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Forum DIET & CARE Best Diet For Baby?

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    • HaileyBunny11
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        Ok Im adopting my holland lop early april. She will be between 6 to 8 weeks when adopted (please dont comment arguing on the age they they should leave the mom as Im aware there is a controversy on that but I believe 6 to 8 is ok, same as any kitten or puppy being weened) annnnnywaaay……Im reading everywhere about what I should buy for her diet when I bring her home. I do all my shopping atmpetco and petsmart. I read her diet around that age should be timothy hay and pellets but shes too young for veggies. Is that right? I want to buy the correct food to maintain her healthy life. can someone please give me a specific diet plan idea? along with name brands?Is it like kittens and puppys where you slowley mix their baby food to adult? Isnt hay and pellets all the same or are some baby specific? from all the reading im so lost and dont know what to buy for her. 


      • Zombie-Sue
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          Kittens and puppies are not rabbits, they’re all completely different animals.

          Because this is a house rabbit forum that does not condone breeding in any way, shape, or form, there aren’t a lot of people here who have experience with baby rabbits.

          I think that alfalfa pellets are usually recommended for young rabbits. This article on the HRS outlines a diet plan:
          http://rabbit.org/faq-diet/
          I just had to google ‘feeding young rabbits’ to find it. There were other great pages, too.

          Someone else who’s fostered accidental litters before might know more.


        • HaileyBunny11
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            I dont condone breeding either, but alot of people do adopt from breeders as well as shelters. My friend Im getting her from is not a breeder she had an accidental litter.she thought she had 2 does but one was actually a buck. I hope im not offending anyone by not adopting from my local shelter like i talked about in a previous post but now have changed my mind. I just prefer to get a kit so I can spend all of its life with it. I have been reading on here and plenty of ppl prefer breeders. Im open to both but for my first am going this route. Zombie sue sorry if I have offended you in any way I just want whats best for the kit. Im only comparing to kittens and puppys on the weening from mom and food basis which I find to be very similar .thanks for your help.


          • Zombie-Sue
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              No, it’s not offensive. There are plenty of people, on this forum too, that adopted from a breeder. Some people don’t even have the option of shelters.

              If you want what’s best for the kit, then I strongly recommend you leave it with it’s mother for 8 weeks. I strongly believe in weaning babies slowly, at their own pace. We have a completely new breeder and an owner who hasn’t had rabbits for a while. I’m not trying to upset you, I’m trying to give your kit the strongest chance at having a well-developed, healthy immune system.

              Deciding that a rabbit can be weaned in x time because a dog can is like saying that humans should start eating adult food at 6 weeks because dogs do. They just aren’t the same.

              It wouldn’t surprise me at all if there are experienced breeders who can tell when their rabbits are ready to go earlier than 8 weeks, but your friend is a pet owner with an accidental litter and I really think you’d do your best to take every possible caution here. It’s good that her baby rabbits will have a place to go, or they’d end up in shelters anyway. Where they came from is not at all the issue.


            • MoveDiagonally
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                Babies should be with their mother until 8 weeks old. Waiting two weeks longer is not that long (I know it’s hard to be patient). As Sue said, I would not compare cats and dogs to rabbits as to what’s good for for them. It’s apples and oranges really.

                Check out the link Sue posted as it shows the recommended diet for rabbits of all ages.


              • Deleted User
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                  Hi HaileyBunny11, how exciting – new bunny!!!!! I’m one of those that Zombie-Sue mentioned, I ‘had’ to get my boy from a breeder, no bunny shelters here where I live. And now that I know my cute adorable baby bunny has grown into a brat (lol), I so get the adopting an older bun from a shelter (if you can) then you get an idea of it’s true personality. Henry was a healthy 9 weeks old when he was collected, any younger and I would have worried/stressed (taken the fun out of it). Waiting that little bit longer, knowing he was fully weaned, eating everything he should be made his homecoming a joyful occasion. The breeder supplied us with the hay and pellets he was eating and from there, I bought the Oxbow young rabbit food and mixed it half and half knowing I would run out of the breeders, and when I did he ate the Oxbow happily. After he reached 6 months of age, the next bag I bought was the Oxbow adult rabbit food and did the same. So just pellets (for young rabbits) and hay for now. After a few months you can introduce some veggies – yum!
                  And not that I’m comparing bunny’s and puppies – but I used to have puppies, and I never let them go either till they were 8 weeks old. As a breeder (not that I ever called myself that) I made sure the pups were completely independent and were eating everything necessary to continue to be well nourished, healthy companions for their new families (and I wanted to puppy cuddle for as long as I could, ha ha hah!). Waiting an extra week or two – if it takes any concerns away and makes the ‘welcome to the family’ party everything wonderful, it may be something to consider?
                  By the way, we aren’t being meanies here lol, making some of the suggestions we do – besides wanting the best for the bunny, we want the best for YOU too! and sometimes our suggestions are meant to make it easier for you by telling you something we know/learnt from experience that you won’t know till it’s toooo late. (if you met me 9 months ago, you’d totally get what I’m saying ha hah!). Wishing you everything bunny!


                • LBJ10
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                    Not to compare dogs to rabbits, but my dog (who is now 15) was too young when we got her. She was just barely 8 weeks. She still has separation anxiety to this day. I really think taking the babies away too soon can be emotionally damaging for any animal. But I agree with the immune system thought as well. Staying with mom longer allows the babies’ immune systems to develop more.

                    ANYHOO, there is nothing wrong with getting a baby rabbit. No one will judge you for getting a baby rather than adopting an adult from a shelter. There are advantages to either scenario. If you get a baby, then you get to bond with them as they grow. If you get an adult from a shelter, their personality is already known. Not to mention they are usually already spayed/neutered (saving money and stress on you). Whether you get a baby or adopt, it doesn’t really matter to us. I’m sure you would love the rabbit just the same. =)

                    As for food, it is recommended (not required) to give them alfalfa-based pellets until they are about 6 months old. This helps with them grow. If you can’t get alfalfa-based pellets, you can supplement by giving them alfalfa hay instead of timothy. Babies get unlimited pellets and hay. You don’t want to start introducing veggies until 12 weeks or so.


                  • Hazel
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                      You are getting your bunny from a friend, surely she would let you wait until it’s 8 weeks old. I don’t see why she would be in a hurry to get rid of them instead of keeping them for 2 extra weeks if it’s what’s best for the babies. Sometimes babies are separated from their mother too soon because of problems with the doe or because of uninformed or impatient breeders. This is a friend of yours though, so what’s the rush?


                    • Jessie1990
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                        I got both my rabbits as babies. I’m pretty sure Moogle was not old enough to be taken from his mother, but he was, and he was about to be bought as snake food. Best impulse buy I ever made. Anyway, Ashe was 8 weeks and she is very hardy. Moogle goes into stasis or gassy belly anytime he is moved, or put in a stressful situation. I believe this is a result of being taken from mom too early.

                        We have a much stronger bond with Moogle, BUT I don’t think 2 weeks would have made much difference. Both rabbits show affection, but Moogle is very lovey/cuddly.

                        You are not going to have any idea what the baby’s personality will be like as an adult so I suggest waiting the two weeks for health/mental reasons. Trust me, every holiday (if bunny goes with you) will be a lot easier without increased health risks.


                      • Jessie1990
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                          Oh, and I fed mine oxbow Timothy pellets because there was no alfalfa around here. I fed oxbow alfalfa hay. Do that until bunnies are 6 months. Slowly introduce veggies starting at twelve weeks. Only feed one more veggie at a time. I started with a leaf, then a pinch, increasing each day. Watch for stomach upset. First aid kits are a good idea for baby bunnies also. Make sure you have gas drops, critical care, and syringes. These are especially important after a spay/neuter.


                        • Hazel
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                            Also, since it was brought up in the original post: The bare minimum for puppies to leave their litter is 8 weeks. Kittens don’t leave a proper cattery until they are actually 12 weeks old.

                            I hope it all works out with your future baby bunny, can’t wait to see pictures.


                          • Deleted User
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                              Oh, something I ‘should’ have mentioned in my previous post – everyone (BBer’s) embraced us both when I first joined up. Henry being a baby bunny made absolutely no difference to anyone. Their only concern was Henry’s well being (and my sanity) and I adored (felt special) when not only were my questions answered – picking up on I was new to everything bunny, some threw in a few suggestions (again, thanks guys!) that I would never have thought to ask?
                              If I may? When your bunny does it’s first ‘side drop flop’? No, it’s not dead! Seriously – first time bunny owners should get a warning about that!


                            • manic_muncher
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                                Just had a brief visual of bunnies with attached warning labels.. lol


                              • Deleted User
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                                  Yep! A warning label on Henry’s cute little behind would have sufficed! Ha ha ha hah!

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                              Forum DIET & CARE Best Diet For Baby?