# Weight of a Netherland dwarf



## Hermelin (Jan 8, 2018)

I have an Netherland Dwarf rabbit, hes just turned 7 months and weights around a pound. Dont know how much he weighs right now because last month and the month before his weight was (380 grams). Is it normal and will he get bigger, he seem to have stopped with hes weigh.


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## JBun (Jan 8, 2018)

That's pretty small even for a dwarf. Usually they are around 2 lbs. Most of their growing stops at around 6 months, but they can fill out a little bit more in the few months after that, but it's not likely he will put on a significant amount of weight at this point. It's possible he's a runt. Does he seem to have good body condition or does he seem bony/skinny at all?


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## samoth (Jan 8, 2018)

I'm sure there are many variables governing a rabbit's weight and potential weight, including genetics and diet.

I can't speak for kits, but my rabbits (1-year-old harley mix & 3-year-old dutch at adoption) put on over 400g each during their first year with me. Both should have already reached maturity, so whether their weight gain was because they weren't well-fed prior to adoption or because they now eat like royalty is anyone's guess


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## Hermelin (Jan 8, 2018)

He dosen&#8217;t look bony or skinny, he eat the usually pellet amount he can handle. I think he was the runt, because he&#8217;s mother abounded him and only fed the other siblings. So the one who I bought him from had to hand feed him to he was around 7 weeks old.


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## Blue eyes (Jan 8, 2018)

Hermelin said:


> He dosent look bony or skinny, he eat the usually pellet amount he can handle. I think he was the runt, because hes mother abounded him and only fed the other siblings. So the one who I bought him from had to hand feed him to he was around 7 weeks old.



What type of pellets does he get fed? How many? What else does he eat?


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## Hermelin (Jan 9, 2018)

He get a spoon of pellet, free access to fresh hay and vegetables some days. He have selective junior which what he was used with from the breeder. Can&#8217;t give him more than a spoon of pellet or his pills get dark and small, have tried before.


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## Kinai (Jan 17, 2018)

My 3 year (now almost 4) bunny weighed I believe just under 2 pounds when I got him. He wasn't fed correctly though but he is up to 2 pounds 6 ounces. It's winter here and he is eats like a pig with modifications to his diet. 

I have heard that Alfafa hay is ok for young bunnies but not sure when to start cutting them off of that. 

As far as the small dark poops my Bun went through a phase of the small poops when I first got him. I think because of being on a normal feeding schedule instead of barely being fed and getting better food. As far as Dark as long as they have the same consistency as his normal poops (same contents, firmness, ) as long as not almost black or black I don't know where there would be a problem. It may be his body adjusting to the new amount. 

Did you try increasing by say half a spoonful at a time?


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## Hermelin (Jan 17, 2018)

Kinai said:


> My 3 year (now almost 4) bunny weighed I believe just under 2 pounds when I got him. He wasn't fed correctly though but he is up to 2 pounds 6 ounces. It's winter here and he is eats like a pig with modifications to his diet.
> 
> I have heard that Alfafa hay is ok for young bunnies but not sure when to start cutting them off of that.
> 
> ...



I tried but his droppings got dark and tiny with wrong consistency, so I let him only have one tablespoon of pellet. Its winter here too but my rabbit its an indoor rabbit until the summer. 

His droppings are great and he have a high fiber consumption which he should have. He eat a lot of hay and I have to fill up every day. Some days he get veggies because its not season now for the greens and they are often sprayed and dosent come from my country, so Im waiting for the spring to give him different veggies which are not sprayed and plant my own veggies. 

My rabbit also get a small amount of fruits (one slice of banan for example) and rabbit treats but this its often once a week or one a day because its such a small amount he gets, it dosent affect his eating habit or droppings. 

Ill have to wait and see if he gain a little more weight. Ive been to the vet and he had gone up to 450 grams.


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## JBun (Jan 17, 2018)

Being the runt and being hand fed can explain his smaller size. Hand feeding seems to affect their growth some. So it may be that he will just remain to be a very small dwarf bun.

Weight doesn't matter as much as body condition. If your rabbit has the right amount of weight for his size, that's what's important. You basically don't want the spine or hip bones to feel pointed or sharp at all. I like their back to feel nice and rounded along the spine. You can take a look at this chart to see if your bun is a healthy weight.
https://research.unc.edu/files/2012/11/Body-Condition-Scoring-Rabbit.pdf

If your bun gets poop problems with more pellets, then I would do the same thing and feed minimal pellets. Though really, for a bun that is only a pound, 1 tbsp is plenty of pellets. My 4 lb bun gets 4 tbsp, so your bun is getting the same proportion per lb of body weight. 

If you feel your bun is still a little on the thin side according to the chart, there are other things that can help with weight gain, like alfalfa hay if your bun doesn't have bladder/kidney calcium issues, oats if they don't give your bun mushy poop, or I've used black oil sunflower seeds for an older bun that needed to gain some weight and oats gave her mushy poop. And as with any new food, always introduce gradually into the diet, giving your buns digestive system time to adjust.


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## Hermelin (Jan 18, 2018)

I think he feels good, never thought a rabbit could be so little.


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## JBun (Jan 18, 2018)

Hermelin said:


> I think he feels good, never thought a rabbit could be so little.



Yeah, I think you just have a runt then if he's filled out and not bony. I've seen other rabbits that have stayed really small, but none as small as yours. 1 lb for a full grown domesticated rabbit is pretty small. Though there is a wild rabbit in the northwestern US that stays that small, called the pygmy rabbit.


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