Ok, I'm starting to get really worried now....

[Tegan]

Talia STILL isn't eating any pellets....it's been almost a week since I brought her home. She's eating hay (alfalfa grass mix) but nothing else. If I can't get her turned around in another few days I'm worried about malnutrition. Can I put regular old rolled oats in with her pellets to try to get some groceries into her?

Her teeth are fine, I've tried from a feeder and a crock, and both percentages of the food she was eating in her last home. I'm at a loss here. Maybe I should hold back on the hay until she eats pellets? But then I'm worried she'll starve herself completely.

 

[MaggieJ]

Rabbits do not need pellets to be healthy and productive. Hay with a good percentage of alfalfa, grain in some form (not too much!) and fresh foods such as weeds, grasses etc. form an excellent diet for rabbits. They do need a trace mineral salt block if you are feeding a natural diet. I do realize you would rather she ate pellets like the other rabbits, but the intent of this post is to reduce your worries about her.

safe-plants-for-rabbits-list-t55.html

 

[Rexisbest]

I added a little sunflower oil to my rabbit's pellets to get her to eat along with a little calf manna and rolled oats every other day. When she first came to us she had no interest in our pellets but eats like a pig now!

 

[Piper]

Rabbits can be fine on just hay, rolled oats, a mineral salt spool, and water. If you are giving a pellet free diet, 'Alfalfa' hay is the preferred hay, since it has more calories. I suggest putting the oats in another bowl, she may scratch the pellets out, to get to the oats. Were they feeding her Alfalfa, Bermuda or Timothy, hay?
Maggie posted before I could, so :yeahthat: lol

 

[Tegan]

Ok, so keep the hay, add some rolled oats (since that's all I have on hand) and pick up a trace mineral block at some point. Got it. Sorry, I've never had an animal hold out on food this long, although I suppose she really isn't since she's eating hay. I'll pick up the block tomorrow and see if I can't find a good mix of grains while I'm at it. I know I keep saying "If she doesn't turn around I'm gonna freezer camp her!" But who am I kidding, I'm a big softie. If she was biting or something I'd probably cull her....but just being a little stubborn....yeah.....can't do it.

They were feeding her Timothy hay, but she's been eating the Alfalfa/grass mix just fine with no issues.

 

[MaggieJ]

One other thing you could try. Blackstrap molasses is full of nutrients and rabbits generally like the taste. You could make a dilute solution of blackstrap in water (maybe a spoonful in half a cup of warm water) and drizzle a little over her pellets. It may be enough to entice her to eat the pellets and it won't hurt her. Keep the solution in the fridge... it might ferment otherwise. Once she is eating the pellets with enthusiasm, you can reduce the amount of molasses gradually.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Is Talia the one you can't touch? Because before you get too worried I would check her condition by simply running your hand over the backbone... Spiky= too thin, Gently rounded bumps= just right, Can't feel it= too fat.

Parsley is supposed to stimulate the appetite- you might offer her some of that too.

 

[Piper]

Talia STILL isn't eating any pellets....it's been almost a week since I brought her home. She's eating hay (alfalfa grass mix) but nothing else. If I can't get her turned around in another few days I'm worried about malnutrition. Can I put regular old rolled oats in with her pellets to try to get some groceries into her?

IF - her condition is fine, there are some breeders on here that are trying to get good condition and fast growth, with rabbits that will thrive on a pellet free diet. IF - she has good condition, on that diet, she may be worth her weight in gold - "uh figuratively, in gold"

 

[skysthelimit]

Elmo went for two weeks without eating pellets, and I brought the pellets with me from the breeder. He also stayed at the back of the cage, and wouldn't let me get near him. Rabbits can hold out for some. I actually bought the hay for bedding in the winter, but it was all he would eat, so I kept feeding it.

He still runs to the back of the cage when I get near it, not all of my bunnies like to be handled. But once I get him out he is so easy to handle.

 

[Secuono]

Have you tried to give her pellets and nothing else for a couple days?

 

[Tegan]

Ok, so I put some rolled oats in her dish....little booger barely waited for me to close the door before she ran over and started munching away. Hailey is the one I can't get a hold of yet (though I finally did with some gentle "herding" though she squeaked and shook the entire time with HUGE bug eyes). Talia will finally not freak and run when I open her door, and lets me pet her and pick her up. I was even able to clip her nails today. Her condition seems pretty good, not fat, not thin, I was just worried that she was eating ONLY hay. IMO that would be like a dog getting ONLY chicken, or a person getting ONLY broccoli...just not a livable diet.

I also gave the other buns about a tsp of oats, took them a while to figure out what it was then they munched it up hehe.

So....now that I know the route to take with Talia (grains apparently!), I can start working on Hailey not freaking out.

Thanks for baring with me all!

 

[3mina]

She was just waiting for you to get her what she wanted that's all

 

[Tegan]

She was just waiting for you to get her what she wanted that's all

No kidding! Little turd!

 

[ZRabbits]

Glad to hear you found out what the Little Turd, lol, liked. Good Luck now with Hailey.

Karen

 

[Piper]

Ok, so I put some rolled oats in her dish....little booger barely waited for me to close the door before she ran over and started munching away. Hailey is the one I can't get a hold of yet (though I finally did with some gentle "herding" though she squeaked and shook the entire time with HUGE bug eyes). Talia will finally not freak and run when I open her door, and lets me pet her and pick her up. I was even able to clip her nails today. Her condition seems pretty good, not fat, not thin, I was just worried that she was eating ONLY hay. IMO that would be like a dog getting ONLY chicken, or a person getting ONLY broccoli...just not a livable diet.

I also gave the other buns about a tsp of oats, took them a while to figure out what it was then they munched it up hehe.

So....now that I know the route to take with Talia (grains apparently!), I can start working on Hailey not freaking out.

Thanks for baring with me all!

I recommend that you read this thread, and there are other threads in 'Natural Feeding', that may help.
trinity-oaks-grain-feed-mix-t6809.html
- I suspect that your rabbits (like most rabbits) will go under stress, at some time. Wild rabbits can search out the plants they need. Our rabbits in cages depend on us, to know and offer what they need, to keep that stress from possibly going into sickness. Also, a variety of feeds (grains, weeds, and possibly sprouting some feed) can be a good thing.

 

[AnnClaire]

It also sounds like she had never had alfalfa hay and all of a sudden she found out that the pellet stuff comes in a much better form If you have any issues with her eating pellets (or any other rabbit) under these conditions, I would suggest that you switch to a grass hay and still offer the pellets. Once they get the idea that the only alfalfa they are going to get is in the pellets, they will eat them.

As it is, by feeding the alfalfa hay and the alfalfa pellets, you can be reducing the amount of minerals and other supplements in the pellets since they are probably filling up on the hay then eating the pellets. I started out with alfalfa and had to get grass hay when the feed store was out of the alfalfa bale, and I noticed a significant increase in pellet consumption. Once I switched to the grass hay, and the pellet consumption went up, my breeding success went up and the coat condition on all the buns was nicer.

 

[Tegan]

Made the grain mix this morning, she's happily munching away on it. So I just need to pick up a block for her. Can I use tums in replacement of the calcium drench?

 

[Piper]

Made the grain mix this morning, she's happily munching away on it. So I just need to pick up a block for her. Can I use tums in replacement of the calcium drench?

trinityoaks seems to have the most experience, with using the drench, for rabbits.
"from what I understand" - the tums and calcium drench are for when they are giving birth, to help them with a bit, of extra calcium.

 

[AnnClaire]

Calcium is calcium ... tablet, drench, powder, etc.

With the tablet, the doe has the choice of eating it or not, whereas, with the drench, she had no choice. So, if you offer the tablet and she doesn't eat it, she may not need it

 

[Tegan]

Ok! So the added calcium is only for preg/nursing does and not for everyone?