what do rabbits eat?
Transitional Rabbit Food
Along with some sound pet rabbit care advice, a quality breeder will provide you with transitional rabbit food when you purchase your pet rabbit. That particular rabbit food should be used for the first day or two. After that, you should begin gradually mixing in your new rabbit food until he or she has changed completely over to the new food over the period of about a week.
Change Rabbit Food Slowly
Pet rabbits, indeed all rabbits, are like babies and do not always deal well with changes to their diets. So anytime you change or add something in your pet rabbit's diet, you should do so gradually, one food at a time, and look for adverse reactions, such as low appetite or loose stool.
Which Rabbit Food Is Best?
Purchase a high quality rabbit food for your pet rabbit. For the little bit of difference in price, you will notice a big difference in your rabbit's coat and flesh condition. Beyond that, many premium rabbit foods contain ingredients to help reduce odor. That alone is worth the extra cost.
I really did not think much about that until we had a rabbit returned to us (their rabbit was not allowed in their new home). After just three days on premium rabbit food, the odor was reduced dramatically.
For odor control, look for yucca in the ingredient list (alternately, you can purchase additives such as Marshall's Small Pet Bi-Odor for your pet rabbit's water to reduce ammonia in urine, the major cause of odor).
I feed my Hollands a 16% protein rabbit pellets. For pet rabbits, I recommend 15% or 16% protein. Too much protein without the need for it can cause imbalances in the rabbit's delicate digestive system. Red urine is a sign of undigested protein; you may want to consider using a rabbit food with lower protein if that occurs frequently.
Besides Pellets , "What Do Rabbits Eat?"
If you decide to feed your rabbit a large amount of low carbohydrate vegetables on a daily basis, besides introducing them slowly, you may need to reduce their pellet ration.
Although rabbit pellets are the main rabbit food, fruits, grains, and vegetables may also be used. However, many rabbits live long, healthy lives on hay, pellets, and water alone.
Grains, especially, should be limited to 1 tsp. per day and should be whole grain. I do not recommend corn for rabbits.
Avoid head lettuce, white potatoes, (limit sweet potatoes), green beans, anything that grows from a bulb, rhubarb leaves, grass or dandelions that have been chemically fertilized or sprayed for pests, and avocadoes. Limit spinach and kale to one large leaf per day.
Cilantro, carrot tops, and parsley are loved by rabbits and pose very little threat of causing digestive problems.
Fruits are also easily overfed, causing imbalances in the digestive system. One strawberry, two or three raisins, a slice of apple, or a small chunk of banana is enough fruit for one day for an adult pet rabbit.
Rabbits enjoy hay and it has many benefits. Chewing hay helps rabbits deal with stress. Hay adds fiber to your pet rabbit's diet, and rabbits need a very high fiber diet to maintain their health.
Although pellets contain fiber, rabbits need the long fiber found in hay or straw.
I also believe that the fiber in the hay helps keep their hearts healthy. Just like humans, their arteries can become clogged and that can shorten their lives.
Chewing hay also helps to keep their teeth worn down (chew sticks can also be used). Rabbit food pellets are packed with nutrition, but they do not require the chewing that a natural wild diet would.
Also, pulling strands of hay helps your rabbit fight boredom. I feed hay to my show rabbits daily. Your pet rabbit should receive hay or hay cubes (Timothy hay, not alfalfa) at least every other day.
I use orchard grass, but Timothy hay, coastal Bermuda, or even fescue hay can be used.
Hay should be relatively dust free, free of unknown weeds and thorns, mold-free and at least slightly green, with a pleasant, fresh smell.
Your Pet Rabbit's Water
Your rabbit needs a fresh, clean supply of water at all times. You can use either a crock or a water bottle. There are advantages to each. Crocks are easy to fill and easy to clean. But they can be stepped in or turned over. They can collect hay or rabbit food and become murky. And they can be fouled with urine or fecal matter. Bottles remain cleaner, but they are harder to clean and rabbits have to work a little harder to get a big drink in hot weather. Outdoors, the crock is easier to unfreeze than a bottle, which is a consideration if your rabbit lives outdoors .