Rabbit Web Discussion Board

Hello everyone,

Zoe seems to be well-adjusted now. I would like to thank those who answered my first question. Now for the next: [b]how much dry food is enough for a feeding?[/b] She has a ceramic bowl that holds about a cup full. I never fill it up for fear that she will overeat. I give her a good fist full of the dry. She is only 2 months old plus I give her a hand full of Timothy Hay. When I take her out of the cage and maybe watch tv with her for 30 min utes or so, she always leaves me little surprises all over the place! In one sitting she may leave 20 peices of feces, always lokking at me with that cute little innocent face as if she is doing nothing. but when I pick her up BAMM! there they are, usually on my bed. We no longer watch tv in bed , but on the rug together. Is this pretty normal or am I giving her too much food at one time. I go out to work and I don\'t want her home hungry all day, but I certainly don\'t want to endanger her health with overfeeding plus if it cuts down on the bunny boo that would be great too. Thanks again.

A 2 month old rabbit is still growing.I give my young rabbits as much feed as they want.untill they are 6 months old, which is full grown for a dwarf breed.large breeds may not be fully grown for up to a year.bluebird

The best measure as to whether a rabbit is getting enough or too much feed, is their condition. A rabbit in good condition will feel firm and smooth when you run you hands over him or her. You shouldn\'t feel the vertebrae, ribs, or pin bones under normal pressure, nor should the rabbit feel soft and cushy (especially around the shoulders) or show a pot-belly.

I try to feed my rabbits on an individual basis, rather than a \"one-size-fits-all\" method. When I was a kid (long, long, time ago...) I learned that some of our horses were what my dad called \"easy keepers\" and others you really had to pour the feed to to keep from looking gaunt. I have found the same holds true for rabbits.

I normally feed adult dwarf-type breeds 2-3 oz of pellets/day. I feed at night, since this is when they are most active. I like to give a pinch of old fashioned oatmeal in the morning and grass hay 2-3 times/week. I start out with the smaller amount of pellets and look at the feeder in the morning. If there are no traces of pellets, and the rabbit acts starved, I increase the amount slightly the next evening. I do this until I either reach the maximum or until I see a couple of pellet pieces in the morning left over from the night before. This will indicate that particular rabbit\'s ration. I run my hands over the rabbit daily to feel for condition.

As for the droppings, lots of firm, round pellets is a Good thing. That indicates all systems are working properly.

Good luck. Smile

Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com

hnygirl979

bluebird

Charlcie