One of the most important aspects of rabbit care is diet. Your rabbit's diet is essential to his/her health and well-being. Here are all the nutrients essential to the domestic rabbit:
1. Water is the most important element of your rabbit's diet. Give unlimited cool, fresh water in a bottle or a crock, but make sure that the crock cannot be flipped over. It should either clip onto the side of the cage or be ceramic and heavy enough to not tip over. If you give a water bottle, make sure your rabbit already knows how to use one. If you are transitioning a rabbit from dish to bottle, offer both until the rabbit learns how to use a water bottle. I recommend using a bottle because it's less likely to tip over, and it stays cleaner. I like the clear plastic kind with a duckie or something else that floats in it so it's easier to tell what the water level is at. Many breeders will use automatic watering systems, which are much less work for larger rabbitries.
2. Timothy or orchard grass hay can provide extra fiber for gastrointestinal health. When cut and dried, hay loses most of its nutritional value, so the only real benefit of feeding it is for the fiber content. This is helpful to keep the gut pH in balance and eases the stress on the digestive system in rabbits that have gone through a period of excitement, stress, or illness. It is a good idea to provide plenty of hay to young kits, whose digestion is more sensitive than adults. A common mistake that pet owners make is to feed a diet that is mostly made up of hay. This will result in poor fur and flesh condition because by itself, it does not have enough protein for a rabbit to survive. If you choose to feed hay, it is generally best to avoid oat hay and alfalfa hay as they are quite fattening. Moreover, feeding alfalfa hay on top of an alfalfa based pellet will throw off the balance of your feed. If you feed hay, orchard grass hay or timothy hay are nutritionally so similar that it is often best to seek out whichever of the two options you can find in highest quality in your area. All my rabbits get different amounts of hay depending on their individual needs, with my younger rabbits getting hay daily.
3. Pellets are the staple of the domestic rabbit's diet. They contain the bulk of the protein and other essential nutrients in the rabbit's diet. The rule of thumb is one ounce of pellets per pound of the rabbit's body weight - although this can be altered based on the rabbit's age, condition, use, and health. Every rabbit is different and some of mine require more or less for their size than others. Regardless of whether you have a show rabbit or a pet rabbit, I always recommend investing in a high quality alfalfa-based show rabbit pellet. Good show pellets are considered a complete feed, meaning they have every nutrient necessary for a rabbit to live and thrive. Make sure to avoid any brands marketed toward pet owners if at all possible - especially the multicolored rabbit chow mixes, which are essentially rabbit junk food. I have never personally seen a pet rabbit feed that keeps the rabbit in what I consider to be good condition. Regardless of whether you have show rabbits or pets, I recommend a show feed such as Bar Ale, Purina Show, Manna Pro, or Templeton. I personally feed Bar Ale. Make sure that the pellet you feed is alfalfa based, not timothy. Just like with timothy hay, timothy pellets have next to no nutritional value and are only useful for fiber. The rabbit has to have alfalfa in its diet, which is provided by a complete and balanced pellet. For most breeds, 16% protein is ideal. Some breeds may require more protein, but never less. Make sure that whatever pellet brand you choose is something you can find fresh locally. Never feed pellets that are more than a couple of months past their mill date. Remember, rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems, and by investing in a high quality pellet, you are setting them up with the best possible chances of a long and healthy life!
4. Although it is super tempting to feed a plate of vegetables to your rabbit, I advise against feeding fruits and vegetables. Rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems, and as such, they benefit from a fairly bland and extremely consistent diet. The high water content, richness, and inconsistency of greens puts the rabbits at significantly higher risk of gas, bloat, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal stasis.
5. Supplements can help improve various aspects of a rabbit's health and condition. Commonly used supplements are apple cider vinegar, organic rolled oats, Doc's Rabbit Enhancer, Oxy-Gen, Calf Manna, flax seeds, or Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (BOSS), all of which can be used in moderation to supplement different parts of the diet - particularly with show rabbits. I use two supplements: Immunize and Cirqulate. I use Immunize to boost the immune systems on my rabbits. I typically feed it to nursing does, rabbits going to/coming back from shows, or rabbits that have undergone a period of illness or stress. I use Cirqulate to improve fur and body condition on my rabbits. Be careful to not give too much of any supplement to your rabbit, or they can trigger molts. Given in very large amounts, and many can be quite dangerous. NOTE: Most supplements should NOT be fed to pregnant does.
1. Water is the most important element of your rabbit's diet. Give unlimited cool, fresh water in a bottle or a crock, but make sure that the crock cannot be flipped over. It should either clip onto the side of the cage or be ceramic and heavy enough to not tip over. If you give a water bottle, make sure your rabbit already knows how to use one. If you are transitioning a rabbit from dish to bottle, offer both until the rabbit learns how to use a water bottle. I recommend using a bottle because it's less likely to tip over, and it stays cleaner. I like the clear plastic kind with a duckie or something else that floats in it so it's easier to tell what the water level is at. Many breeders will use automatic watering systems, which are much less work for larger rabbitries.
2. Timothy or orchard grass hay can provide extra fiber for gastrointestinal health. When cut and dried, hay loses most of its nutritional value, so the only real benefit of feeding it is for the fiber content. This is helpful to keep the gut pH in balance and eases the stress on the digestive system in rabbits that have gone through a period of excitement, stress, or illness. It is a good idea to provide plenty of hay to young kits, whose digestion is more sensitive than adults. A common mistake that pet owners make is to feed a diet that is mostly made up of hay. This will result in poor fur and flesh condition because by itself, it does not have enough protein for a rabbit to survive. If you choose to feed hay, it is generally best to avoid oat hay and alfalfa hay as they are quite fattening. Moreover, feeding alfalfa hay on top of an alfalfa based pellet will throw off the balance of your feed. If you feed hay, orchard grass hay or timothy hay are nutritionally so similar that it is often best to seek out whichever of the two options you can find in highest quality in your area. All my rabbits get different amounts of hay depending on their individual needs, with my younger rabbits getting hay daily.
3. Pellets are the staple of the domestic rabbit's diet. They contain the bulk of the protein and other essential nutrients in the rabbit's diet. The rule of thumb is one ounce of pellets per pound of the rabbit's body weight - although this can be altered based on the rabbit's age, condition, use, and health. Every rabbit is different and some of mine require more or less for their size than others. Regardless of whether you have a show rabbit or a pet rabbit, I always recommend investing in a high quality alfalfa-based show rabbit pellet. Good show pellets are considered a complete feed, meaning they have every nutrient necessary for a rabbit to live and thrive. Make sure to avoid any brands marketed toward pet owners if at all possible - especially the multicolored rabbit chow mixes, which are essentially rabbit junk food. I have never personally seen a pet rabbit feed that keeps the rabbit in what I consider to be good condition. Regardless of whether you have show rabbits or pets, I recommend a show feed such as Bar Ale, Purina Show, Manna Pro, or Templeton. I personally feed Bar Ale. Make sure that the pellet you feed is alfalfa based, not timothy. Just like with timothy hay, timothy pellets have next to no nutritional value and are only useful for fiber. The rabbit has to have alfalfa in its diet, which is provided by a complete and balanced pellet. For most breeds, 16% protein is ideal. Some breeds may require more protein, but never less. Make sure that whatever pellet brand you choose is something you can find fresh locally. Never feed pellets that are more than a couple of months past their mill date. Remember, rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems, and by investing in a high quality pellet, you are setting them up with the best possible chances of a long and healthy life!
4. Although it is super tempting to feed a plate of vegetables to your rabbit, I advise against feeding fruits and vegetables. Rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems, and as such, they benefit from a fairly bland and extremely consistent diet. The high water content, richness, and inconsistency of greens puts the rabbits at significantly higher risk of gas, bloat, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal stasis.
5. Supplements can help improve various aspects of a rabbit's health and condition. Commonly used supplements are apple cider vinegar, organic rolled oats, Doc's Rabbit Enhancer, Oxy-Gen, Calf Manna, flax seeds, or Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (BOSS), all of which can be used in moderation to supplement different parts of the diet - particularly with show rabbits. I use two supplements: Immunize and Cirqulate. I use Immunize to boost the immune systems on my rabbits. I typically feed it to nursing does, rabbits going to/coming back from shows, or rabbits that have undergone a period of illness or stress. I use Cirqulate to improve fur and body condition on my rabbits. Be careful to not give too much of any supplement to your rabbit, or they can trigger molts. Given in very large amounts, and many can be quite dangerous. NOTE: Most supplements should NOT be fed to pregnant does.