|
Feeding Your BunnyThat picture is so cute, right?
Yeah! ;-() But it is WRONG. :-( Read on to learn more... :-) |
THIS PAGE IS BEING UPDATED AS OF 10/15/21. WHEN THIS NOTICE IS REMOVED, YOU WILL KNOW THIS PAGE IS COMPLETE.
(YOU MAY NEED TO CLEAR YOUR BROWSER HISTORY TO VIEW THE LATEST VERSION).
(YOU MAY NEED TO CLEAR YOUR BROWSER HISTORY TO VIEW THE LATEST VERSION).
To better assist our bunnies and their people, we are revising this page with more detailed information regarding the proper feeding of their buns. In the meantime, please research the best feeding practices of "Holland Lops" or "dwarf rabbit breeds".
We cannot emphasis strongly enough the vital importance of Holland Lops having proper diets and bunny parents understanding "GI stasis". It is so important that we are developing a "Test Your Bun Knowledge" page, and no one will adopt a bunny from us until they are able to pass the test. This is to help ensure your success as a Holland Lop parent, and to be honest, for our peace of mind as well. As soon as we can upload the "Test Your Bun Knowledge" page, we will link it at the bottom of this page and it will be part of the process of adopting a bunny from us. The successful completion of the test will be a win-win-win for you, us and especially the buns!
FACTS ABOUT FEEDING YOUR HOLLAND LOP:
Owning a bunny is not like owning a dog or cat. You cannot pour kibbles into a bowl and provide them with water and think you are done. Rabbits, and for this discussion, specifically Holland Lops, have specific dietary needs, and every bunny's GI tract can be slightly different. In all cases, you will not only need to provide your bunny with a proper diet, but you will also need to give your bunny very small introductions to different foods to see how well your bunny does (or does not do) on a particular food. We will go into more details later, but for now, read below for a general understanding of Holland Lop dietary needs.
DISCLAIMER: We are not veterinarians and there is no substitution for your veterinarian's advice. Please consult your veterinarian.
BASICALLY - A Holland Lop's diet should consist of approximately 80% high quality hay. There are different types and cuttings of hay that provide different profiles of fiber, protein, fats, nutrients, etc., as showcased below in the Hay Chart. In this paragraph, we are talking about adult rabbits at least seven months old. We feed our grown herd, "2nd cutting Timothy hay" with occasional *treat* hays of "Gourmet Hay" and/or "Orchard Grass Hay" and/or "Oat Hay". We like to give our buns a nice variety for optimum health and vitality. However, the great majority of our bun's hay intake is "2nd Cutting Timothy hay". The other 20% of their diet are veggies/herbs, pellets and treats. As you can see, that 20% is divided into 3 groups as detailed here:
Definition of treat;
An especially unexpected source of joy, delight, or amusement;
“I gave her a little candy as a treat”.
Therefore, when we use the word, "treat", we mean exactly that. Generally, for bunnies, a "treat" can be anything from a thumbnail size to a tablespoon, or maybe as much as a quarter cup to a handful size, depending on what we are giving our bunnies. A piece of banana, carrot or other sweet treat would be a thumbnail sized slice. A sprinkle of treat hay would be as much as a handful size.
For all bunnies, large, unlimited amounts of fresh hay (whichever kind is best for your bunny) should be easily accessed and available 24 hours a day, for the life of your bunny. Young bunnies should be introduced to Alfalfa hay as soon as they can eat on their own then later transitioned to Timothy or Orchard Grass hay.
(PLEASE NOTATE THE TABLE & FEEDING INFORMATION BELOW - YES, THERE WILL BE A TEST :-)
Holland Lop Hay Feeding:
Again, hay is essential to a rabbit’s health, and should be approximately 80% of their diet when they’re an appropriate age. Before 3 weeks of age, your rabbit should only be consuming its mother’s milk. As they get older, you should supplement their diet with Timothy-based pellets, and safe veggies/herbs and fruits - the latter, (fruits) in very small quantities and only as a treat. (Babies from our rabbitry never leave their mothers before eight weeks of age. Mothers ween their babies between seven and eight weeks of age.)
We cannot emphasis strongly enough the vital importance of Holland Lops having proper diets and bunny parents understanding "GI stasis". It is so important that we are developing a "Test Your Bun Knowledge" page, and no one will adopt a bunny from us until they are able to pass the test. This is to help ensure your success as a Holland Lop parent, and to be honest, for our peace of mind as well. As soon as we can upload the "Test Your Bun Knowledge" page, we will link it at the bottom of this page and it will be part of the process of adopting a bunny from us. The successful completion of the test will be a win-win-win for you, us and especially the buns!
FACTS ABOUT FEEDING YOUR HOLLAND LOP:
Owning a bunny is not like owning a dog or cat. You cannot pour kibbles into a bowl and provide them with water and think you are done. Rabbits, and for this discussion, specifically Holland Lops, have specific dietary needs, and every bunny's GI tract can be slightly different. In all cases, you will not only need to provide your bunny with a proper diet, but you will also need to give your bunny very small introductions to different foods to see how well your bunny does (or does not do) on a particular food. We will go into more details later, but for now, read below for a general understanding of Holland Lop dietary needs.
DISCLAIMER: We are not veterinarians and there is no substitution for your veterinarian's advice. Please consult your veterinarian.
BASICALLY - A Holland Lop's diet should consist of approximately 80% high quality hay. There are different types and cuttings of hay that provide different profiles of fiber, protein, fats, nutrients, etc., as showcased below in the Hay Chart. In this paragraph, we are talking about adult rabbits at least seven months old. We feed our grown herd, "2nd cutting Timothy hay" with occasional *treat* hays of "Gourmet Hay" and/or "Orchard Grass Hay" and/or "Oat Hay". We like to give our buns a nice variety for optimum health and vitality. However, the great majority of our bun's hay intake is "2nd Cutting Timothy hay". The other 20% of their diet are veggies/herbs, pellets and treats. As you can see, that 20% is divided into 3 groups as detailed here:
Definition of treat;
An especially unexpected source of joy, delight, or amusement;
“I gave her a little candy as a treat”.
Therefore, when we use the word, "treat", we mean exactly that. Generally, for bunnies, a "treat" can be anything from a thumbnail size to a tablespoon, or maybe as much as a quarter cup to a handful size, depending on what we are giving our bunnies. A piece of banana, carrot or other sweet treat would be a thumbnail sized slice. A sprinkle of treat hay would be as much as a handful size.
For all bunnies, large, unlimited amounts of fresh hay (whichever kind is best for your bunny) should be easily accessed and available 24 hours a day, for the life of your bunny. Young bunnies should be introduced to Alfalfa hay as soon as they can eat on their own then later transitioned to Timothy or Orchard Grass hay.
(PLEASE NOTATE THE TABLE & FEEDING INFORMATION BELOW - YES, THERE WILL BE A TEST :-)
Holland Lop Hay Feeding:
Again, hay is essential to a rabbit’s health, and should be approximately 80% of their diet when they’re an appropriate age. Before 3 weeks of age, your rabbit should only be consuming its mother’s milk. As they get older, you should supplement their diet with Timothy-based pellets, and safe veggies/herbs and fruits - the latter, (fruits) in very small quantities and only as a treat. (Babies from our rabbitry never leave their mothers before eight weeks of age. Mothers ween their babies between seven and eight weeks of age.)