2 week old baby buns & greens

Posting this here because their main food is pellets.

So the baby bunnies are 2 weeks old today. And omg, how friggen cute are they!!!!

Anyway, I have read a lot of websites that say you're not supposed to feed greens to rabbits until they are much older. But we always feed fresh greens to our rabbits along with Tim hay and pellets. Should I be worried if the babies eat the greens with their parents?

I remember my grandmother's neighbor always fed a huge pile of fresh grass (he plucked it from a hay field) to every rabbit even ones with kits and to my untrained childhood eyes his baby rabbits were always fine. He would offer lettuces if he had them too. But this was about 30 yrs ago.

We try to offer dandelion greens, green & red leaf lettuces, romaine daily if we have it. Occasionally endive, arugula, kale, & collared greens to try to offer different nutrients & flavors. We do feed carrot either daily or every other day but always in a very small amount!

So my question is are the websites right? Since I was around a farmer years ago as a kid, have we learned that this way of feeding is bad for such young rabbits?

If this is true, do I not feed mom's their greens because of the babies? Or take the babies out while they eat their greens?

Also, is it OK to offer the babies alfalfa hay? Or will that hurt their guts?

Any info would truly be appreciated.

Kits can eat whatever their mother eats as soon as they are out and about and starting to nibble. It's when the kit is given something that is a change from the mother's diet that is a problem. I think it is because the kits eat some of the cecotropes from the doe and that gives them the gut flora they need to digest whatever she's been eating.
So don't worry--just enjoy them while they're at that super cute stage

Babies nibble on what mom eats. They eat her droppings and develop good gut flora, slowly. They will be fine. just think of the pasture raised rabbits

Yep, so long as it's something the doe is accustomed to, the kits should be fine.

The main difference is that the kits ARE more susceptible to mold toxins than adult rabbits are, which has actually been more of a problem for me with pelleted feed and hay than with greens.

If you are unsure where to start, the safest greens are usually high tannin plants, which may also offer some protection from diahrea and cocci.
Plantains, rose family plant leaves (strawberry, blackberry, apple, etc), and willows are among my favorites.

ipoGSD":3b4tlyrq said:

I have read a lot of websites that say you're not supposed to feed greens to rabbits until they are much older.

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That's because many rabbits are raised mainly or only on pellets. People buy a cute little bunny at the pet store and then give it a mound of lettuce or assorted fresh vegis, and the abrupt change causes diarrhea which can be so bad that they die.

When kits first come out of the nest they still get most of their nutrition from nursing and only take a nibble here and there of whatever foods you have available in the cage. This allows them to slowly develop the proper gut flora so by the time they are eating things in quantity they have enough bacteria to deal with it.

ipoGSD":3b4tlyrq said:

is it OK to offer the babies alfalfa hay? Or will that hurt their guts?

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Kits start nibbling on hay in the nest before their eyes are even open, and hay (and oats!) are both very gentle on the digestive tract so are perfectly safe.

Thank you all very much for the info. I appreciate it. I was afraid when I seen the kits nibbling on their moms greens but it just didn't make sense to me but now I understand.

One of the sites I read was so outrageous about the dangers of greens with young rabbits I was thinking what the heck is wrong with their guts if a rabbit can't handle it?!?!

And now that I know alfalfa hay is good for them even at this tiny age, I plan on buying some for them. I only offer alfalfa to our adult buns as a treat so I don't always have it on hand.

Again thanks to all of you who helped me on this one <br /><br /> -- Tue Mar 08, 2016 6:01 pm -- <br /><br /> Zass, quick question. You mentioned willow. Do you mean leaves from a willow tree?

ipoGSD":5on8i9sq said:

Zass, quick question. You mentioned willow. Do you mean leaves from a willow tree?

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Yep, leaves and twigs are both good.

Ty again for the info! Now that I know I can use willow leaves/twigs, I can make even more chew toys and some wreaths

All I have to say is my dad's poor willow tree will never see it coming lol

MamaSheepdog":142655ul said:

People buy a cute little bunny at the pet store and then give it a mound of lettuce or assorted fresh vegis, and the abrupt change causes diarrhea which can be so bad that they die.

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This is exactly how my first bunny interaction went.

skysthelimit":2oqcrsco said:

MamaSheepdog":2oqcrsco said:

People buy a cute little bunny at the pet store and then give it a mound of lettuce or assorted fresh vegis, and the abrupt change causes diarrhea which can be so bad that they die.

Click to expand...

This is exactly how my first bunny interaction went.

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Oh no! I'm sorry, Sky.

ipoGSD":1l4naxyd said:

Ty again for the info! Now that I know I can use willow leaves/twigs, I can make even more chew toys and some wreaths

All I have to say is my dad's poor willow tree will never see it coming lol

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We feed willow year round. In May when the leaves are newly out and not yet bug-chewed we gather and bundle them and hang them to dry in the loft of the barn. We've been feeding them all winter and still have enough to last until the new ones come out. Don't know how much space you have, but willow is pretty easy to propagate. In spring when the buds are swelling we cut some small branches from the willow, poke a hole in the ground where it is apt to stay moist and poke the butt end of the branch into the soil. Not all of them root, but many do. We have lots of willow, several different kinds, but we have 180 acres and sometimes I like not to walk so far for a few pieces for the rabbits.

I just attacked my dad's tree (he wasn't home lol) I got some barky pieces but most have fresh fuzzy buds on them. Are these ok to feed as well? <br /><br /> -- Sat Mar 12, 2016 5:25 pm -- <br /><br /> Rainey that's a good idea! There is a small wooded area behind us. I should do that back there! Ty

ipoGSD":2ul6mapp said:

I just attacked my dad's tree (he wasn't home lol) I got some barky pieces but most have fresh fuzzy buds on them. Are these ok to feed as well?

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Yes, they will be fine to feed. My buns love the buds on rabbit-agreeable trees such as apple, willow, river birch and pear. They nibble the buds off first, then work on the rest of the branch.