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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum DIET & CARE Hay & treats

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    • CharleyBunn
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        My rabbit is still young, I am guessing around 9 weeks. Right now he eats both alfalfa pellets, timothy hay and alfalfa hay. I offered him timothy hay first because he appeared so young I was worried about scours w/ the alfalfa. Then I started the alfalfa thinking he would devour it and put on a little baby fat. He eats both hay and his pellets well, but seems to prefer the timothy hay. He has filled out, but hasn’t really put on any real meat/fat like I expected. He appears healthy, just lean. I was worried he was weaned too soon and was too skinny when I first got him (which I why I expected him to put on a little weight w/ the alfalfa). One of my questions is how fat should he be at this age? I can already feel a difference in his belly area. It’s only been a couple of weeks, so maybe I just need to give him more time. 

        I’ve also read different ages as to when to introduce fresh veggies/limited fruits. Anywhere from 3-7 months. What age is appropriate? Is there anything I could give as a treat in the mean time? I’ve read black oil sunflower seeds (in strict moderation as to not blow out their coat). And conflicting opinions on whole oats. What things should I introduce first when he is old enough that are less likely to upset his stomach? Parsley? Mint? or something larger like bok choy? Should I only introduce 1 new thing a week or day to see if he handles it well?

        I’ve also found a local farmer who sells large square bales of hay at a price much less expensive than the little bags you buy at the pet store. I know if stored appropriately, hay can last a long time-esp if bought fresh. So even though this is a LOT of hay,  I think this would be a good deal, esp for when my rabbits older and using more hay or so I could do more frequent litter box changes (I put a layer of hay in mine). Anyways, this farmer sells both alfalfa bales (which I know are good for 7 months and younger as food and only an occasional treat when older). The other bale of hay he sells is 20% protein, mixed timothy, clover, & orchard. It is all Kentucky Agriculture Dept. Certified (safe for livestock to eat).  Would this blend be a good blend to feed the rabbit as an adult?

        My last question is a little off topic in this forum, but at what age should I first trim his nails? They are sooooooo razor sharp right now. But they are so small I am worried about cutting them myself. Trimming his nails is something I am not looking forward to. 


      • Sarita
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          He shouldn’t be fat at all. He is still growing up at this point. You want healthy and that really doesn’t mean fat – rabbits don’t have baby fat like humans.

          I think you can start slowly introducing greens at this age. Maybe a sprig of parsley, a small piece of romaine lettuce. No sunflower seeds or oats. Oats are a carbohydrate and that can wreak havoc on their gut flora and sunflower seeds are high in fat – no seeds or nuts. I would give him the small amounts of greens as a treat.

          I would do the mixed bale of hay myself. Really if his pellets are alfalfa you don’t need alfalfa hay – it’s too much.


        • CharleyBunn
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            Thank you forf your response Sarita. I didn’t mean fat as in over weight fat. I know fat is not healthy, I should have worded it different . When you feel any baby animal they should have a certain amount of fat or meat on them versus feeling their bones. You do this to make sure they are thriving and healthy. So for kits, I was wondering what am I feeling for. I am not striving to make him fat, just healthy. He was weaned too soon and very frail/boney when i first got him. I am trying to make sure he is putting on adequate weight for a kit. I don’t have access to a scale to weigh him, so I was just going to do the old fashioned feel around.
            I will try some parsley first and see if he likes it. The black oil sunflower seeds are really popular around here with rabbit breeders for coat conditioning and supplementing for essential oils/fatty acids. They recommend only giving 1-3 seeds and limiting it only up to few times a week. if you over feed them, it will cause them to force molt their coats. I didn’t know if anyone here had ever given the seeds and thought it may have been a healthy treat in moderation. I was told it was good for kits and nursing mothers, so I thought I’d ask.
            The oats I wasn’t so sure about because off top I heard conflicting things.
            I am feeding the alfalfa hay w/ the pellets because hes under 7 months old. I read on here that a kit should have unlimited hay at all times (alfalfa if under 7 months old) in addition to free feeding pellets. Then to transition to unlimited timothy/oxbow hay and then measure out timothy pellets once older.
            I think I will get the mix bale, but wait til he’s a little older. The alfalfa bale would be much too large.


          • Sarita
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              Really seeds are difficult for a rabbit to digest so it’s not recommended. Your rabbit will have a healthy coat if you feed them pellets, greens and hay.

              You should start introducing grass hay as well – it’s so vague really what I read about alflafa hay for young rabbits – the House Rabbit Society used to say a handful. But now they say 7 weeks to 7 months – unlimited hay (and it does not say unlimited alfalfa, just unlimited hay). It is very confusing. I would say that you need to start introducing the grass hay because it’s important that they get the taste for this and it is the major part of a house rabbits diet at any age.


            • CharleyBunn
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                Ok, Thank You ! I won’t feed any seeds then. I’m not worried about his coat, just looking for a healthy snack. I’ll stick w/ the fresh veggies. When I read unlimited hay and then alfalfa for under 7 months I just assumed it meant unlimited alfalfa for kits, so yeah that is confusing. I’ve read it several other places too. I did also read that alfalfa shouldn’t be used as feed for over 7 months because their nutritional needs changes and it becomes like junk food. But he isn’t even taking to the alfalfa like I expected, he just nibbles on it occasionally. Looks like we’re good to go then, he already prefers timothy hay right now and it’s been his main staple since I got him. He does get unlimited pellets, but he isn’t eating them like crazy or anything, he still prefers his hay. He gets fresh hay in his litter box daily, about 75-80% timothy and 20% alfalfa. He also has a hay rack which is mixed about the same ratio. I think he will take to the blended hay bale from the local farmer nicely because it has the timothy hay in it.


              • CharleyBunn
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                  And aside from the hay rack, I do put the alfalfa and timothy hay separately in his litter box. He doesn’t scatter it very much, so I get a good idea of what he’s eating most of. I was just offering the alfalfa because of its added nutrition for kits and thought he’d think it was super yummy since I heard most rabbits devour it. I was a little concerned when he wasn’t eating it as much as expected, but I’ll just let him continue on.

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