13 week old and vegetables

[sophie_gretel]

My newest bunny is just a little over 13 weeks old, so I thought it would be a good time to start introducing vegetables to his diet. I checked http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html#babies and thy said to start at 12 weeks so I was good to go. I gave him a couple of slices of carrot and he loved it. I haven’t had a baby bunny before so I just want to make sure this is next part is okay.

I moved him into his play area in the kitchen and since he isn’t litter trained yet, I noticed that there were some small poops. Tiny actually. They look similar to cecotropes, but not mushy and not clustered. I know that some rabbits systems can’t handle all veggies, so I was just wondering if that was normal when starting a veggie diet, or does that mean I shouldn’t give him carrots? Not sure if this helps, but he eats unlimited pellets and alfalfa hay. 

[Sarita]

I would not start out with carrots – they can eat these but sparingly. I would start out with a green like parsley, cilantro, or lettuce – that is what you would want to make the bulk of his diet anyway.

Carrots in the past have been thought to be more of a treat, but that is really not the case, they can be part of their diet, however, only 15% of their diet.

[Sarita]

Here’s the veggie list from HRS – I recommend you read it in it’s ENTIRETY and not just read the list – it’s been updated and has lots of good info and dispels some myths as well about what we thought in the past:

http://www.rabbit.org/care/veggies.html 

[rory_rabbit]

I’ve just started Rory out on veg (he’s fourteen weeks) – we carry around a shopping list for him, his favourites are basil and brussel sprouts!! Are these new stools soft? If so best to remove carrots from his diet for now (I think they are quite sugary too!).

I’m not an expert, just going through the same thing with my first little bun!

[Sarita]

Carrots can be a staple but only if the larger part of their diet is a large variety of greens – that being said, I would not start a rabbit out on carrots and I would as advised by the HRS guidelines in the veggie list – Dr. Brown, DVM advised in the HRS Veggie list advises to have your rabbit eating grass hay for a minimum of 2 weeks before introducing veggies – so that is why it is important to read that article in it’s totality.

[sophie_gretel]

Thank you both for responding!

I’ll have to sit down one day this week and read that entire site, haha. I have 2 older bunnies so I’m familiar with their care, just new to baby bunnies. I know that they aren’t supposed to have a lot of carrot in their diet, but it’s hard to get info off of the internet, because every place says a different thing. I haven’t given him anymore carrot. I’ll start with romaine lettuce instead.
You mentioned that he should be on grass hay for a minimum of 2 weeks. Is alfalfa not considered a grass hay? Not that it matters. Just curious. I give him timothy hay as well. He’s had it since I took him home. So a little over a month. But he mostly gets alfalfa.

[Sarita]

No alfalfa is not a grass hay so it does matter. Timothy hay is so that is good that you are giving him that :~) I would increase the timothy hay.

[Sarita]

And this article, it’s an interesting and easy read and I reference it alot – take the time to read it!

[sophie_gretel]

I should probably reread and reword what I write, haha! I didn’t mean to say that it doesn’t matter if alfalfa is grass hay or not, I just meant that I give him timothy. Sorry! I don’t mean to come off in a negative way!

Should I decrease the alfalfa or just offer the same amount of both?

[Sarita]

No, you didn’t come off negative at all. I would just give a handful of alfalfa hay, so yes, I would probably suggest decreasing it to that.

[sophie_gretel]

Okay, I’ll do that. Thank you bunches!!

[Author]

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