Sheltered Lives?

[Mickey328]

Our new Silver Foxes seem to be settling in nicely and aren't as skittish as they were. So I decided I'd try to slowly change their eating habits. I want eventually to go with a grain and alfalfa diet for them with supplements of fresh fruit and veggies and greens.

So, gave them each a wee bit of apple yesterday...they showed absolutely no interest. Tried a bit of carrot today...no go. I'm thinking they've never had anything but pellets and hay and are leery of trying anything new. Sure hope they'll get into the swing of things before too long. Going to start adding just a bit of grains with their pellets with tonight's feeding...maybe a tablespoon at a time. Hoping they don't turn their noses up at that too!

 

[MaggieJ]

It takes time and patience to transition rabbits from a pellet only diet. It is easiest to do in spring when you can pick yummy weeds such as dandelion and plantain for them. Very few rabbits can resist dandelion greens for long.

 

[Bad Habit]

Oh no! Don't mix the grain with the pellets!!! Keep them separate. Helps prevent the buggers from digging out the dish to get at what they like/get out what they don't like.

 

[Mickey328]

Our chickens love them too. I'll just be patient...new things seem to be sort of foreign to them. It's entirely possible that they'll get curious <br /><br />__________ Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:40 pm __________<br /><br />Hmmm, good point BH. Maybe I need to just feed them twice? A tiny bit of grain first and then their regular pellets when they're done?

 

[Bad Habit]

I have separate dishes for pellets and grains. When I get the grain dishes out(they only stay in as long as the grain lasts, 10 - 15 mins) they all get excited and start dancing at the cage front!

 

[Mickey328]

Cool. Hope ours will get that excited!

 

[OneAcreFarm]

My rabbits will gobble anything green but won't touch carrots or apples... :roll:

 

[Mickey328]

I tried a tiny amount of collard greens...the girls nibbled at it but Honda...not so much. Think he did finally eat his apple last night, though.

 

[Frecs]

I also have Silver Foxes. The first...three times...I put apple in their cages you would have thought I'd offered them rat poison. Same with banana. Now, they like apple...still not so crazy about banana.

Greens, OTOH, they love! Flowers...even betta! Yellow flowers will get grabbed through the cage wire and pulled in.... when I give them a mixed handful of greens, they will sniff each one, pick out their favorite (usually rosebush if included) and eat that first.

I'm going to get bowls that attach to the cage walls so I can separate their grains from their pellets. They didn't use to dig but they have begun doing that. The ducks and chickens don't mind that but I sure do!

 

[Truckinguy]

Mine have been on pellets all their lives but will gobble up dandelion leaves like they're candy. They also like carrots but aren't into apples. Why don't you try feeding them something different when their feeder is empty? They might be more likely to try something if they're hungry. If they try it and like it they will be more likely to eat it the next time you give it to them.

 

[skysthelimit]

mines don't eat the apples or bananas, but will gobble down any green leaf and twig.

 

[Oceanrose]

I bought some rabbits this fall who had never been fed veggies or fruits. Their favorite is romaine lettuce leaves, but apples, carrots, and bananas took the longest for them to eat. They eat everything now though!