Feeding your Rabbit
You walk into the Bunny’s room. The ears are like antennae, up and rotating; the eyes expectant. If you are not quick enough, you might hear an irritated STOMP or two. This is because it is feeding time and many bunnies take their meals seriously, sometimes to the point of nipping the offending bunny slave for tardiness.
The following list is that of safe foods for rabbits:
VEGETABLES:
Alfalfa, Basil, Beet, Carrot (especially the greens), Turnip and Mustard greens, Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems), Brussels sprouts, Clover, Green peppers, Parsley, Radishes and their greens, Raspberry leaves, Romaine lettuce (no iceberg or light colored leaf, no cabbage) Spinach (small amounts), Wheat grass.
Keep your rabbit in mind as you prepare your own meals and buy the bunched carrots, radishes and such. Most of what you throw away, leaves, stems, peels (no potatoes), corn husks, etc. will be a very welcome addition to your bunny’s diet.
FRUIT
Apple (remove stem and seeds), Bananas, Blueberries, Grapes Melon, Orange (including peel), Papaya, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Plums, Raisins, Raspberries, Strawberries
If you have a problem with fur block, pineapple and papaya helps to move things along.
Timothy Hay
SHOPPING
Often your best deals for fruit and vegetables would be at your local farmers market.
Check your local feed store for timothy hay.
FEEDING TIPS
Try to feed your bunny at the same time every day with their usual feed pellets. We go by the following measurement for amount of daily feed:
Small rabbits (1-4 lb.)-1/4 cup
Medium rabbits (4.08-8 lb.)-1/2 cup
Large rabbits (8.06 and up)-1 cup
Pellets should be as natural as possible and may have natural goodies such as sunflower seeds or chips, but you might want to stay away from anything that has dyed cereal pieces that look like kids cereal.
Timothy Hay is essential for your bunny’s intestinal tract and should be started as soon as possible. They should be given unlimited amounts. To help contain the mess factor, a hay feeder can be attached to the side of the hutch and above the litter box area to assist with training.
Read what is on the label of your feed. If it is alfalfa based, timothy hay needs to be added to the diet; if it is timothy based, then alfalfa is needed. The key thing is to balance your bunny’s intake.
Greens: up to a cup a day may be supplemented daily, but it is the leafy greens that are recommended. Iceberg lettuce is not suggested since it has little nutritional value.
About Fruit: the additional sugar will add unnecessary weight to bunny, so it may be used sparingly as an occasional treat or a training tool. Beware of the bunny sweet tooth, since they will gobble as much as they can get their teeth into (including fingers so be advised).
Weight issues: you can tell is bunny is overweight if you cannot clearly feel his spinal column. That means it is time to cut down on the treats and increase the amount of exercise time. On the underweight rabbit, you would feel his hips and spine sticking out. This is time to increase the percentage of protein in his pellets/feed.
Make certain that your rabbit has fresh water daily and plenty of it.
A healthy bunny is alert with bright eyes and a spring in his step.
HOW WE CAN HELP
Our blended feed has all natural ingredients and is priced lower than competitive store brands.
Blended Feed has 16 % protein in it as well as interspersed treats that our bunnies gobble up.
Weight Blend has 18% protein pellets and a mixture of treats to assist in gaining weight. It is for bunnies that are underweight, pregnant or nursing females, and bunnies under six months of age.
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