Feed, Treats + Care
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TREATS
Our rabbits have a very rounded diet and we like to spoil them with a few treats from time to time. As much as we like to pamper them, we also have to use restraint, too much can definitely disrupt their digestive track and make them sick.
I recommend every owner research and look carefully before feeding treats. Make sure what you are feed is safe.
Click this link for a list of Suggested Fresh Fruits and Vegetables to get you started.
NUTRITION FOR ALL WEANED RABBITS
Rabbits should always have free choice of Hay and clean water. This is their main source of natural nutrition.
Hay: The staple of a rabbit’s diet
The bottom of a rabbit food pyramid would contain long-stemmed fiber, in the form of hay, which makes up 80 to 90 percent of a rabbit’s diet. As grazing animals, rabbits need to have an unlimited supply of fresh hay daily.
You’ll want to feed your rabbit grass hays. Good types of grass hay for bunnies are timothy, orchard grass, brome and oat hay. You can feed your bunnies either one type or a mixture of different grass hays. Buy the freshest hay possible and check for the presence of mold or dust, which could make your rabbit sick.
Alfalfa hay is not a good choice for an adult rabbit, since it’s a legume, not a grass, and as such is too rich to be fed on a daily basis. Alfalfa can be given to rabbits once in awhile as a treat. Rabbits under one year of age can be fed alfalfa hay, but as they get older they should be switched to grass hay, especially if they are also being fed alfalfa pellets.
Pellets: Feed a bunny small quantities
Timothy hay pellets can be given to bunnies in small quantities. An average-sized (6-10 pounds) adult rabbit only needs one-quarter cup of pellets daily. If your rabbit is under five pounds, feed just one-eighth of a cup. Rabbits larger than 10 pounds do not need more than a quarter of a cup, since it’s not a crucial part of a bunny’s diet.
Rabbits under one year old can be fed alfalfa pellets. Be sure to feed grass hay (rather than alfalfa) if you are feeding your young rabbit alfalfa pellets. Look for pellets with a high fiber content — the higher the better. Do not buy the rabbit pellets that have dried corn, nuts and seeds added, because those foods can potentially be very harmful for rabbits.
We also feed a mixture of Blue Seal Show Hutch Deluxe 17 , oats, hulled sunflower seed + barley feed. This mixture keeps our rabbits healthy, growing and keep beautiful coats.
BREEDING DOES
We also feed 1 TBSP of the Calf Manna Pro to our Does that are bred or actively nursing kits.
A Good Read!
An excellent source of knowledge is the ARBA Official Guide Book to Raising Better Rabbits and Cavies.
HABITAT ENCLOSURES
Most large breeds require 2'x3' enclosures. If they are a breeding doe, 3'x4' to allow room for all the kits plus the doe.
I generally recommend wire cages because they are easy to clean and there's no wood to hold disease or sickness. I use 1/2" by 1/2" on all Breeding doe cages unless they are in a barn where predators (ie: snakes, dogs, raccoons, opossum, coyote) are not able to reach them.
Each enclosure should have fresh water, hay and grain daily. We use an automatic watering system that is filled with water regularly. Our rabbits currently drink from a nipple, however you may train your rabbits to drink from a bowl.
Be sure to give you rabbits a place to rest off the wire too. I use a thin piece of wood during the winter months and a 12x12 ceramic tile in the summer (dual purpose because it stays cool).