The health of your rabbit is built on important parts of care, like food, water, and shelter. This article will cover the basics of feeding your rabbit.
Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian. The feeding guidelines listed below are what I have found to best for my rabbits; they may or may not be best for your rabbits.
Pellets
Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian. The feeding guidelines listed below are what I have found to best for my rabbits; they may or may not be best for your rabbits.
Pellets
Pellets contain the nutrition your rabbit needs to stay healthy. Some say pellets are all a rabbit needs, some say it should make up 30% of the diet, and some say they are only a supplement.
I just feed roughly 2-3 oz per 4-6 lbs of weight per day. Of course, that's for a Holland Lop or a Mini Lop; a Flemish Giant would need a dramatically larger portion of food. And a Netherland Dwarf or a small Holland Lop would need less: more like 1/2-1 oz of food per day.
Note your rabbit's behavior at feeding time every day. Does he cling to the door and stuff his head in the cup of pellets to eat? Feed a little more that day. Or does he lazily hop up, and then act like he's not hungry? Feed a little less.
NOTE: If your rabbit is not eating or drinking, this could be a sign of a serious condition such as GI Stasis which can kill your rabbit. Your rabbit may require immediate veterinary care. Always ensure that your rabbit is simply not hungry before assuming that you should feed less pellets.
And as a rule, you should never have an unlimited supply of food available to rabbits. Rabbits can gain extra fat, causing health problems and complications conceiving and giving birth. There are exceptions, of course, like in the case of a doe and litter, or in special instances.
When purchasing pellets, keep these tips in mind:
I just feed roughly 2-3 oz per 4-6 lbs of weight per day. Of course, that's for a Holland Lop or a Mini Lop; a Flemish Giant would need a dramatically larger portion of food. And a Netherland Dwarf or a small Holland Lop would need less: more like 1/2-1 oz of food per day.
Note your rabbit's behavior at feeding time every day. Does he cling to the door and stuff his head in the cup of pellets to eat? Feed a little more that day. Or does he lazily hop up, and then act like he's not hungry? Feed a little less.
NOTE: If your rabbit is not eating or drinking, this could be a sign of a serious condition such as GI Stasis which can kill your rabbit. Your rabbit may require immediate veterinary care. Always ensure that your rabbit is simply not hungry before assuming that you should feed less pellets.
And as a rule, you should never have an unlimited supply of food available to rabbits. Rabbits can gain extra fat, causing health problems and complications conceiving and giving birth. There are exceptions, of course, like in the case of a doe and litter, or in special instances.
When purchasing pellets, keep these tips in mind:
- Buy the larger bag. It's generally cheaper, and it will be gone before you know it. But do buy the proper amount for your needs; one 3 lb rabbit may not be able to eat a 50 lb bag of pellets before they become stale.
- Don't buy "fun"-looking feeds with colored pieces and corn mixed in. Those feeds are made to please the owner, but not only are they expensive, they're very unhealthy for your rabbit.
Hay
I didn't feed hay to my rabbits for a long time. But when one of my breeding does got sick with an intestinal issue, she needed a strict diet of hay right away - no pellets.
I went to my local Tractor Supply Co. and bought a compressed bale of Timothy hay. And let me just say - NEVER buy hay in the pet section if you can avoid it! I got my compressed bale for $0.40-0.50 per lb. Then I did the math and found that bags of Timothy in the pet section can be as pricy as $2.67 per lb! The bale is big and it lasts a long time, but it's definitely worth the money.
I try to get my rabbits to eat lots of hay to avoid digestive issues. I notice that some rabbits like hay much more than others. Hay racks can help keep hay off the floor, and I have rabbits who will use them, but others won't eat hay that's in a rack. Sometimes I put hay in food dishes, or on resting boards, or just on the floor.
Rabbit-safe hay:
I feed my rabbits good quality Timothy hay, but any good grass hay is fine. Orchard grass and oat hay are good choices, too.
Alfalfa is okay as a treat, but don't feed it in large quantities. Most rabbit pellets are already made up largely of alfalfa, and it's not the best hay for rabbits. It contains lots of calcium and rabbits can "overdose" on it a little. Sometimes I give my rabbits alfalfa "cubes" as treats to chew on (they can be found in the small animal section or the horse section, depending on whether you want a tiny bag or a 50-lb bag).
Just make sure that the hay is fresh, dry, and clean; free of mold, mildew, dampness, or insects. It also shouldn't contain any thorns or possibly toxic plants.
A word on hay racks:
I've done a bit of searching for good hay racks, and there are lots of types out there. Most really aren't worth the money. Rabbits love to pull the hay out of the rack and scatter it on the floor, where it falls through the floor and gets soiled.
Only one of my rabbits has a hay rack at the moment. The rack is an old suet feeder for wild birds, and it's as good (or better!) as any hay rack I've ever seen. She loves to eat off the hay rack all day long.
I didn't feed hay to my rabbits for a long time. But when one of my breeding does got sick with an intestinal issue, she needed a strict diet of hay right away - no pellets.
I went to my local Tractor Supply Co. and bought a compressed bale of Timothy hay. And let me just say - NEVER buy hay in the pet section if you can avoid it! I got my compressed bale for $0.40-0.50 per lb. Then I did the math and found that bags of Timothy in the pet section can be as pricy as $2.67 per lb! The bale is big and it lasts a long time, but it's definitely worth the money.
I try to get my rabbits to eat lots of hay to avoid digestive issues. I notice that some rabbits like hay much more than others. Hay racks can help keep hay off the floor, and I have rabbits who will use them, but others won't eat hay that's in a rack. Sometimes I put hay in food dishes, or on resting boards, or just on the floor.
Rabbit-safe hay:
I feed my rabbits good quality Timothy hay, but any good grass hay is fine. Orchard grass and oat hay are good choices, too.
Alfalfa is okay as a treat, but don't feed it in large quantities. Most rabbit pellets are already made up largely of alfalfa, and it's not the best hay for rabbits. It contains lots of calcium and rabbits can "overdose" on it a little. Sometimes I give my rabbits alfalfa "cubes" as treats to chew on (they can be found in the small animal section or the horse section, depending on whether you want a tiny bag or a 50-lb bag).
Just make sure that the hay is fresh, dry, and clean; free of mold, mildew, dampness, or insects. It also shouldn't contain any thorns or possibly toxic plants.
A word on hay racks:
I've done a bit of searching for good hay racks, and there are lots of types out there. Most really aren't worth the money. Rabbits love to pull the hay out of the rack and scatter it on the floor, where it falls through the floor and gets soiled.
Only one of my rabbits has a hay rack at the moment. The rack is an old suet feeder for wild birds, and it's as good (or better!) as any hay rack I've ever seen. She loves to eat off the hay rack all day long.
Fruits and Veggies
IMPORTANT: Don't feed fruits and vegetables to rabbits under 3 months, and don't give large quantities of vegetables to rabbits under 6 months. Fruits should never be fed in large quantities to any rabbit.
I don't make fruits and vegetables a regular part of my rabbits' diet. I do, however, feed them kitchen scraps from time to time.
About once a week I feed some of my rabbits greens from our yard (don't do this if you have any pesticides on your lawn).
I like to give them a lot of plantain, which is a weed that happens to grow all around the rabbit hutches. (It's not the banana-like plant.) Plantain is very healthy for rabbits and is easy on their digestive systems. It can be fed in somewhat large quantities to adult rabbits without bad effects. I have also heard of some breeders feeding plantain to bunnies just out of the nest, but, knowing what's it's like to nurse a kit through diarrhea, I don't make this a practice with my rabbits.
Another weed they love is dandelion. I just pull up the whole plant and give it to them. When I feed a mix of greens, they usually go for the dandelion first. Dandelion is also very healthy for rabbits.
Blackberry leaves, raspberry leaves, and strawberry leaves are all good for rabbits, too. I like to give my rabbits strawberry tops.
Here's a list of a few other good veggies and greens for rabbits:
Dark romaine lettuce (NOT iceberg or cabbage)
Carrot tops or peelings (carrot is a treat, the root part should not be fed in large quantities)
Mint - any kind (don't give to pregnant or nursing mothers, it dries up milk)
Cilantro
Dill
Fennel
Spinach (in limited quantities)
Parsley (in limited quantities)
Willow twigs, leaves (a good treat and a natural painkiller for rabbits)
Kale
Basil
Sunflower leaves
Clover (not too much, as clover and alfalfa are both legumes and your rabbit is already getting alfalfa in its pellets)
Grass (not ornamental grass)
Fruits have a high sugar content and should always be fed in small quantities. An apple core, a slice of banana, or several strawberry tops is about as much fruit as a rabbit should eat per day. Rabbits can get fat or get dental problems from eating too much fruit (this also applies to rich veggies like carrots).
Here's a list of a few good fruits you can give your rabbit:
Apple
Banana
Pineapple (the acid helps break down hair in the gut)
Papaya (works like pineapple)
Strawberry
Blackberry
Raspberry
Never feed your rabbits moldy or spoiled food. They can become very sick. Also, NEVER give your rabbits poisonous foods like tomato leaves; or human foods like cereal, pastries, or chocolate.
Here are some good lists of safe foods for rabbits.
http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/
http://www.rabbitsanctuary.org/about_rabbits/about_greens.php
http://www.saveafluff.co.uk/rabbit-info/safe-foods-for-rabbits
Here's a great article about medicinal herbs for rabbits. Please take great caution in feeding these herbs. If your pet rabbit is ill, please contact a rabbit-savvy vet ASAP.
http://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/06/09/medicinal-herbs-for-rabbits/
Here is a good list of foods that are poisonous for rabbits.
http://rabbit.org/poisonous-plants/
IMPORTANT: Don't feed fruits and vegetables to rabbits under 3 months, and don't give large quantities of vegetables to rabbits under 6 months. Fruits should never be fed in large quantities to any rabbit.
I don't make fruits and vegetables a regular part of my rabbits' diet. I do, however, feed them kitchen scraps from time to time.
About once a week I feed some of my rabbits greens from our yard (don't do this if you have any pesticides on your lawn).
I like to give them a lot of plantain, which is a weed that happens to grow all around the rabbit hutches. (It's not the banana-like plant.) Plantain is very healthy for rabbits and is easy on their digestive systems. It can be fed in somewhat large quantities to adult rabbits without bad effects. I have also heard of some breeders feeding plantain to bunnies just out of the nest, but, knowing what's it's like to nurse a kit through diarrhea, I don't make this a practice with my rabbits.
Another weed they love is dandelion. I just pull up the whole plant and give it to them. When I feed a mix of greens, they usually go for the dandelion first. Dandelion is also very healthy for rabbits.
Blackberry leaves, raspberry leaves, and strawberry leaves are all good for rabbits, too. I like to give my rabbits strawberry tops.
Here's a list of a few other good veggies and greens for rabbits:
Dark romaine lettuce (NOT iceberg or cabbage)
Carrot tops or peelings (carrot is a treat, the root part should not be fed in large quantities)
Mint - any kind (don't give to pregnant or nursing mothers, it dries up milk)
Cilantro
Dill
Fennel
Spinach (in limited quantities)
Parsley (in limited quantities)
Willow twigs, leaves (a good treat and a natural painkiller for rabbits)
Kale
Basil
Sunflower leaves
Clover (not too much, as clover and alfalfa are both legumes and your rabbit is already getting alfalfa in its pellets)
Grass (not ornamental grass)
Fruits have a high sugar content and should always be fed in small quantities. An apple core, a slice of banana, or several strawberry tops is about as much fruit as a rabbit should eat per day. Rabbits can get fat or get dental problems from eating too much fruit (this also applies to rich veggies like carrots).
Here's a list of a few good fruits you can give your rabbit:
Apple
Banana
Pineapple (the acid helps break down hair in the gut)
Papaya (works like pineapple)
Strawberry
Blackberry
Raspberry
Never feed your rabbits moldy or spoiled food. They can become very sick. Also, NEVER give your rabbits poisonous foods like tomato leaves; or human foods like cereal, pastries, or chocolate.
Here are some good lists of safe foods for rabbits.
http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/
http://www.rabbitsanctuary.org/about_rabbits/about_greens.php
http://www.saveafluff.co.uk/rabbit-info/safe-foods-for-rabbits
Here's a great article about medicinal herbs for rabbits. Please take great caution in feeding these herbs. If your pet rabbit is ill, please contact a rabbit-savvy vet ASAP.
http://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/06/09/medicinal-herbs-for-rabbits/
Here is a good list of foods that are poisonous for rabbits.
http://rabbit.org/poisonous-plants/
So that is my lengthy rundown on the basics of rabbit feeding. I hope you have gleaned some useful information from this article!
Please feel free to comment below! I love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
~Chloe
Please feel free to comment below! I love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
~Chloe