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Forum DIET & CARE I think I’m feeding too many greens?

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    • toki
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        So my little monkey Toki is still not eating much hay. I tried limiting the pellets, which seems to be attracting him to the hay more often. He weighs about 8lb so I’m inclined to give him lots of veggies but now I think I’m overdoing it!

        Daily, I give him about 2 stems of basil, 5 stems of dill, 5 stems of cilantro (coriander), and 5 stems of parsley. He eats some at 3pm and then the rest at 11pm. I read that rabbits require one or two adult handfuls a day, but this confuses me because a lot of leaves can be packed into a handful.

        Am I feeding too much? How much should I be feeding?


      • sarahthegemini
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          That doesn’t sound like a lot of greens. I give a heaped (human size) dinner plateful for my 2 mini lops (one weighs 2 kg, the other slightly less) every day. By all means try cutting down the veggies if you think that’s what it is but I’m not convinced. Have you tried other types of hay? My rabbits weren’t big hay eaters til I found one they can’t resist.


        • BanditCamp
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            Rabbits diet should be 70-75% hay. With 10% fresh vegetables and 5-10% pellets and a few treats now and then


          • Bam
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              Buns can eat lots of greens, but they must always be introduced gradually.

              Hay is important for teeth and tummy, and if cutting back on pellets makes your bun eat more hay, then I’d cut back on pellets.


            • Sr. Melangell
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                OK, I was talking to a vet the other day about this, so I made a little picture, I hope it helps.


              • toki
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                  Thanks everyone, I have tried giving Toki different hays. Just recently I bought him the same hay he was eating for 7 months before I adopted him – but he won’t take to it, even though he’s had it in the past. I give him big piles of hay, too. He shoves his face in it for a bit and does eat some, but there is still a lot of hay left over. He definitely isn’t eating his body size. I really hoped the greens were the problem, but I guess not


                • sarahthegemini
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                    Maybe try smaller amounts of hay more often rather than a large pile? So give a handful, then when that’s nearly gone put another handful down etc. Obviously this will only work if you’re at home (I don’t work, so I can be bunny slave at all times lol) Bunnies often like fresh hay and will turn their noses up to old hay (hay that’s been there for more than half an hour lol) so fresh hay might entice him?


                  • toki
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                      Oh, I’ve been giving him fresh hay every day but not every half an hour. I will try to give him smaller amounts and see how it works.


                    • sarahthegemini
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                        Posted By toki on 4/07/2017 10:15 AM

                        Oh, I’ve been giving him fresh hay every day but not every half an hour. I will try to give him smaller amounts and see how it works.

                        I was only joking when I said every half an hour!  But definitely try adding fresh hay several times throughout the day. My bunnies eat quite well but they can’t resist a fresh new pile!


                      • Sr. Melangell
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                          I have noticed some bunnies ignore their hay unless it is near the litter tray or sometimes leave it a while and go and stuff themselves silly, like a child at a party.


                        • toki
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                            Oh..  Well, I’ll still try putting new piles out throughout the day. I just now gave him a bit of hay in his food bowl and he kept trying to tip it over! I’ve put some in his house – where he normally goes during the day – and I will see if it gets eaten anytime soon. I moved the previous big pile of hay to the hidey box in the corner of the room, which he is currently sitting in and eating the hay, even though that is the pile from yesterday! This bunny is just kooky I guess, I don’t know what I’m going to do with him 


                          • Sr. Melangell
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                              I did notice with Olly when I first got him, he wasn’t eating hay, but then one night I saw all the hay had gone and then the next night.


                            • toki
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                                Well, I hope that’s what’s going on with Toki. I’ve had him almost 3 weeks now. I assume he’s still settling in, and that maybe eventually he will take to his hay.

                                So far I have fed him Timothy hay, foraging hay (rspca brand with peppers and pumpkin etc), and Nature’s Own “sweet green” hay. He hasn’t taken to any of them.  So I just ordered him some Oxbow oat hay and some meadow hay. When they arrive hopefully he will like one.


                              • Sr. Melangell
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                                  When it arrives open the parcel up in front of him and tell him its for him, open a bag and see if he will take some out of your hand.


                                • toki
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                                    Well, that’s what I normally do. I did that with the two new hays that arrived today. He even put his face into the one bag and ate a strand out of it. But when I pulled a handful out for him, he didn’t seem interested. Maybe he just wasn’t very hungry at the time and will eat some later. I’m doing everything I can think of to make him eat

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                                Forum DIET & CARE I think I’m feeding too many greens?