TILLYS BURROWS

This page shows information on what you can feed your animals covering Rabbits and Rodents. more information will be added in time.

PLEASE DONOT USE THIS INFORMATION FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES THE INFORMATION BELOW IS EXCLUSIVE AND FROM MY UP AND COMMING BOOK AND IS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED.

The guides are read only for informative purposes. No information should be copied, edited, or used to write or create further animal guides, or to sell (commercial purposes) The text strictly remains the work and property of K Gardner.

©KGardner 2009 all rights reserved

CONTENTS OF ANIMAL FEEDS

WHAT DOES THE CONTENT OF YOUR DRY MIXES DO?

Feeding rabbits betweens weaning and 14 weeks of age

Rabbits of this age should have a diet of junior pellets, plenty of hay and the odd root vegetables. They should not be fed greens or grass at any cost until 14 weeks of age when they should be added slowly to the rabbits diet. Unlike wild rabbits domestic rabbits have a lack of tolerance to greens and the high carbohydrates are one of the offsets of Mucoid Enteritis. The illness can be combated before it even starts by giving a high fibre diet along with little stress to the rabbit when it first comes home. Rabbits in stressful conditions are more prone to this as well. If the Rabbit in the shop looks unhappy and lathargic then do not buy it. Rabbits are naturally inquisitive when approached if they are happy or less stressed. There is always a degree of stress in pet shops, this is unavoidable due to the volume of customers.

The amount of dry food you feed your Rabbit depends on the age, weight and breed. Food packaging will have the suggested amounts.
For young Rabbits Fibre should be the number one priority in the form of hay, along with a balanced diet of pellets and fresh vegetables.

Fresh food should be fed daily to both young and adult Rabbits. Feed dry in the morning and fresh food in the evening. If your Rabbit has been grazing in its run for most of the day, it will still need its vegetables for other vitamins and minerals. Grass can only give so much in the way of minerals, these vitamins will be reduced in the autumn.
For adult Rabbits stick to spring greens in limited quantities. 1 leaf each per day with a variety of root vegetables and fruit. Fruit should be no more than the equivalent of a desert spoon a day.

Mucoid Enteritis
This condition in seen more commonly in rabbits from 4 weeks to of 14 weeks of age, veterinary advice should be sought immediately.Signs of the illness are:Clear gel like liquid in the faeces, bloat and abdominal pain.Lethargy, depression and dehydration (Skin falls slowly on the back and you can usually feel the spine protrude a little).The intestine ceases to work because of the gel build up in the stomach causing a blockage. The rabbit can also have diarrhoea although it will also be constipated due to the backlog of food in the intestine.Feeding plenty of hay, if the rabbit does not eat then tell the vet immediately who will prescribe a fibre/pro/prebiotic powder to syringe feed your rabbit. It is important that your rabbit is fed as with  other Enteritis to help chances of survival.

Pineapple juice is a good food to syringe feed a rabbit with Mucoid Enteritis as it breaks down the the blockage. Rabbits need critical care 24 hours a day to also help survival and should be fed every 2 hours. Starving a rabbit can lead to organs shutting down.

 Feeding Adult Rabbits

The amount of dry food you feed your rabbit depends on the weight and breed. Food packaging will have the suggested amounts.

Fresh food should be fed daily. I feed my rabbits dry in the morning and fresh food in the evening.

Fresh food should be limited for young rabbits. Too may greens can cause upset tummies. I stick to spring greens in limited quantities. 1 leaf each per day with a variety of root vegetables and fruit. Fruit should be no more than the equivalent of a desert spoon a day

A rabbits dry diet should contains a different amount of ingredients
 to that of a guinea pig.
Therefore a rabbit pellet is not a good source of nutrition for guinea pigs
Another reason for not feeding Guinea pigs a rabbit pellet is some contain Coccidiostats and other antibiotics that are toxic to Guinea Pigs

Protein 12-14%
Oil 4-5%
Ash 6-7.5%
Fibre 16-17%
Calcium 0.90%
Phosphorous 0.51%
Vitamin A 15,00iu/kg
Vitamin D3 1,500iu/kg
Vitamin E  100mg/kg

Hay

This is important in any rabbits diet. This is the fibre in the diet and without this rabbits will have stomach upsets. Sticky bottom syndrome is one of them.

Another good form of fibre is toasted brown bread. If this is burnt a little it will help to combat upset stomachs.

Dry Food

 
There are plenty of Rabbit mixes available at your local pet store. But it is better to feed a pellet rather than a muesli mix. This stops selective feeding and pelleted diets are more balanced and contain prebiotics for a healthy digestive system and anti oxidants to support the immune system. A good make of pellet is also high in fibre for the digestive system.
The one I use does a junior version, which also contains a probiotic as young Rabbits are prone to Mucoid Enteritis and the prebiotics help combat stomach upsets. Young Rabbit pellets should have a minimum of 18% Fibre. As they reach adult hood they should be put on an adult food and fed less of the pellets to combat obesity and illnesses, which can occur through the wrong balance of food.

Fresh food For Rabbits (also see the Guinea Pig Section further down the page)

 FRUIT                                     HERBS           VEGETABLES          FLOWERS         WHAT NOT TO FEED!

LACTICARIUM: this ingredient is found in certain types of lettuce, the most poisonous being the wild lettuce. Some garden lettuces are of the types listed, so I advise not to feed lettuce in general. The effects on Rabbits of the common type are upset stomachs and gut problems.

FOR RABBITS ON A LOW CALCIUM DIET

Calcium is present in a wide range of foods. Dairy products, leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds (almonds, brazils, sesame seeds), tofu, and dried fruit are all  sources of Calcium.
A CALCIUM CONTENT GUIDE IS AVAILABLE ON THE GUINEA PIG FEEDING GUIDE PAGE WHICH FOLLOWS ON FROM THIS GUIDE
Most flour is fortified with calcium carbonate.
Hard water may also provide calcium.
It is important that your rabbit gets vitamin D to absorb calcium in its diet

FEEDING LACTATING DOE'S (DOES WITH YOUNG)

Doe's that have recently given birth, should have thier diet increased. They should be put on a lactating pellet and plenty of vegetables and hay to be able to care and feed their young. Doe's can loose weight tremendously if they are not fed enough and thier bodys can then stop producing enough milk to feed their young.
Doe's should also have a vitamin suppliment, like Vitasol added to their water to make sure they are getting all the correct vitamins

WEANING KITS
Kits wean at around 4-5 weeks of age. at weaning the doe and kits should be fed plenty of food and hay, but the kits should not be fed greens until 14 weeks of age.(see the first paragraph)
Kits are best given new homes around 8 to 10 weeks. The longer this is left the better for the kits as they can naturally learn rabbit behaviour fron their mum and the litter. This is important, especially if you are plannig to introduce the rabbit to another rabbit.

©kaygardner2008 all rights reserved

©K Gardner 2008 all rights reserved

Guinea Pigs are Herbivores and are natural grazers. To maintain a healthy diet they must have the following:

A good pelleted diet such as Guinea Pig Excel, which contains vitamin C. Guinea Pigs should not be given Rabbit pellets as they do not contain a substantial amount of nutrients and do also sometimes contain coccidiostats aimed at the disease Coccidiosis in Rabbits.

An average bag of guinea Pig food should have the following approximate nutritional information

Protein 17-18%
Oil 4%
Ash 6- 6.5%
Fibre 14-15%
Calcium 0.8%
Phosphorous 0.5%
Vitamin A 22,000iu/kg
Vitamin D3 1,250iu/kg
Vitamin E * 100mg/kg
Vitamin C 800mg/kg
Copper ** 15mg/kg

To compliment this a vitamin C suppliment should be added to the water as vitamin C deteriorates fast from the time of maufacturer so there may be only a few weeks good supply of Vitamin C in a large bag of Guinea pig food. By Supplimenting the food you are covering this fact.
Vitamin C is extremely important to have in a Guinea Pigs diet as they cannot produce their own.
Guinea Pigs who do not obtain enough vitamin C in their diet end uo ill and have problems with thier immune system and painful bone /joint problems such as a disease similar to rickets.

Grass is another source of vitamin C and Guinea Pigs should have as much time as possible on in a run,grazing, in the spring and summer months when the grass is at its best.

As well as dry food, a constant supply of hay is important as Guinea pigs like rabbits need a high fibre diet.

Fruit and Vegetables are important to supply each day for other nutrients.
Vitamin C is present in many fresh foods the list is supplied on the next page.

Calcium intake should be monitored in fresh foods as too much can increase the chance of bladder stones.
The next page will also give a guide to foods containing calcium. You will notice that the ones that contain the most are mainly green vegetables, therefore green vegetable intake must be monitored more carefully and should be balanced with other fresh veg and fruit daily.