Kits nibbling hay

[garden lady]

I cleaned the box out today and the 5 kits were kind of nibbling hay in the cardboard box and licking our hands a little. I tried some oatmeal with some warm water. They got that wetness on their noses and jumped back. After I cleaned the box and put the hay back, which is grass hay, I put a handful of alfalfa hay in their nest area and they were eating it. They are now moving all over the box and not just staying in a nest. They could walk out on the wire and come to the front, but they stopped at the door to the box. I let Lulu in and they mobbed her. They seemed bigger today, but lighter, so I think it had been awhile since they nursed. I am wondering about rabbits and what they eat when running wild, like Lulu herself. She had to have walked out of the nest and no oatmeal for her, but grass. They have lived and seem to eat anything new. Could it be that they need the greens to have healthy guts? So, for Lulu her babies will be the first for several generations to be born in a hutch, what do they eat? Do I just put a bowl of pellets, some grass, some water in dishes back there and let them find it? Can they have herbs of any kind? In a week or so if Lulu is eating apple pieces or vegetables, just let them nibble what they want? What food do I keep from them until they are older? :?

 

[Lizardslaps]

I let my NZ kits munch on w/e they want I don't put fresh greens in there cage but I let them munch the pellets and hay (timothy is what i buy)

Not had a problem yet

 

[garden lady]

Well, I am worried about all of it. What I read about baby rabbits and greens, but that is what they would eat if Lulu had them outside and how to keep them out of her grass, vegetables, some fruit? Then, I priced 50# bags of pellets. I had the Purina Rabbit Chow Complete and they ate that okay and then when Lulu had the babies I read she needs more protein and larger breeds do, maybe, so I got the Purina Professional, which the ingredients look okay, Purina Show?? not sure, and then they have Ashlin Finch, which I do not know anything about and Pfaus, which when I googled it, it seemed a lot of people liked it. The Pfaus is cheaper than the Purina Professional and Ashlin Finch is the cheapest. I read a lot the other day that Purina was bad, so is Pfaus or Ashlin Finch better?

 

[Lizardslaps]

My bunnys are 12lbs and I let the ones nursing eat and drink to there hearts content I also buy local made food
Bag says rabbit grower & shower formula it has 15% crude protein and I feed them plenty of hay (timothy hay just happens to be what I buy)

all my bunny s/kits eat this and nobody has died yet

Is this your first litter?

I couldn't tell you what feed is best since I only buy 1 type of feed and never tried anything differnt

 

[garden lady]

My bunnys are 12lbs and I let the ones nursing eat and drink to there hearts content I also buy local made food
Bag says rabbit grower & shower formula it has 15% crude protein and I feed them plenty of hay (timothy hay just happens to be what I buy)

all my bunny s/kits eat this and nobody has died yet

Is this your first litter?

I couldn't tell you what feed is best since I only buy 1 type of feed and never tried anything differnt

Yes, first litter. These rabbits were running loose most of their lives and their mother was never in a nutch, but the female I have was bred and we caught her and put her in a hutch. They are Flemish Giants. I had 1 bag of pellets from a feed store with an unknown name and had clumps in it. They sell Purina too, but I found another store that looks maybe like they might be more careful how they store food.

 

[Lizardslaps]

I have a very nice doe and I routinely flip her onto her back and stick an underfed kit to her tit for a morning snack so they don't fall farther behind on the bunny grown race. only for like the first 2 weeks I do this. I also weigh my bunny's daily. I might be a little crazy and over doing it but the doe is ok with it

I also clean her teets weekly so they don't get chapped from the dried milk that cakes up

I also let the baby's out to zoom around the room after they got there feet under them and seem like they want play time

 

[garden lady]

I have a very nice doe and I routinely flip her onto her back and stick an underfed kit to her tit for a morning snack so they don't fall farther behind on the bunny grown race. only for like the first 2 weeks I do this. I also weigh my bunny's daily. I might be a little crazy and over doing it but the doe is ok with it

I also clean her teets weekly so they don't get chapped from the dried milk that cakes up

I also let the baby's out to zoom around the room after they got there feet under them and seem like they want play time

She has 5 and this is the first time they were moving around and the mobbed her at the door when she came in the box, so they are changing fast. I was planning on flipping her if I had to, but she is taking excellent care of them. The washed them and nursed them and they all went to sleep, but when they wake up

 

[akane]

The thing with feedings young rabbits greens is their digestive tract does not adjust quickly so if they've never had something before they can easily get sick eating it. However if they pick at it from day 1 when they start eating solids their digestive tract has time to adjust and they do just fine. Just feed mom like normal and the kits will steadily increase how much of her food they eat. Adjusting themselves to the diet.

 

[garden lady]

The thing with feedings young rabbits greens is their digestive tract does not adjust quickly so if they've never had something before they can easily get sick eating it. However if they pick at it from day 1 when they start eating solids their digestive tract has time to adjust and they do just fine. Just feed mom like normal and the kits will steadily increase how much of her food they eat. Adjusting themselves to the diet.

What I have been reading then they could have the pellets, hay, oatmeal and grass/weeds, but not fruit or vegetables. Would this be correct?

 

[skysthelimit]

I'd wait on the fruits and veggies, though nibbling a bit on what the doe has won't kill em quick.
But it's said so often here, rabbits are herbivores, not vegetarians, so all fruits and veggies in moderation for all aged rabbits, and iceberg lettuce as a general no no. My kits eat whatever the dam eats once they are out of the nest, they nibble at hay, and I leave plenty of hay for them to balance the greens they are nibbling on.

 

[MaggieJ]

Kits that start off on the same foods as momma should have no problems. I'd only give limited amounts of vegetables and fruits to rabbits of any age because of the sugar content, but grass or alfalfa hay, pellets, grain and greens (safe weeds etc.) should cause no problems whatsoever.

 

[garden lady]

Kits that start off on the same foods as momma should have no problems. I'd only give limited amounts of vegetables and fruits to rabbits of any age because of the sugar content, but grass or alfalfa hay, pellets, grain and greens (safe weeds etc.) should cause no problems whatsoever.

I let the try the oats and some alfalfa and they were kind of nibbling around. They liked the smell of the alfalfa when I put it in there. I saw them sniffing the air and kind of excited about it, but they are not quite ready to eat, but close.

 

[MaggieJ]

At first they just sniff and take a taste now and again. This is why it is important to start them off on the kinds of foods you intend them to eat when older. They develop the proper gut flora to digest them gradually, so by the time they are eating solids as more than a nibble, they are equipped to handle them.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Well, I am worried about all of it. What I read about baby rabbits and greens, but that is what they would eat if Lulu had them outside and how to keep them out of her grass, vegetables, some fruit? Then, I priced 50# bags of pellets. I had the Purina Rabbit Chow Complete and they ate that okay and then when Lulu had the babies I read she needs more protein and larger breeds do, maybe, so I got the Purina Professional, which the ingredients look okay, Purina Show?? not sure, and then they have Ashlin Finch, which I do not know anything about and Pfaus, which when I googled it, it seemed a lot of people liked it. The Pfaus is cheaper than the Purina Professional and Ashlin Finch is the cheapest. I read a lot the other day that Purina was bad, so is Pfaus or Ashlin Finch better?

Kits will start to nibble what mom eats at this age. It is not a problem. What you have read is referring to older kits that have NEVER been exposed to greens at all, then they are fed them and it gives them enteritis. I would avoid fruit and vegetables, though...those can be too hard on the kits digestion...

As far as pellets go, at least %16 protein and you can supplement with BOSS or Calf Manna. I find that, for my rabbits, %18 protein is too much for the kits at weaning, so they only get %16. Other than that, buy what they will eat and you can afford. I have heard good things about Pfaus, but we don't have it here in Texas.

 

[garden lady]

At first they just sniff and take a taste now and again. This is why it is important to start them off on the kinds of foods you intend them to eat when older. They develop the proper gut flora to digest them gradually, so by the time they are eating solids as more than a nibble, they are equipped to handle them.

Okay, this I understand. <br /><br />__________ Thu Oct 04, 2012 8:16 am __________<br /><br />

Well, I am worried about all of it. What I read about baby rabbits and greens, but that is what they would eat if Lulu had them outside and how to keep them out of her grass, vegetables, some fruit? Then, I priced 50# bags of pellets. I had the Purina Rabbit Chow Complete and they ate that okay and then when Lulu had the babies I read she needs more protein and larger breeds do, maybe, so I got the Purina Professional, which the ingredients look okay, Purina Show?? not sure, and then they have Ashlin Finch, which I do not know anything about and Pfaus, which when I googled it, it seemed a lot of people liked it. The Pfaus is cheaper than the Purina Professional and Ashlin Finch is the cheapest. I read a lot the other day that Purina was bad, so is Pfaus or Ashlin Finch better?

Kits will start to nibble what mom eats at this age. It is not a problem. What you have read is referring to older kits that have NEVER been exposed to greens at all, then they are fed them and it gives them enteritis. I would avoid fruit and vegetables, though...those can be too hard on the kits digestion...

As far as pellets go, at least %16 protein and you can supplement with BOSS or Calf Manna. I find that, for my rabbits, %18 protein is too much for the kits at weaning, so they only get %16. Other than that, buy what they will eat and you can afford. I have heard good things about Pfaus, but we don't have it here in Texas.

Thank you. Makes sense to me other than the 18%. What kind of rabbits do you raise? I read that the larger breeds needed 18%, but I read a lot of things. I just went to 18% because Lulu is nursing. I think the Pfaus is 17%.

 

[MaggieJ]

One Acre is right about fruits and vegetables. They are much harder for rabbits to digest than weeds like plantain (Plantago major) or dandelions and other plants you will find in the Safe Plants list. The sugar in fruits and root crops like carrots or beets can be difficult for rabbits to digest. The brassicas like cabbage and kale can be "gassy". For these reasons, I suggest feeding vegetables and fruits with caution, very small portions. I do use them in winter when fresh weeds are hard to get, but I make sure to go slowly with them and introduce them while there are still plenty of weeds available and I do not feed them in quantity.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Thank you. Makes sense to me other than the 18%. What kind of rabbits do you raise? I read that the larger breeds needed 18%, but I read a lot of things. I just went to 18% because Lulu is nursing. I think the Pfaus is 17%.

I raise Californian, NZW and Rex, so big but not giant breeds. I find my rabbits do great on 16%, but I do supplement my nursing mommies with BOSS or Calf Manna. I find that 18% is too tough on my weanling tummies when free fed and will cause some to have enteritis issues. Since I went to 16%, I don't have any weanling enteritis cases. Your rabbits are Flemish or Flemish mixes right?

 

[garden lady]

Thank you. Makes sense to me other than the 18%. What kind of rabbits do you raise? I read that the larger breeds needed 18%, but I read a lot of things. I just went to 18% because Lulu is nursing. I think the Pfaus is 17%.

I raise Californian, NZW and Rex, so big but not giant breeds. I find my rabbits do great on 16%, but I do supplement my nursing mommies with BOSS or Calf Manna. I find that 18% is too tough on my weanling tummies when free fed and will cause some to have enteritis issues. Since I went to 16%, I don't have any weanling enteritis cases. Your rabbits are Flemish or Flemish mixes right?

They are Flemish Giants.