbits like them. Remember to do small amounts and work up to bigger pieces. Also do it one at a time so you can monitor for any issues and you will know which veggie is the problem.

 

[MandaNicole]

Thank you very much! Yeah, I'm not counting on getting a whole lot from the breeder, hopefully just enough to make the transition to whichever I decide a little bit smoother than just cold turkey.

I'm going to head over to some of our local feed stores and pet stores in the next couple of days and scope out what's available here. I'm really hoping that the pet stores have at least a couple good brands, I haven't really had good experience with them (petsmar/petco) in the food dept... Then again, that's regarding dog and cat food, so maybe their rabbit selection is better!

 

[amdfarm]

Hi! Just wanted to say kudos for doing your homework before bringing your new bun home. This site is a huge resource of information!! Enjoy your new Elop doe!

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Petsmart does carry Oxbow products, but I am not sure on the price. I believe that they also have Carefresh food which seems to be a decent one even though it has some extra bits. You can check their website too as it would be more accurate for you than what is carried in the Canadian stores (for me).
I have no idea about Petco as there aren't any around here.
Also try some locally owner stores. Some have good foods and good prices. They are usually more willing to special order stuff for you if needed. The only issue I find is that most don't focus on small animals so selection can be limited.

 

[MandaNicole]

I'm going to go check out the stores today! I saw that petsmart carries oxbow on their website and I'm hoping that they have some in the stores as well. I know the two local feed stores don't really carry very high quality feed... neither of them even had timothy or alfalfa in the first 5 or so ingredients! I will report back later this evening.

 

[MandaNicole]

As an update...

I spend yesterday afternoon in town going through pet shops! PETCO was a no go, they didn't seem to have a lot of variation on ANYTHING small animal related... I think they had like 2 different types of water bottles... Petsmart did carry oxbow in the store, I think they had all the different hay varieties that oxbow makes, yet they only carried the pellets meant for adult maintenance unfortunately.

On my way home (thinking to myself I would just order some food online until my bun is ready to switch to adult food) I needed to stop at our local holistic dog/cat pet store to get some of the food I alternate with homemade food for my pups (if anyone has ANY questions regarding dog/cat diets feel free to PM me... I've had to do a lot of research specifically canine diet related for my pup who has many food sensitivities)

Anyway, I stopped at this store and grab the mix I needed and as I was walking to the counter I see a whole section I have missed in the past dedicated to rabbit/poultry/small animal food! hah. I was able to get the oxbow for young rabbits there!

 

[Flick]

Video discussing what veggies to feed your rabbit.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/user/FastUpOnRabbitCare#p/u/10/-W62vZIKW4g[/ame]

 

[MandaNicole]

Thank you! the video was very helpful.:biggrin:

 

[MoMo~mom]

Hi there! I just wanted to throw in my two cents. We just brought home a mini-lop about 3 weeks ago and switched her over to the young rabbit Oxbow and she's done well on it. As far as greens we waited about a week before offering much and what we did offer was tiny, tiny portions. We found small pieces of carrot, parsley and dandelion greens from outside were all big winners and easy on the tummy.

As far as hay, we mix 3 of the small bales of Oxbow hay; timothy, alfalfa and something called "meadow mix" or something similar to that.

Good luck and trust me when I say (as I did the same) that all that prep work you're doing is really, really going to be helpful. Be sure to check out the behavioral posts here, too. My Bunn was sweet as a peach but got nippy/bossy as she grew confident here and it was nice to have those resources before it got out of hand.