Is it just me..

[nicnmike]

One thing I've noticed is it seems like my rabbits eat more pellets if I also feed them fresh food. I'm not really trying to ween them off the pellets, I just like supplementing with fresh stuff. When ever I do, it seems they empty their feeders faster. Has anyone else noticed this?

 

[Piper]

They eat 'more' pellets, when you supplement with fresh?

 

[dragonladyleanne]

Maybe they think the pellets are dinner, and they have to finish them to get "dessert", LOL

 

[MamaSheepdog]

What type of fresh foods are you feeding? I know that parsley is an appetite stimulant, and there could well be others that have that effect. Another factor that may be at work is that their digestive systems may function better because of the additional water intake provided by the fresh forage, so their stomachs empty faster and they feel hungry again sooner.

 

[nicnmike]

I've been feeding them bamboo, spanishneedles, bahiagrass, crabgrass and St. Augustine grass. Sometimes they get red maple leaves and stems. I usually feed them in the evening. I give them approx 5 or 6 oz (a laundry detergent scooper full) of pellets and then I'll go see what I can find in the yard and add a handful of bamboo leaves with it, or sometimes it's just the bamboo leaves. I don't do this every night, but at least 3 or 4 nights a week. On the nights that I do, I find in the morning, they have eaten more pellets. This is especially true for the more finicky eaters.

 

[MaggieJ]

Unusual! But I think MamaSheepdog may be right.

Just because they clean up their pellets faster does not mean you need to give them more. Grass hay is a good thing to add to their diet if they try to tell you they are "starving to death". It gives them great fibre and satisfies urge to nibble without adding a lot of calories.

 

[Piper]

I've been feeding them bamboo,

nicnmike, If I start another thread, on what types of bamboo, you can feed to rabbits - and - if planted how to keep the bamboo from taking over your yard - could you, would you - have answers?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Sometimes they get red maple leaves and stems.

These varieties of maple are on the Safe Plants Sticky:

maple, silver Acer saccharinum Leaves and branches.

maple, sugar Acer saccharum Leaves and branches.

How much of the red maple have you been feeding, and do you know the Latin name? I know that red maple is highly toxic to horses, which is sad, because I love plants with red foliage, but can't plant them here and risk our herd.

 

[nicnmike]

The maple I've been feeding them is acer rubrum. I haven't seen any ill effects from it. I believe the bamboo ifs some variety of Bambusa textilis gracilis. I don't feed them the shoots, just the leaves. I do thus in order to reduce the potential for cyanide poisoning.

 

[Piper]

I believe the bamboo ifs some variety of Bambusa textilis gracilis. I don't feed them the shoots, just the leaves. I do thus in order to reduce the potential for cyanide poisoning.

Do you have any problem with your bamboo, spreading all over the yard, or are you able to keep it contained?

 

[Legacy]

Is it possible they are not getting all the water they need? Rabbits need a lot of water to eat because they don't produce saliva. If they don't have enough water, they wont eat. Fresh food gives them "water" as well as food so maybe they are having a difficult time accessing their water and so they don't eat as much if there is no fresh food provided.

Just a thought.

 

[nicnmike]

The bamboo is a clumper, so spreading isn't much of an issue. The way I control it is by breaking the shoots off as they come up.

I set the cage up with a gravity fed auto watering system. You can see it in this picture. I usually fill the bucket most of the way up and refill when there's roughly a gallon left. I regularly check the nipples to make sure they are working.

I'm not saying they eat a ton more food, it just seems like their appetite is a little healthier. there is no real science behind this observation. Who knows, maybe I spend more time out there gathering forage when it's a little cooler and the mosquitoes aren't as bad and these same environmental conditions are also what spurs the little guys on to eat more???

 

[MamaSheepdog]

They do eat more when it is cooler. I have just about given up feeding hay in the mornings, because they don't eat it until the evening anyway. I like to feed my rabbits twice a day (gives me an excuse to see them) but they are not cooperating.

 

[dragonladyleanne]

They do eat more when it is cooler. I have just about given up feeding hay in the mornings, because they don't eat it until the evening anyway. I like to feed my rabbits twice a day (gives me an excuse to see them) but they are not cooperating.

I just fell into that pattern, because at first I didn't know how important hay was to their digestion, so considered it "extra", like their treats. In fact, at first I only gave it to the females who had been bred :doh:, and only started giving it to the rest after reading so much on RT! But I did notice if I gave it in the morning, it seemed to all end up in their poop trays, so I am glad you have seen the same thing

 

[nicnmike]

I thought they ate more at night because they are nocturnal.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I did notice if I gave it in the morning, it seemed to all end up in their poop trays, so I am glad you have seen the same thing

In the cooler months they eat it all day long, but it is just too hot right now. I eat more in the winter too!

I thought they ate more at night because they are nocturnal.

Actually they are crepuscular- active mostly at twilight and dawn. They will also increase activity in low light conditions such as an overcast day.

 

[hoodat]

I did notice if I gave it in the morning, it seemed to all end up in their poop trays, so I am glad you have seen the same thing

In the cooler months they eat it all day long, but it is just too hot right now. I eat more in the winter too!

I thought they ate more at night because they are nocturnal.

Actually they are crepuscular- active mostly at twilight and dawn. They will also increase activity in low light conditions such as an overcast day.

I also find that when there is just enough light (dawn or twilight) to see what you are doing they seem to be more enthusiastic about breeding. It's a good time of day to breed a reluctant doe.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Actually they are crepuscular- active mostly at twilight and dawn. They will also increase activity in low light conditions such as an overcast day.

Dang! You beat me to it! I LOVE using that word...crepuscular....LOL!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Dang! You beat me to it!

:tease:

ACK! ACK!

:tomato:

Only kidding, Sistah!