The first thing you should know is that rabbit feeding should be varied. It is not enough just to feed them, nor just to give them hay. They need nutrients and fiber to keep their delicate digestive systems strong and healthy.
Like all pets, your domestic rabbit should always have clean water at your disposal, which you must change at least every two days. In addition, it is also recommended to feed domestic rabbits on a regular schedule, ideally feeding them twice a day.
Whether you have a belier rabbit, a toy rabbit or any other breed of rabbit, this diet is general and will depend on the weight of your pet. Next, we will review the most basic elements of the rabbit food.
Hay for rabbits
If you want to know well what rabbits eat, the first food to consider is not the carrot that many of us usually have in mind. To feed them properly, you must never forget the most essential part of their diet: hay. Hay constitutes 80% of the diet rabbits and must also have access to fresh hay throughout the day. Hay is a great source of fiber, necessary to maintain the delicate balance of digestion of lagomorphs, the animal order to which rabbits belong.
Also, because rabbits have two pairs of continuously growing incisor teeth, they need to constantly consume hay to help them wear them down and keep them at a healthy size. Consult more about How to care for rabbit teeth by clicking on this link.
exist two types of hay: grass hay and legume hay. The first is composed of mixtures of dried herbs and flowers that they would have access to in the wild. The second is made up of plants such as alfalfa, clover, and soybeans. Your rabbit should consume both, with a higher proportion of grass hay, because legume hay has less fiber.
Each rabbit should eat, daily, an amount of hay equivalent to its size, about 150g. Ideally, you should always have access to an unlimited ration of hay, so you can eat it fresh. Speaking of fresh hay, when you go to buy it, you can recognize it if it is dry, clean and if it does not have fungus or loose particles of dust.
I think for rabbits
The feed for rabbits must be pellet type. A good feed is high in fiber (around 18%). Since the feed must also be fresh, you do not need to buy large quantities in advance. In this way, if you buy feed for more than 6 weeks, it will expire.
Feed makes up a very small part of the rabbit’s diet, compared to hay or forage. With some 25 g of feed per kg of weight It will be enough. The amount of feed must fill a maximum of two egg cups.
If your rabbit does not eat I think, its nutritional value should be supplanted by larger amounts of vegetables. Consult with your vet to design a balanced diet for your pet.
Vegetables for rabbits
As we know, rabbits are herbivorous animals, so they can benefit a lot from a diet that also includes leaves and vegetables that are healthy for them. Some healthier vegetables that you can give your rabbit are celery, endives, carrot leaves, arugula, dandelion, endive, Brussels sprouts, cucumber, watercress, pumpkin leaves, strawberry leaves and other vegetables that we will list later.
In appropriate amounts, vegetables provide new flavors and textures, as well as nutrients, to the rabbit’s diet. In addition, the moisture and freshness of this type of food are excellent for the kidney and urinary functions of your body.
You can give your rabbit a cup of vegetables for every kg of weight once a day or divide the portions throughout the day. Later on, we’ll see which vegetables are good for them and which ones to avoid at all costs, as well as which ones are higher in sugar.
Fruits for rabbits
You can also feed your pet fruits. Of course, only in very small portions. Fruits are foods high in calories and sugars. Also, in the wild, rabbits can only access them during certain periods of time a year.
Taking all of this into account, fruits make great prizes! If you are training your rabbit or want to pamper him with something different, you can be sure that he will love fruits, as they are animals with a very good taste for sweet flavors. You can feed it with a teaspoon of fruit for every kg of weight up to date. Hand-shaking them will be a great way to strengthen your relationship with your pet and make sure he’s in good spirits every morning.
If you are going to introduce new foods to your rabbit’s diet, it is best to do it slowly, because, as we said before, the gastrointestinal system of rabbits is very delicate and their microorganisms need time to adapt. You can start with one serving every 3 days and monitor how you react or how your stool is after digesting it.
If you find yourself in the need to feed a baby rabbit or kitten, you should bear in mind that their diet varies a lot from that of an adult rabbit. Let’s go over what do rabbits eat according to their age and stage of life.
Baby and adolescent rabbits
- 0-3 weeks old: They must be fed breast milk or a formula that replaces breast milk.
- 3-4 weeks old: the food should be based on breast milk and very small amounts of alfalfa and feed.
- 4-7 weeks old: breast milk, with access to alfalfa and feed.
- From 7 weeks to 7 months of life: unlimited amounts of feed and unlimited amounts of hay.
- 12 weeks oldVegetables can be added to the diet in small amounts, one serving at a time of about 42 grams.
In this other article we detail more about what baby rabbits eat.
Young adult rabbits (7 months to 1 year)
At this stage in the life of rabbits, you can start to introduce different types of hay, as well as reduce the consumption of alfalfa. Likewise, you must reduce the feed to the proportion that we discussed in the previous section. You can, little by little, increase the amount of fresh vegetables in the diet, as well as you can begin to include fruits.
Adult rabbits (1 to 5 years old)
At this age, it is important that access to hay is unlimited as well as varied. Of course, your diet should be supplemented with feed, vegetables and fruits in healthy amounts. Do not forget to introduce new foods little by little so that your pet does not suffer from digestive problems.
Old rabbits (more than 6 years old)
If your rabbit’s weight has not decreased or increased by this stage of his life, you can maintain the proportions of his adult diet. They may need larger amounts of feed to maintain a healthy weight, as well as alfalfa if calcium levels are normal. It is always recommended that you consult with your veterinarian to adjust his diet to ensure that your rabbit is in good health throughout his old age.
Rabbits may have adverse reactions to certain types of food. We advise you to visit our article on What to do if your rabbit has diarrhea so that the situation does not catch you off guard.
Rabbits are herbivores, but that does not mean that they can consume any type of vegetable. Green leafy vegetables are generally good for your diet. Other vegetables are good too, but some should be eaten in smaller amounts. Here we leave you one list of vegetables that rabbits can eat.
Vegetables and greens for rabbits
These are the main vegetables and greens for rabbits that are suitable for every day.
- Carrot leaves
- Celery and celery leaves
- Cilantro
- Mint
- Basil
- Watercress
- Beet greens
- Radish leaves
- Peppers
- Pickles
Other vegetables and greens for rabbits
These are more vegetables of this type that can be fed to rabbits. However, they should be offered occasionally.
- Broccoli (just the leaves and stem)
- Clover
- Dandelion leaves
- Kale
- Flowers: calendula, chamomile, honeysuckle, lily, pansy.
- Chard
- Romaine lettuce
- Carrots (high in sugar and calcium, give only occasionally)
Some vegetables, like kale, contain high levels of oxalate or calcium. As rabbits can suffer from calcium problems, it is important that you consult with your veterinarian if you want to integrate a new unusual food into their diet. Each serving of vegetables should be made up of at least 3 different types of vegetables, including those that are rich in vitamin A. You can rotate them throughout the week to vary your diet.
