Frequency of diet

[Kuku]

Hi all,
I was looking for few doubts but was not able to find satisfying answer.. I just want to know how many times a day rabbit should be fed. I am feeding kuku every 3 hours. Is it too much or too less. Pl suggest. Kuku is now almost 2 months. Can we feed him Cauliflower sticks and leaves( i mean the one which is beneath the cauliflower, dont know what it is called )  kuku loves them..

Thanks

[Bianca]

I make sure my rabbits have 24/7 access to hay. Then I feed veg twice a day.

Your rabbit is still very young so shouldn’t be eating veg yet. I believe young rabbits should be getting 24/7 hay and lots of pellets designed for young rabbits.

Hopefully someone else can chime in here but you probably only need to serve the pellets once or twice a day.

[Kuku]

Posted By Bianca on 9/13/2017 3:07 AM

I make sure my rabbits have 24/7 access to hay. Then I feed veg twice a day.

Your rabbit is still very young so shouldn’t be eating veg yet. I believe young rabbits should be getting 24/7 hay and lots of pellets designed for young rabbits.

Hopefully someone else can chime in here but you probably only need to serve the pellets once or twice a day.

Thanks Bianca,
So i should not feed him veggies at all

[joea64]

Just to clarify, what Bianca means is that you shouldn’t feed your rabbits green vegetables until he’s old enough in a few more months. Adult rabbits (6 months and over) need to have at least 1 cup of greens per 2 pounds body weight every day. When he’s old enough, introduce greens to him one at a time and in small quantities to see which ones he likes best and which agree or disagree with his digestion.

I feed my own two buns on unlimited hay, refreshed twice daily, with accompanying water. They get 1/8 cup timothy pellets each (a total of 1/4 cup in a shared bowl) in the morning and a big salad bowl with 2+ cups of spring mix salad each (at least 4 cups total), being that they’re small rabbits weighing 3-4 pounds each, in the evening. These greens are washed down both to clean them and to provide additional water; healthy adult rabbits get a large proportion of their daily water requirements from their green vegetables.

I assume that Kuku is getting alfalfa hay and pellets; all rabbits need alfalfa as babies to develop their bodies. Around the same time that he’s being introduced to vegetables, though, you need to begin transitioning him from alfalfa hay and pellets to grass hays, particularly timothy, and timothy-based pellets. Adult rabbits don’t need the large quantities of protein that alfalfa contains, but they require the high amounts of fiber contained in grass hays such as timothy, oat, orchard, brome and Bermuda; in fact, fiber is the most important single component of an adult rabbit’s diet.

[Bam]

If the bunny is already ued to fresh veg, you can give a little bit of fresh veg. But The House Rabbit society recommends that you wait until the bun is 12 weeks old before you start introducing veggies. And then you introduce veggies slowly, one at a time and just a little bit for starters. Rabbits can eat cauliflower stems and leaves, but like all vegs, it should be fed in small amounts at first in case it doesn’t agree with your bun’s tummy.

Grass hay 24/7 plus pellets is the standard recommendation for the very young.

[Bianca]

Thanks for clarifying Joea – I was typing on my phone and tried to summarise, but didn’t do it very well!

OP – I have met some rabbits who have been introduced to veggies earlier. They can be okay in small amounts but as others have said, just introduce one at a time in small amounts. Keep an eye on bun’s poos too, and make sure everything is digesting properly.

Also feel free to share photos of your bun with us!

[Kuku]

Posted By joea64 on 9/13/2017 4:01 AM

Just to clarify, what Bianca means is that you shouldn’t feed your rabbits green vegetables until he’s old enough in a few more months. Adult rabbits (6 months and over) need to have at least 1 cup of greens per 2 pounds body weight every day. When he’s old enough, introduce greens to him one at a time and in small quantities to see which ones he likes best and which agree or disagree with his digestion.

I feed my own two buns on unlimited hay, refreshed twice daily, with accompanying water. They get 1/8 cup timothy pellets each (a total of 1/4 cup in a shared bowl) in the morning and a big salad bowl with 2+ cups of spring mix salad each (at least 4 cups total), being that they’re small rabbits weighing 3-4 pounds each, in the evening. These greens are washed down both to clean them and to provide additional water; healthy adult rabbits get a large proportion of their daily water requirements from their green vegetables.

I assume that Kuku is getting alfalfa hay and pellets; all rabbits need alfalfa as babies to develop their bodies. Around the same time that he’s being introduced to vegetables, though, you need to begin transitioning him from alfalfa hay and pellets to grass hays, particularly timothy, and timothy-based pellets. Adult rabbits don’t need the large quantities of protein that alfalfa contains, but they require the high amounts of fiber contained in grass hays such as timothy, oat, orchard, brome and Bermuda; in fact, fiber is the most important single component of an adult rabbit’s diet.

Thanks for clarifying. He does like veggies and his poo is good too. In nutshell, hay throughout the day, one time pellets and one time veggies in a day. I am not able to get alpha alpha or timothy hay here. still looking for . I am giving him bermuda grass from our garden after washing thoroughly..

[Kuku]

Posted By bam on 9/13/2017 4:06 AM

If the bunny is already ued to fresh veg, you can give a little bit of fresh veg. But The House Rabbit society recommends that you wait until the bun is 12 weeks old before you start introducing veggies. And then you introduce veggies slowly, one at a time and just a little bit for starters. Rabbits can eat cauliflower stems and leaves, but like all vegs, it should be fed in small amounts at first in case it doesn’t agree with your bun’s tummy.

Grass hay 24/7 plus pellets is the standard recommendation for the very young.

Hey Bam,
Thanks for your suggestion regarding leaving pellets with him overnight. He ate and now he is eating regularly.
I think he is 12 weeks …

I dont know where to get grass hay. Fresh Bermuda grass from lawn is the only option left.

[Kuku]

Posted By Bianca on 9/13/2017 4:32 AM

Thanks for clarifying Joea – I was typing on my phone and tried to summarise, but didn’t do it very well!

OP – I have met some rabbits who have been introduced to veggies earlier. They can be okay in small amounts but as others have said, just introduce one at a time in small amounts. Keep an eye on bun’s poos too, and make sure everything is digesting properly.

Also feel free to share photos of your bun with us!

Bianca,
I think i was not able to understand properly. You tried your best to inform ..
This one i clicked sometime back.. He/she is a poser.. :*

[joea64]

Where are you located? We could try searching for pet or feed stores that might have hay available for sale.

[Kuku]

Posted By joea64 on 9/14/2017 4:43 AM

Where are you located? We could try searching for pet or feed stores that might have hay available for sale.

Chennai,
 India..

[joea64]

Have you tried Amazon.in? I found a number of results for “timothy hay” in the Pet Supplies category: 
  
 https://www.amazon.in/s/ref=nb_sb_n…imothy+hay
  
There are also a lot of pet stores in Chennai from what I see on Google, but I don’t know which ones you’ve checked, if you’ve looked at any of them. This is what I got when I used the search string “pet store” Chennai india: 
  
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22…T_t8Yz0StI

P.S. Your bunny has superb ears!

[Sarita]

He sure is cute.

Sometimes we are limited by what we have available – I think fresh grass would be fine if introduced slowly and if you are feeding greens, it is okay to continue as long as he tolerates it. If you are at anytime able to find some hay then snatch it up for him.

Free feed the pellets.

[Kuku]

Posted By joea64 on 9/14/2017 8:59 AM

Have you tried Amazon.in? I found a number of results for “timothy hay” in the Pet Supplies category: 
  
 https://www.amazon.in/s/ref=nb_sb_n…imothy+hay
  
There are also a lot of pet stores in Chennai from what I see on Google, but I don’t know which ones you’ve checked, if you’ve looked at any of them. This is what I got when I used the search string “pet store” Chennai india: 
  
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22…T_t8Yz0StI

P.S. Your bunny has superb ears!

Thanks Joea for helping me so much. I tried amazon sometime back. It had only one type of hay and customers have not given good reviews. so ditched it. Now i could see some more variety .

https://www.amazon.in/Vitapol-Karma-Food-Rabbits-400g/dp/B00L8X2T2K/ref=pd_sbs_199_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=305KZQTCNKTQK12KXAD4
How about this food for rabbits. was thinking if its safe can give it kuku .

Can see veins in his ears

i have checked in some of the pet stores regarding hay. They suggested me bermuda grass from the lawn.

[Kuku]

Posted By Sarita on 9/14/2017 9:00 AM

He sure is cute.

Sometimes we are limited by what we have available – I think fresh grass would be fine if introduced slowly and if you are feeding greens, it is okay to continue as long as he tolerates it. If you are at anytime able to find some hay then snatch it up for him.

Free feed the pellets.

Thanks Sarita for your suggestion.  Yes he is tolerating greens. Is there any specific quantity of pellets to be fed. Like Half cup a day or something..

[joea64]

Posted By Kuku on 9/18/2017 2:39 AM

Posted By joea64 on 9/14/2017 8:59 AM

Have you tried Amazon.in? I found a number of results for “timothy hay” in the Pet Supplies category: 
  
 https://www.amazon.in/s/ref=nb_sb_n…imothy+hay
  
There are also a lot of pet stores in Chennai from what I see on Google, but I don’t know which ones you’ve checked, if you’ve looked at any of them. This is what I got when I used the search string “pet store” Chennai india: 
  
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22…T_t8Yz0StI

P.S. Your bunny has superb ears!

Thanks Joea for helping me so much. I tried amazon sometime back. It had only one type of hay and customers have not given good reviews. so ditched it. Now i could see some more variety .

https://www.amazon.in/Vitapol-Karma-Food-Rabbits-400g/dp/B00L8X2T2K/ref=pd_sbs_199_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=305KZQTCNKTQK12KXAD4
How about this food for rabbits. was thinking if its safe can give it kuku .

Can see veins in his ears

i have checked in some of the pet stores regarding hay. They suggested me bermuda grass from the lawn.

I’d actually advise you not to get that particular food. The problem here is that, just judging from the picture, it has lots of other things mixed in with the pellets that are not in fact good for bunnies to eat – for instance one of the reviews mentioned that it has corn, which is strictly a no-no for rabbits.  Rabbits love to graze and forage, and if your bun gets that, he’ll just pick out the tasty bits he wants, whether they’re good for him or not, and leave the parts that he actually needs to eat.

For a two-month-old bun like Kuku, you need to feed him unlimited alfalfa hay and unlimited alfalfa pellets until he gets to 6 months old, when you should start transitioning him to unlimited grass hay (including timothy as we previously talked about) plus a limited daily quantity of timothy pellets. I just checked Amazon.in, and I think these two brands of alfalfa pellets are what you should be getting for Kuku:

https://www.amazon.in/Pet-Centre-Su…H4X2WMGFJ0

https://www.amazon.in/SEED-COMPANY-…fa+pellets

Once Kuku gets old enough to move on to timothy hay, he should start eating timothy pellets, such as this:

https://www.amazon.in/ZuPreem-NATUR…hy+pellets

Unfortunately, Oxbow brand pellets don’t appear to be available in India, at least via Amazon, or I’d recommend you to get those. Oxbow brand hay does seem to be available though.

Also, while Bermuda grass (providing that it hasn’t been treated with pesticides) should be OK to feed Kuku, I want to say again (sorry if I’m getting monotonous!) that grass hay – and Bermuda is one of the varieties of grass that’s made into hay – needs to be the overwhelming foundation of any rabbit’s diet. Pet stores aren’t necessarily the best sources of advice; a lot of pet store employees aren’t really that knowledgeable about proper diet and care for animals other than cats and dogs, not just rabbits.

[Kuku]

Posted By joea64 on 9/18/2017 6:46 AM

Posted By Kuku on 9/18/2017 2:39 AM

Posted By joea64 on 9/14/2017 8:59 AM

Have you tried Amazon.in? I found a number of results for “timothy hay” in the Pet Supplies category: 
  
 https://www.amazon.in/s/ref=nb_sb_n…imothy+hay
  
There are also a lot of pet stores in Chennai from what I see on Google, but I don’t know which ones you’ve checked, if you’ve looked at any of them. This is what I got when I used the search string “pet store” Chennai india: 
  
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22…T_t8Yz0StI

P.S. Your bunny has superb ears!

Thanks Joea for helping me so much. I tried amazon sometime back. It had only one type of hay and customers have not given good reviews. so ditched it. Now i could see some more variety .

https://www.amazon.in/Vitapol-Karma-Food-Rabbits-400g/dp/B00L8X2T2K/ref=pd_sbs_199_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=305KZQTCNKTQK12KXAD4
How about this food for rabbits. was thinking if its safe can give it kuku .

Can see veins in his ears

i have checked in some of the pet stores regarding hay. They suggested me bermuda grass from the lawn.

I’d actually advise you not to get that particular food. The problem here is that, just judging from the picture, it has lots of other things mixed in with the pellets that are not in fact good for bunnies to eat – for instance one of the reviews mentioned that it has corn, which is strictly a no-no for rabbits.  Rabbits love to graze and forage, and if your bun gets that, he’ll just pick out the tasty bits he wants, whether they’re good for him or not, and leave the parts that he actually needs to eat.

For a two-month-old bun like Kuku, you need to feed him unlimited alfalfa hay and unlimited alfalfa pellets until he gets to 6 months old, when you should start transitioning him to unlimited grass hay (including timothy as we previously talked about) plus a limited daily quantity of timothy pellets. I just checked Amazon.in, and I think these two brands of alfalfa pellets are what you should be getting for Kuku:

https://www.amazon.in/Pet-Centre-Su…H4X2WMGFJ0

https://www.amazon.in/SEED-COMPANY-…fa+pellets

Once Kuku gets old enough to move on to timothy hay, he should start eating timothy pellets, such as this:

https://www.amazon.in/ZuPreem-NATUR…hy+pellets

Unfortunately, Oxbow brand pellets don’t appear to be available in India, at least via Amazon, or I’d recommend you to get those. Oxbow brand hay does seem to be available though.

Also, while Bermuda grass (providing that it hasn’t been treated with pesticides) should be OK to feed Kuku, I want to say again (sorry if I’m getting monotonous!) that grass hay – and Bermuda is one of the varieties of grass that’s made into hay – needs to be the overwhelming foundation of any rabbit’s diet. Pet stores aren’t necessarily the best sources of advice; a lot of pet store employees aren’t really that knowledgeable about proper diet and care for animals other than cats and dogs, not just rabbits.

Hi all,

Sorry for replying late..
Thanks Joea .. as you suggested will not go for mixed food for my bunny. Have ordered Timothy Hay from amazon.
No no Joea you are not monotonous, thanks for your and others  suggestions. This site and you all are of great help for us. otherwise it becomes difficult to clear our doubts as finding a good vet that too for rabbits is a difficult job.. Thank you so much.

Regarding timothy pellets , will check amazon .

So you mean dried bermuda grass is made into hay? so if it dries we can still give it to kuku?
one more doubt.. How should i store bermuda grass or hay at home? in cardboard box or ziplock bags? pl suggest

Thanks for your efforts.

[joea64]

Actually, hay is just dried grass, so any grass is capable of being made into hay and given as fodder to animals, including rabbits. What you should watch for is to make sure the hay is green (or at least not too old and brown), dry and sweet-smelling. Never feed hay that’s damp or moldy – mold, in particular, can be very dangerous. That goes right into how to store hay properly – the way I do it is to store the hay in inexpensive plastic storage bins, kept out of direct sunlight and with the lid loosened so that air can flow through the hay and keep it fresh and dry.

How is Kuku doing these days? If I’m not mistaken he should be about 3 1/2 months old now.

[Kuku]

Posted By joea64 on 11/02/2017 6:46 AM
Actually, hay is just dried grass, so any grass is capable of being made into hay and given as fodder to animals, including rabbits. What you should watch for is to make sure the hay is green (or at least not too old and brown), dry and sweet-smelling. Never feed hay that’s damp or moldy – mold, in particular, can be very dangerous. That goes right into how to store hay properly – the way I do it is to store the hay in inexpensive plastic storage bins, kept out of direct sunlight and with the lid loosened so that air can flow through the hay and keep it fresh and dry.

How is Kuku doing these days? If I’m not mistaken he should be about 3 1/2 months old now.

Thanks Joea. I think I can spare one plastic storage container at home itself.

Kuku is doing very well. Yes he is around 3 and a half months now. He is a sweetheart. He loves us . He keeps licking my hand if I stop petting him.

[Author]

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