I know green food is generally a no-no with kits but I have a doe with 3 week olds and havn't been able to keep up drying brome for them. If the kits get a mouth full here and there of green brome grass will it hurt them? I also have a play/ exercise pen on the ground, will it hurt them if they browse on weeds/ grass while they're "playing"? The kits are starting to munch on pellets and can easily reach moms hay rack.
Green food and kits
- Thread starter rittert3
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MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
All of my rabbits get fresh greens daily, and that includes does with kits. As long as they always get them, they never have any issues. The belief that fresh greens kill young rabbits stems from the fact that people buy a baby rabbit who has never had anything but pellets, bring it home, and give it lettuce/carrots/etc., and the rabbit overeats because they taste so-o-o good! :icecream:
Your kits are still young enough that they are still in the "tasting" stage, and getting most of their nourishment from nursing. I always feed hay first followed by greens. Does with young out of the nest and "growouts" get grain at the same time- dry does and bucks get grain only at night. I have 24 holes and six growout cages, so by the time I get back to the first cage fed, they have already been filling up on hay and grains- say 20 minutes or so, longer if I haven't harvested the fresh greens before feeding because I got a late start that morning.
Begin as you intend to continue- if fresh feed is going to make up a part of your herd's diet, feed the kits that way from the beginning. It is much easier than having to slowly transition older rabbits to fresh feeds.
Your kits are still young enough that they are still in the "tasting" stage, and getting most of their nourishment from nursing. I always feed hay first followed by greens. Does with young out of the nest and "growouts" get grain at the same time- dry does and bucks get grain only at night. I have 24 holes and six growout cages, so by the time I get back to the first cage fed, they have already been filling up on hay and grains- say 20 minutes or so, longer if I haven't harvested the fresh greens before feeding because I got a late start that morning.
Begin as you intend to continue- if fresh feed is going to make up a part of your herd's diet, feed the kits that way from the beginning. It is much easier than having to slowly transition older rabbits to fresh feeds.
trinityoaks
Well-known member
Not sure where you heard this, but it's not true. The grass won't hurt them at all, especially if they have other stuff to eat. You might try giving them some kitchen oatmeal, as well.rittert3":z9vsrhpw said:
boundarybunnyco
Well-known member
my does with kits get fresh grass, dandelions, and clover every other day or so. they've been eating it since they were able to eat!
I ussually cut the brome and dry it on the top of the hutch for a couple days before feeding(lol I cut brome with my pocket knife) so it is more like hay at that point but it has been raining off and on and they won't eat it once it get wet again, so all I have is the fresh cut brome. They are not on it constantly but I try to fill the racks once a week other than that they are on pellets. 4oz. / day except for the nursing does and kits, they are eating about 12oz. /day free choice. I might add that these are fl. oz. I use a cheap paint measuring cup, I probably need to weight it out and measure that way 
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As long as they aren't thin or getting fat, how you measure doesn't really matter.
And all my kits get grass, some at 2wks, most a little later when they hop out of the nest. Babies only nibble new foods and slowly add onto it, they won't just eat until they pop like human kids do with candy..
And all my kits get grass, some at 2wks, most a little later when they hop out of the nest. Babies only nibble new foods and slowly add onto it, they won't just eat until they pop like human kids do with candy..
They just started nibbling a few days ago but I did go though and fill all the racks with freash brome today. Some look a hair heavy or a hair thin but nothing to extreme . I do need to get a clean eye dropper an oil some ears. I noticed sores on the outside of the 2 nurseing does ears and some head shaking and ear scratching going on.
. I do need to get a clean eye dropper an oil some ears. I noticed sores on the outside of the 2 nurseing does ears and some head shaking and ear scratching going on.I agree that greens are not a bad thing for kits. As MamaSheepdog said, it is the sudden diet change that causes problems in rabbits (not just kits) who have never gotten used to greens. Even an adult rabbit can suffer diarrhea or death if it hasn't been fed greens and suddenly gets a big meal of them. Diet changes must be slow and gradual.
Yup, as long as it's not a sudden change, they'll be fine on grass or other greens. My kits start eating grass as soon as I can get them to try it. I've had some try it within days of opening their eyes. They love it when I move the pens to fresh grass -- it's a breakfast buffet and they all come out of the hutch and chow down.
