Confused First Time Bun Owner

[Fefe]

I recently rescued a baby bunny. The vet estimates she is about 3.5 months old and a mini lop. Ive never had a rabbit before so i did a lot of research on how to care for them but one thing that confused me was what to feed them. To my understanding she is young so i should provide unlimited pellets for her and that amount gets cut when she gets older? But how old should she be before i start limiting pellets and should it be gradual or all at once? Then i was confused on which hay to give her. Some website say babies should eat alfafa but adults cant have alfafa and they say that alfafa tastes better so some rabbits wont do the switch to timothy hay. I have her eating timothy hay because she is eating Oxbow Young Rabbit Food which has alfafa in the ingredients. Is that ok or should she be on alfafa? Also how long should she be on the young rabbit food? Im also not sure which veggies i should be feeding her. Its not easy for me to get to the grocery store for fresh produce so i was looking for a couple healthy staples that have some durability. Currently ive introduced her to romaine lettuce since almost all websites agreed that was good for them. But a lot of veggies people arent sure if they can have all the time or just in moderation so im very confused on what other veggies to give her and how much. I did buy her some mint last night because a lot of websites had it on the safe list but when i got home i found websites that said it needs to be limited and if thats the case what does limited mean? Every other day? Once a week? Im just really confused with it all. (-_-‘)

[Clem&M]

Welcome to bunnyhood, I can help you out. Yes, she should have unlimited pellets, and gradually cut them lower when transitioning to adult food which should be no earlier than 7 months old. It doesn’t have to exactly be that but it should be started then. Your bun will be fine with timothy hay, you can buy some alfalfa too and mix it in, but generally young bunnies can eat just alfalfa, mine wasn’t really into it. As stated she should be on Young until 7 months, and with the greens you can start introducing them. If you can I suggest you grow herbs, they grow very easily and it is usually a bun’s favorite since it has a strong smell. The first ones I introduced were sage and mint. You could also do basil, dill, cucumber leaves and blossoms are good. There is a list of veggies your bun can eat on the website. But since she is young it has to be in moderation, if you notice any over production of cecals you need to lower the amount you’re giving. You can start small salads of 3 different greens.

Limited means you do not give them in high amounts or every day, like parsley, you can sprinkle in some stalks and leaves to add some spice into their salads. I would give limited greens 3 times a week, max.

https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=144 Here is the list

[jerseygirl]

Welcome : )

Good of you to rescue the bun!
The Binky Bunny diet suggestion (under BUNNY INFO tab above) are based of the House Rabbit Society recommendations. http://rabbit.org/faq-diet/ It indicates on that page when to start reducing amount of pellets fed.
It’s no problem that your rabbit is already eating timothy hay, especially since she has alfalfa based pellets. That should be enough. You could alway give a little alflafa hay as a treat if you are worried. But it is really good she already has a taste for the grass hay.

The thing you read about mint may have been to do with the oxalate content. Care needs to be taken how often rabbits get high oxalate greens. Mint is not classed as high but does contain oxalates. It would be fine every other day. The Binky Bunny list of veggies indicates which greens are high oxalates.

[Wick & Fable]

With rabbits, rule of thumb is always do gradual diet changes. Rabbit digestive system is very sensitive to introduction of new items, as well as change in quantity, hence the dreaded “GI stasis” that everyone worries about constantly. Always do gradual if you hesitate. I can’t think of a situation where a rapid change is appropriate in all of bunny-hood, except perhaps limiting of pellets, but more details on that below.

Yes, it is “unlimited pellets” until around 6-7mo, then you can wean off to the appropriate amount (usually listed on the pellet packaging by your rabbit’s weight). Some people limit pellets sooner because their rabbit is gaining too much weight, is showing signs of too much nutrient intake (not eating their cecotrope poops), or is becoming too selective with eating (not eating hay). By “unlimited”, I mean have a bowl with pellets that you re-fill every day, but don’t place down a large bowl, as rabbits will overeat if given the opportunity. As stated earlier, it’s easy to go from unlimited to limited, by not re-filling the bowl multiple times a day. Currently, Wick is 12mo and I give him ~1/8 cup of pellets, dumped in his litter box hay, once per day.

Veggies should not be introduced until 6-7mo. In terms of safe veggies to start with, romaine lettuce is good. At https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/VeggieList/tabid/144/Default.aspx , you will find the appropriate veggies. I have this list printed out, and I mark down what I’ve tried with Wick, and how he reacts. For example, he is completely fine with romaine (safe and true bet for him if he had a babysitter and needed to get more veggies), but Wick can’t eat parsley because it makes him pee sooooo much. Unsure why, that just seems to be his personal reaction to it. In terms of veggie quantity, no one really measures by cup or weight, it’s more of an eyeball. You can start with one leaf on new veggies or a small amount, but gradually, you can do about a cup or a bowl-size for a “regular sized” (aka non-Flemish giant) rabbit. Wick is a small netherland dwarf and he gets a spoiled 1 small bowl per day. This is the bowl-size for reference: http://www.instagram.com/p/BYiZVCCBX_T/?taken-by=wick_theboogeyman
— Like a human diet, people recommend giving a variety of 2-3 veggies so there’s a lot more nutritional value. Some weeks, Wick only gets romaine because that’s all I have. Other weeks, I’ll throw in some mint and/or basil. Generally speaking, the small serving of pellets will make up for any missing nutrients in veggie diet; that’s why pellets are important.

With all discussed with pellets and veggies, it’s important to remember that ~80% of an adult rabbit’s diet should actually be hay. Hay is so important! Hay is full of fiber which clears a rabbit’s digestive tract and keeps it clean. It also helps with gas and passing fur, as rabbits cannot burp or cough-up hairballs; thus, only the fibers from hay can pull and push that stuff through. Without it, your rabbit will become unwell, not eat, poo, and eventually contract GI stasis, which can be life-threatening quite fast. As a young rabbit, your rabbit should be on alfalfa hay, as it is more dense in nutrients, which is what a growing rabbit needs. As she approached 6-7mo, you can begin transitioning in, then fully transition to timothy hay and/or the other varieties: oat, orchard, and meadow. All are great choices, but timothy is usually most available via pet store. Encouraging hay diet is very important, so you may want to venture to the different types if you find she likes one more than another.

Treats with sugar (carrots, fruit, etc.) shouldn’t be introduced until 6-7mo as well, not only for gut reasons, but it may prompt selective eating in your rabbit. When you do decide to feed treats, go with once per day at a max.

In summation, Wick’s diet is:

Unlimited timothy hay (orchard hay added every evening to keep him eating hay)
Unlimited water
x1 bowl of veggies (3/4 in the morning, 1/4 before bed)
x1 1/8cup of pellets (mid-day)

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[joea64]

Welcome, and you’ve come to the right shop for bun advice!

Seeing that your mini lop is estimated to be 3 and a half months old, she should be eating unlimited alfalfa hay and pellets for another 2 and a half months, until she reaches her 6-month mark. At that time, you should start transitioning her to timothy and other grass hays; I would personally suggest, once she gets old enough, that she be offered unlimited mixed grass hays for the variety of taste and also for the benefit to her teeth in keeping them properly worn down through the different chewing styles she’ll be using to attack different hays. She should also be transitioned from alfalfa-based pellets to timothy-based pellets (e.g., Oxbow Adult Rabbit Food) when she gets to 6 months and from that point on should only be given a small daily quantity; the Adult Rabbit Food package specifies 1/8 cup pellets per 5 pounds adult body weight per day.

I think that since you’ve introduced her to romaine lettuce, you can proceed with introducing her to other dark-green leafy vegetables, but one new vegetable at a time and in only small quantities at first to make sure that she likes them and her digestive system can tolerate them. Eventually, she’ll be eating 1 cup per 2 pounds adult body weight per day, give or take a few ounces; I, as well as many others, use spring mix, which contains a good blend of rabbit-suitable leafy greens. The House Rabbit Society site (www.rabbit.org) has what many house-rabbit owners consider to be the most authoritative list of vegetables that are rabbit-suitable.

I notice you didn’t ask about treats. I personally give my buns Oxbow Simple Rewards baked treats, which are made with timothy hay; be sure not to give more than a few per day. This week, I’ve started my buns on green herbs as treats, parsley and mint so far. Parsley shouldn’t be given in real large quantities since it’s high in oxalic acid, but in treat quantities (a couple of sprigs per day) it’s fine and healthier than fruit (which has a lot of sugar), as are other herbs like cilantro, dill, sage, dandelion greens, sorrel, etc. I haven’t read myself that mint should be limited; in any case, my bunnies actually don’t seem to like it (which is odd since their former foster mom told me they did). They adore parsley, though.

Panda and Fernando’s diet is:

Unlimited mixed grass hays (refreshed twice daily)

Unlimited water (also refreshed twice daily)

1/4 cup Oxbow Adult Rabbit Food timothy pellets (1/8 cup per bun) for breakfast

Large bowl of at least 4 cups of spring mix salad vegetables (2 cups per bun) for supper

Occasional treats (Oxbow Simple Rewards, various flavors, or green herbs, currently parsley)

[Luna]

Hi! Good questions! Your bun is a juvenile (less than 6 months old), so her diet will differ from that of an adult (6 months or older). A juvenile should have unlimited hay, unlimited pellets, some veggies, and no fruit. Alfalfa may be given to juveniles, though it is not required. Adults can be given alfalfa every once in a while as a treat, or more often if needed as a weight-gain supplement, but daily feedings of alfalfa to an adult can cause her to become overweight.

Juvenile and adult buns have sensitive digestive systems, so changes in diet should be made gradually. The exception to this is hay: different types of hay can be given right away and your bun won’t need to adjust. A juvenile eating Oxbow young rabbit food is ready to eat Adult rabbit food once she nears 6 months of age. Switching pellets is easier when working with a fixed amount, so slowly cut down the amount of pellets she is given over the course of a month. Then, to gradually switch the pellets, mix 25% adult pellets with 75% young pellets, and continue for one week or longer. Then mix 50% adult pellets with 50% young pellets for one week or longer. Increase the adult pellet ratio by 25% until she is eating 100% adult pellets.

New veggies should also be introduced gradually (ie. small portions before increasing portions; 1 new veggie type at a time). There is a difference of opinion as to how often veggies should be given, but most members here give their adult buns veggies daily. The key is to make sure your bun eats more hay than pellets/veggies/treats combined. Veggies that should be given in “limited” amounts usually means not every week. For instance, if you give your bun Parsley one week, give her Romaine the next week. The reason for this is that certain veggies have higher levels of oxalates or calciums than others, so “rotating” veggies helps keep your bun’s diet more level. You can find a good list of veggies here http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

[Luna]

(Looks like the 5 of us were all reading this at the same time )

[Deleted User]

My rabbit is on three different types of hay that I mix together. I’d have to do the math on how old she is, but she’s pretty young. I basically give her unlimited pellets but in a small bowl that she doesn’t finish until the end of the day, and I always refill when it’s empty. I keep her water bowl full and very clean. She has a cat litterbox in the back of the dog crate that she lives in. It’s a very roomy home and I clean the litterbox every 2-3 days. She has a homemade letter holder that I’m using as a hay rack. It’s inside of her litterbox and she’s already litter trained. (It only took about 5 days for her to learn) I’m slowly introducing her to a new cheaper pellet from Walmart.

Here’s how we are introducing new food:

For a few weeks we did 75% old food 25% new
Now we’re doing 50% old and new food
After we’re almost done with the old food we’ll do 75% new 25% old until it’s gone and then it will be 100% new pellet. She seems to be doing fine with the transition.

I believe my rabbit is still too young for vegetables but I just gave her a tiny pinch of hand-picked grass from my backyard yesterday and she did fine with it. I think that grass isn’t considered greens.

[Bianca]

Looks like you have had your questions answered pretty well!

But I will just add that it might be worth you looking into growing some bunny snacks yourself. Herbs can be grown easily in pots. Mint is pretty much a weed once you get it going.

Mixed lettuce is surprisingly easy to grow in a larger pot too, as are mixed asian greens such as boc choy.

Veggies that keep well include brussels sprouts, celery, broccoli, carrots (leave in the open rather than fridge), boc choy, kale, and fresh herbs can do okay if given room to breathe.

[Fefe]

thank you all so much for your help!

[Rain]

I am also a new bunny owner! Mine is a Netherland Dwarf, and he’s a male. The thing I’m confused about is if certain rabbits can’t eat certain veggies? I gave him a half of a spinach leaf, but I’m still not sure if it’s okay for him to eat. Other than that, I give him plenty of timothy hay all the time and some pellets for treats, and occasional shredded carrot slices. I’m as anxious as a rabbit, so I might be overdoing the carefullness. Any tips?

[Luna]

Rain – You are right that not all buns end up eating the same veggies. Some buns may have more sensitive tummies than other buns, or react to certain veggies differently. It’s always good to be extra careful when introducing new foods . The main thing is to introduce new veggies slowly, and introduce one new veggie at a time.

When I give Luna new veggies, I give her a very small amount one time on day 1. If she seems ok with it, I’ll wait 1-2 days and repeat the process. If she still seems ok with it, I’ll wait 1-2 days and double the amount I initially gave her (which is still less than the total amount of veggies she normally gets).

[Wick & Fable]

Rain – please reference or better yet print out the list on this site of safe vegetables. I have one on my refrigerator with marks showing what Wick has tried, liked, had a bad reaction to, etc.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Rain]

Okay thanks! Whoops! Should have looked for the list first! Heheh newbie! That’s helpful! This whole website is helpful!

[Author]

Messages