How Much To Feed a Bunny?

[Isablahblah]

My bunny is getting/is over wieght and i want to slim her down but don't know how much to feed her.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I think it is 10% of their body weight. (sooooo not good at math and it's late.....) My rabbits are8 lbs. theyget 8 oz of feed. (or one cup)
so if you have a 6 lb bunn, 6 oz (3/4 cup), 4 lb--get 4 oz--(1/2 cup etc.) Treats should be minimal, and hay is good for their sysytems, but does count in for their feed intake. Reduce feed to compensate for it.


I really hope this makes sense--I'm reallytire and am going to bed

 

[mychooks]

Make her a secure pen that you can more around the lawn, she will get much more excercise. Bunnies in the wild eat all the time but move around constantly. Hutches are so boring...or house train her and bring her in. My bunnies are so busy exploring, jumping on the couch, making friends with the dogs and stuff that, like us all, if we are busy and occupied we spend less time going to the fridge (or the equivalent in a bunnies' life) Dont you just love to nuzzle a bunny.

 

[veronicasmom]

Less pellets, more hay. They should have hay all day to eat. Pellets are designed to put weight on. They need about half of what you think they need if you are feeding properly.
Vegetables should be fed daily also. Dark lettuces, NO ICEBERG, parsley, celery (remove strings or chop in small pieces), green peppers, tomatoes (no stems or leaves) just to name a few.
Go to www.rabbit.org for a complete list of what vegs to feed and WHAT NOT to feed.
Then let him/her out to run and play daily. Mine have a huge outdoor pen, they can run, climb and dig to their hearts content. They are in excellent shape, and they are old bunnies.
Check out that website for care info, it is very good.
Oh yeah, easy on the treats, carrots should be given in VERY small amounts, mine get the equivalent of one of the baby carrots per day, that's it.

 

[Jessika]

1 cup a day for my breeding does, and a little less for the younger or non breeding rabbits. I free feed a lot of them but some are little piggies and I have to measure it out every day. Lots of hay too. Here I use timothy or orchard grass. I also grow a garden just for the rabbits in spring and summer. Blackberry leaves and blueberries are a treat too, just not to many. Radish tops, cucumbers, and carrot tops have been the favorite here.

Now what is over weight? Many adult rabbits get the "waddles" as part of growing.

What type of rabbit, age, and feed? More info would be helpful. I have some 11 lbs rabbits that look quite big, but that is their standard weight.

 

[RabbitMage]

My rule of thumb is 1 ounce of pellets per 1 pound of body weight. You can add/reduce pellets depending on if your rabbit is getting fat or thin. Some breeds seem to make more of their feed than others. For example my Britannia Petite (barely 2 lbs) eats the same amount as my Tans (who are mostly just above 4 lbs), and my Rhinelanders (7-9 lbs) eat just an ounce more than the Tans do.

 

[shelleyd2008]

It really depends on what type of bunny it is. My mini rexes only needed either a 1/4 cup of 1/2 cup a day, can't remember for sure now. The larger breeds (new zealands, californians, etc.) need about 1 cup a day I believe. But you should always give free-choice hay, that will help out. You can also make a different (or bigger) pen that has different levels, to get the bunny moving around.