How to make rabbits lose weight?

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

I have a Netherland Doe who's very sweet and very pretty, she's definitely one of my favorites that I have now
For a while though she's been very big, I can't remember what her weight was when I weighed her a few months ago but I weighed her again not long before this and she's about 4 LBS
My original concern was that she was too big to have Kits but she had some a couple weeks ago (however... She couldn't reach around her dewlap to pluck very well lol). I'd still like to get her to lose a bit before it really does become a problem

The second one I want to work on is my Mini Rex Buck. I went to a show over the weekend and he got disqualified all three times for being 5 LBS (possibly a little more)
If anything it's embarrassing to bring him up and take him back right away 😅 and I don't want to stop showing him because of this

I've attempted to try giving them less pellets in the past but the Doe had her Kits and I was worried she was starting to feed them less
Currently all the rabbits have their pellets (16%) refilled daily and they basically have unlimited hay
I'm only giving these two half their food bowls now to see if that works a little, I don't want to have to change their feed completely but I'd like to know if anyone has any ideas (I've thought about getting them out to exercise more, but not outside because I hate being cold)

 

[Alaska Satin]

I have a Netherland Doe who's very sweet and very pretty, she's definitely one of my favorites that I have now
For a while though she's been very big, I can't remember what her weight was when I weighed her a few months ago but I weighed her again not long before this and she's about 4 LBS
My original concern was that she was too big to have Kits but she had some a couple weeks ago (however... She couldn't reach around her dewlap to pluck very well lol). I'd still like to get her to lose a bit before it really does become a problem

The second one I want to work on is my Mini Rex Buck. I went to a show over the weekend and he got disqualified all three times for being 5 LBS (possibly a little more)
If anything it's embarrassing to bring him up and take him back right away 😅 and I don't want to stop showing him because of this

I've attempted to try giving them less pellets in the past but the Doe had her Kits and I was worried she was starting to feed them less
Currently all the rabbits have their pellets (16%) refilled daily and they basically have unlimited hay
I'm only giving these two half their food bowls now to see if that works a little, I don't want to have to change their feed completely but I'd like to know if anyone has any ideas (I've thought about getting them out to exercise more, but not outside because I hate being cold)

Reducing pellets can help overweight rabbits drop some weight, but it can also result in healthy rabbits becoming underweight if it provides less than the nutrients and calories they need to stay healthy.

Both Netherland Dwarfs and Mini Rex are dwarf breeds, which means they have one copy of the allele for normal size and one copy of the dwarf allele: <Dwdw>. They cannot be homozygous for the dwarf allele since <dw> is a lethal recessive, meaning two copies results in death before or right after birth (you've probably seen peanuts in some of your ND litters). So, when you breed dwarf rabbits, some of the babies will be true dwarfs <Dwdw>, some will be peanuts <dwdw>, and some will be false dwarfs <DwDw>, which are rabbits that are usually still relatively small but do not carry any copies of the dwarf allele.

Below is a Punnett Square showing how that happens. The top is the sire's two size alleles, the left side is the dam's two size alleles, both of them being true dwarfs. The four inner boxes show what each kit might end up with (theoretically, there is an equal chance of each kit getting any one of them).

With the weights you describe for your rabbits, it may be that your ND doe and your MR buck are both false dwarfs. NDs are supposed to max out at 2.5 lbs, so 4 lbs is a really big dwarf. Likewise, MR bucks have a maximum weight of 4.25 lbs, so >5 lbs is a very big mini. (My false dwarf Mini Rex does, which I kept for breeding, were were all between 5-6 lbs.)

This is something to seriously consider, since if your rabbits are false dwarfs, it might be that the only way you are going to get them down to show weight is to starve them. The 4 lb ND doe would have to lose over 35% of her body weight to reach 2.5 lbs. The 5 lb+ MR buck would have to lose at least 3/4 of a pound - 15% or more of his body weight - to reach show weight. Not only would starving them be awful, but if they're skin and bones, they won't win anything anyway!

Neither of the rabbits in the photos looks especially fat. They both look like happy, healthy bunnies, so it might not be good for them to try to get them to lose that much weight. However, you can restrict their pellets and see what happens. That might bring them closer to the desired weight, but as soon as you start feeling a hollow loin or bony hips, you'll know you've gone too far.

Some false dwarfs can be hard to tell from true dwarfs when they're young, but eventually they usually end up with bigger and especially longer bodies, and relatively longer limbs, heads, and ears, than the true dwarfs. Another clue is a dewlap, which is a DQ in NDs, but often shows up on false dwarfs; similarly, in MRs the false dwarf does often have noticeably larger dewlaps than true dwarf does.

It's disappointing that your MR buck's show career may be over, but it might be just fine that your ND doe is a false dwarf. False dwarf does are often very good mothers, as they can carry and feed more babies than true dwarf does, especially ones as tiny as ND does. They also may have less trouble kindling since they are bigger. And the best part, IMO, is that you will never get any peanuts (peanuts make me sad). When you breed a true dwarf buck with a false dwarf doe, all of the kits will be either true or false dwarfs:

 

[ladysown]

are you measure feeding or free feeding? Netherlands don't need a lot of feed, nor do mini rex.
You also need to determine if you have true or false dwarfs.

quickest ways to help a rabbit lose weight. increase their activity level (add a big block of wood that they have to hop over to get from water to food). And decrease the amount of food they get. Combine the two and weight will come off. For a netherland on kits I'd give her half of cup per day, a mini rex buck maybe 1/3 cup.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

are you measure feeding or free feeding? Netherlands don't need a lot of feed, nor do mini rex.
You also need to determine if you have true or false dwarfs.

quickest ways to help a rabbit lose weight. increase their activity level (add a big block of wood that they have to hop over to get from water to food). And decrease the amount of food they get. Combine the two and weight will come off. For a netherland on kits I'd give her half of cup per day, a mini rex buck maybe 1/3 cup.

Free feeding but it's not just placing a pile somewhere I fill their food bowl to a certain level
She doesn't have any Kits right now and I'm not sure when I'll breed Does again but I'll keep that in mind

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Reducing pellets can help overweight rabbits drop some weight, but it can also result in healthy rabbits becoming underweight if it provides less than the nutrients and calories they need to stay healthy.

Both Netherland Dwarfs and Mini Rex are dwarf breeds, which means they have one copy of the allele for normal size and one copy of the dwarf allele: <Dwdw>. They cannot be homozygous for the dwarf allele since <dw> is a lethal recessive, meaning two copies results in death before or right after birth (you've probably seen peanuts in some of your ND litters). So, when you breed dwarf rabbits, some of the babies will be true dwarfs <Dwdw>, some will be peanuts <dwdw>, and some will be false dwarfs <DwDw>, which are rabbits that are usually still relatively small but do not carry any copies of the dwarf allele.

Below is a Punnett Square showing how that happens. The top is the sire's two size alleles, the left side is the dam's two size alleles, both of them being true dwarfs. The four inner boxes show what each kit might end up with (theoretically, there is an equal chance of each kit getting any one of them).
View attachment 43351
With the weights you describe for your rabbits, it may be that your ND doe and your MR buck are both false dwarfs. NDs are supposed to max out at 2.5 lbs, so 4 lbs is a really big dwarf. Likewise, MR bucks have a maximum weight of 4.25 lbs, so >5 lbs is a very big mini. (My false dwarf Mini Rex does, which I kept for breeding, were were all between 5-6 lbs.)

This is something to seriously consider, since if your rabbits are false dwarfs, it might be that the only way you are going to get them down to show weight is to starve them. The 4 lb ND doe would have to lose over 35% of her body weight to reach 2.5 lbs. The 5 lb+ MR buck would have to lose at least 3/4 of a pound - 15% or more of his body weight - to reach show weight. Not only would starving them be awful, but if they're skin and bones, they won't win anything anyway!

Neither of the rabbits in the photos looks especially fat. They both look like happy, healthy bunnies, so it might not be good for them to try to get them to lose that much weight. However, you can restrict their pellets and see what happens. That might bring them closer to the desired weight, but as soon as you start feeling a hollow loin or bony hips, you'll know you've gone too far.

Some false dwarfs can be hard to tell from true dwarfs when they're young, but eventually they usually end up with bigger and especially longer bodies, and relatively longer limbs, heads, and ears, than the true dwarfs. Another clue is a dewlap, which is a DQ in NDs, but often shows up on false dwarfs; similarly, in MRs the false dwarf does often have noticeably larger dewlaps than true dwarf does.

It's disappointing that your MR buck's show career may be over, but it might be just fine that your ND doe is a false dwarf. False dwarf does are often very good mothers, as they can carry and feed more babies than true dwarf does, especially ones as tiny as ND does. They also may have less trouble kindling since they are bigger. And the best part, IMO, is that you will never get any peanuts (peanuts make me sad). When you breed a true dwarf buck with a false dwarf doe, all of the kits will be either true or false dwarfs:
View attachment 43352

The first litter of Kits she had were two peanuts and she hasn't had a litter of more than three Kits yet

 

[ingers02138]

Oh, if she's had any peanuts then she is a true dwarf. But I agree she looks happy and healthy. I'd try offering her exercise, but don't starve her. Might make her aggressive or just grumpy.

 

[Alaska Satin]

The first litter of Kits she had were two peanuts and she hasn't had a litter of more than three Kits yet

Ah, peanuts means she's not a false dwarf, just a really big true dwarf. I agree with @ladysown about the amount of feed - our Mini Rex ate 1/3 cup per day (we used 16%). Netherland Dwarfs probably should eat the same amount or less.

Free feeding but it's not just placing a pile somewhere I fill their food bowl to a certain level

Free feeding usually means keeping food in front of them all the time and letting the rabbits eat as much as they want. If you're giving them a measured amount that's different - sounds like you're already measuring their feed.

I'll be interested to hear how they do after you reduce their pellets. @ladysown's idea of an obstacle to make them exercise is a neat idea.