# How to stop rabbit from wasting food



## emanuelcs34

I have 2 does and a buck, One of the does digs in the feeder and all of the pellets are ending up in the litter tray. I have tried just giving her small amounts, but most of it still ends up on the tray.
Has anyone had a rabbit that does this, can it be stopped?
I am out of ideas.


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## SquashNut

We with hold pellets from the rabbit for 1 day. Give her a little hay and lots of water. Nothing else. Then we give them a big heavy crock. and start giving them a little pellets at a time till they are back on ration.If alot of your rabbits are doing it check to see if your feed looks old.
Also make sure her feeder is only used for pellets. Any grains or calf manna should be fed seperately.
if she has kits use a creep feeder if they are eating pellets.


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## tailwagging

I have two that do it. 
I am glad you asked I was meaning to as well but kept forgetting.


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## denaliguide

That is a problem I try to resolve by allocating portions of food as someone said, however, I think my ultimate solution will be a feeder that the rabbit can only get their head into and not their feet. Seems to me a bin with an eliptical hole [ egg shaped ] to only accomodate the rabbits head would do the trick, made of sheet metal would be it. Hadnt gotten around to asking, but I wonder where or if I can get them commercially in one or multiple hole units.

DG



emanuelcs34 said:


> I have 2 does and a buck, One of the does digs in the feeder and all of the pellets are ending up in the litter tray. I have tried just giving her small amounts, but most of it still ends up on the tray.
> Has anyone had a rabbit that does this, can it be stopped?
> I am out of ideas.


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## RRT Harlies

It can be much simpler than that, denaliguide.

I had a Himalayan doe that was horrible about it. I finally got fed up and put a large can (like for soup or veggies) and attached it upright to the inside of the cage. I used a spring hook I had laying around from a water bottle, but zip ties or anything of the sort will work. Make sure the can is wide enough for the rabbit to stick her head in, and not too deep that she can't reach the bottom. Hope that helps!


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## denaliguide

and I will probably use re-bar wire to put them to the side of the cage.

Thanks

DG




RRT Harlies said:


> It can be much simpler than that, denaliguide.
> 
> I had a Himalayan doe that was horrible about it. I finally got fed up and put a large can (like for soup or veggies) and attached it upright to the inside of the cage. I used a spring hook I had laying around from a water bottle, but zip ties or anything of the sort will work. Make sure the can is wide enough for the rabbit to stick her head in, and not too deep that she can't reach the bottom. Hope that helps!


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## trinityoaks

I started with plastic containers wired to the corner of the cage, and that did NOT work well at all! I got J-feeders, but I started by just hanging them in the corner of the cage, on the inside, but that didn't work much better. It wasn't until I cut holes for the J-feeders and mounted them properly that I got any results. My buck, who was the worst about dumping his food, hasn't dumped ANY since then. My doe scrabbles through her food and wastes some, but at least she can't dump the whole thing anymore, and she doesn't waste near as much as she used to. These are 5" Fine-X II feeders from Bass.


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## SquashNut

If you can it might help to raise the j-feeders up a little higher too.


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## trinityoaks

SquashNut said:


> If you can it might help to raise the j-feeders up a little higher too.


I had to put mine as low as possible to leave room for the hay racks. I still have to put the water bottles on the side of the cage (instead of the front), which won't work once I get my cage racks built. Hopefully by then I will be able to rig a gravity-fed automatic watering system.


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## susieM

Eat the rabbit.


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## emanuelcs34

Thanks for all the replies, I have a j feeder on the outside of the cage. We will see how it goes for the next couple of days, I may be trying the soup can idea. Hopefully she will stop I didn't want to eat her before I have replacements.


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## stranger

I have a doe that used to upset her food everyday, I finally gave her a larger dish and put a heavy brick in it, now she can't move it.


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## morgansrgr8

I had a doe that used to scratch all the pellets out of her dish so I took a chicken breast can an attached it to the side of the cage. Put a wire across the opening and she didnt like catching her nails on the wire when she scratched. She hasnt done it since. Now she has a crock again.


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## SquashNut

susieM said:


> Eat the rabbit.


Yep, I've done that!


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## drgnfly447

We have the 5" j feeder and she still scratches her food out. The cage we have her in we can't mount the feeder on the outside of the cage. My husband says he will raise it up higher for now to see if that helps.


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## Oregon1986

I have one that does this too,I keep threatening to make her stew


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## drgnfly447

Oregon1986 said:


> I have one that does this too,I keep threatening to make her stew


That's what my husband says too. Lol She will soon be old enough to breed. I think I would like to wait until then to see how she does before making her stew.


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## Bearfootfarm

Oregon1986 said:


> I keep threatening to *make her stew*


I don't see how a sex change will help


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## arnie

drill holes every 2 inches at the level the feed is in the feeder and put stiff wire across the feed , pitcture her being able to get her mouth in the feed but when she scratches the heavy wire stops her short .


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