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Forum DIET & CARE Oatmeal?

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    • DethronedbyQueenB
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        I read that rabbits like oats/oatmeal but none of mine eat it.

        Am I doing this correctly?

        I buy oatmeal in bulk, raw I guess. First I just offered them those and they had zero interest. So I cooked some in water, made it thick and let it cool down. Still no interest.

        I mashed some banana and added some to oatmeal- only one bunny went for it and they all LOVE bananas usually.


      • LongEaredLions
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          Actually, grains such as oatmeal generally aren’t recommended for bunnies as they are fattening and don’t really provide any nutrition. For some bunnies, they can even cause stomach upset. You can try different treats, such as fresh or dried fruit.


        • DethronedbyQueenB
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            Oh, wow…that’s good to know.

            Is oat hay ok?
            My bunnies typically eat hay (timothy I think) that I feed my goats and different types of grass and such from outside my home- I live on small farm.

            They have pellets and a mixed food type that I leave in a bowl as well. We also have cubed alfalfa for goats and I give them a small portion of that occasionally.

            In the evening I give them a lil fruit or carrot, etc.

            I ordered some products from the BB store and they sent a free gift with oat hay in it so I was thinking on using some of that during the winter when everything outside is covered in snow. (No meadow stuffs)


          • LongEaredLions
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              Oat hay is fine.
              You mention a “mixed food.” What does that contain? A lot of those types of things aren’t good for buns.
              Do they get veggies?


            • DethronedbyQueenB
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                The mixed food is this:
                http://www.walmart.com/ip/10450489?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227000015138&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40341920792&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=78302344832&veh=sem

                I give them garden vegetables but admittedly not lots mainly because I get conflicting information.
                For example when I looked at bunny food pyramid it listed broccoli and carrots as part of the second to biggest but I read elsewhere about broccoli causing gas and carrots are a treat. Celery makes me nervous because one bunny choked a bit on a banana string and celery is stringy.
                Some people say tomatoes and bell peppers are ok but that doesn’t sound right to me as both those foods are part of the Nightshade family and generally poisonous to animals. :/
                I’m sill trying to figure all this out so help/advice is appreciated, thank you.

                ETA:

                FWIW: I’m not 100% sure what kind of rabbits these are but I think some sort of mini rex. She is 4.5 lbs and he is about 3. He was super tiny when we got him, always lots smaller than her.


              • LongEaredLions
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                  It is tough when you can’t get a definite answer.
                  That wild harvest food probably isn’t great for them as it contains seeds, nuts, and cereals (which are a chocking hazard/indigestible). It’s probably high in sugar, dyes, and fat as well. Best to take them off it. They only need 1/4 cup per bunny, per day of plain timothy-hay based pellets. Oxbow is the brand we recommend.
                  The vegetables you listed should be fed sparingly, so you are right there. The ones you want to feed daily are the dark leafy greens, such as lettuces. These vegetables should be fed 2 cups per 5 lbs. of bunny, per day. Here is a list of safe vegatables for your bunny: http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/


                • Sarita
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                    Okay, that food is not good because of seeds and other “junk food” in it :~) You want just a pellet not with all the extra’s. Most people on here would recommend Oxbow pellets.

                    As for veggies, read this article from House Rabbit Society by a rabbit knowledgeable vet:

                    http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

                    Make sure you don’t just look at the list read the whole article. I want to point this out in the article where she talks about broccoli – it’s a small part anyway of a rabbit’s diet when you read the list. Sugars and carbs are what causes problems for rabbits:

                    Some people are concerned about feeding foods that cause gastrointestinal (GI) gas in people such as broccoli. A rabbit’s GI tract is not the same as a human’s and many of the foods that may cause gas in a human do not cause gas in a rabbit. The most common types of foods that do create havoc in the rabbit’s GI tract are those that are high in starch and sugars because they create a change in the pH of the cecum and eventually can throw the whole system off. The result can be serious GI disease. Foods that are notorious for causing rabbit GI problems when fed improperly are grains of any kind and legumes (beans, peas, etc). Even starchy root vegetables and fruits if fed to excess with their high load of sugars and starch could be a problem and should only be fed as a very small part of the diet.


                  • Sarita
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                      Okay as far as tomatoes and bell peppers – bell peppers in small amounts and tomatoes are probably okay, guinea pigs eat them but they aren’t really what you want to be looking at to feed your rabbit.


                    • DethronedbyQueenB
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                        Thanks to you both!

                        Gotta do some shopping today anyway so good time to make a bunny list.
                        This is very helpful.


                      • DethronedbyQueenB
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                          I have 2 questions.

                          1. Is there an amount of pellets a rabbit NEEDS to eat?
                          Since adding veggies they don’t seem to eat pellets hardly at all. Kinda turn their nose up at it.

                          2. Does this look ok for what they have been eating?
                          I bring this out fresh twice a day as a large salad and it’s pretty much always available but I’m not measuring because it’s 4 rabbits and I can’t really tell how much anyone eats individually except for DM who is still separated as the 5th rabbit.

                          Mixed Green lettuce with odds and ends of red lettuce and such from the premixed cartons at store, Spinach, Cauliflower,Broccoli stems and heads, Cabbage, Celery, Small bits of carrot (like hiding a treat in the mix) 

                          Every other day I wander my property and fill a garbage bag full of different types of grass and plants outside and keep that in pen at all times which they eat loads of. I’m not sure if that counts as hay since it’s fresh. They also have drier hay all the time which they don’t seem to be eating as much of. 

                          Occasionally they get small pieces of alfalfa block.

                          In the evening they all get a bite of fruit such as apple, pear, banana, grapes or strawberries.

                          They also have those edible baskets they eat. And cardboard. If cardboard and phone books count as fiber, they are definitely regular.

                          So far their poopies all look good.

                          Does this seem adequate? I do plan to vary the veggies when I shop but in general does this sound about right? 

                          Also: Queen still nurses about 4 times a day. Always has.

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                      Forum DIET & CARE Oatmeal?