(10%).
Rabbit pellets should generally only comprise a small portion of a pet rabbit’s diet (10%).
What should be the majority of a rabbits diet?
Fresh, clean drinking water and good quality hay and grass should make up the majority of your rabbits’ diet. A rabbit’s digestive system needs hay or grass to function properly so a healthy supply is extremely important. You can supplement with leafy greens and a small amount of pellets.
Should rabbits eat more hay or pellets?
While your rabbit should primarily consume hay, pellets contain carbohydrates and can be helpful in aiding thin rabbits to maintain or gain weight. Pellets are fine to feed in limited quantities, but should not be fed to the degree that they discourage your rabbit from eating his hay.
What percent of a rabbit’s diet is hay?
A rabbit’s diet should be made up of: 85% hay or grass. 10% leafy green veg. 5% extruded pellets or nuggets (about an egg-cup full)
Do rabbits really need pellets?
Pellets can be good for rabbits in small quantities, but they are not a necessary part of a rabbit’s daily food intake. If pet rabbits are given a balanced diet with grass-based hay and a variety of leafy green vegetables, they can still be healthy on a pellet-free diet.
What can you feed rabbits instead of pellets?
Rabbits can get by without pellets as long as hay and fresh green vegetables are given every day. Avoid cereal/grain mixes (such as rabbit mix muesli) as these can encourage selective feeding, nutritional imbalance and obesity [1, 4]. Providing other objects to chew on is also a good idea.
How many times a day should I feed my rabbit pellets?
twice a day
Rabbit food (nuggets/pellets)
As well as hay, grass and fresh food, you should give each of your rabbits one tablespoon of nuggets every day (or twice a day if they’re over 3.5kg). Although this seems like a small amount, dried rabbit nuggets are very concentrated, which is why your bunnies don’t need a lot.
Can rabbits survive on just hay?
Rabbits eat grass (or hay)!
Rabbits should be fed in a way that is as close as possible to their natural diet: mostly grass or hay. In fact, rabbits could live on hay and water alone, but we recommend providing some fresh leafy vegetables and a small amount of commercial feed.
Should rabbits have unlimited pellets?
Rabbits should have a daily diet of mostly hay, a smaller amount of fresh vegetables, and a limited number of pellets. Hay is the most important part of a rabbit’s daily intake. Unlimited, high-quality grass hay, such as Timothy, orchard or brome, should make up the bulk of a rabbit’s diet.
Can rabbits go a day without hay?
Technically, they can live without hay for years, but it’s not good for them to go without for too long. The chewing hay helps wear down the teeth, it’s high fiber, helps keep their gut moving, etc.
Can grass replace hay for rabbits?
Rabbits can eat grass instead of hay, however it’s not a change that should be made overnight. This kind of major change in a rabbits diet needs to be made in a slow transition over the course of a few weeks.
What happens if rabbits don’t eat hay?
Blockages can often be fatal. If a rabbit doesn’t eat enough hay then this can slow down the rabbit’s intestinal functions and cause serious problems eg. GI Stasis (see below). Rabbits’ teeth continually grow, including all of their back ones (did you know rabbits have 28 teeth?!)
What is better for rabbits hay or grass?
Grass is more nutritious than hay as hay is dried, causing some of the beneficial vitamins & minerals to fade over time. Just as their wild counterpart, a domestic rabbit will always opt to eat fresh grass over hay, and eat it with fervour too!
Which rabbit food is best?
Think natural – good foods are spinach, kale, watercress, broccoli, celery and dandelion leaves. Rabbits also enjoy munching on fresh herbs such as mint, parsley, dill and thyme.
What veg can rabbits eat daily?
It’s important to provide your pet with a variety of safe greens to make sure they have a balanced diet.
Your rabbit’s diet should include a variety of the following greens:
- Asparagus.
- Bok Choy.
- Brussel Sprouts.
- Broccoli leaves.
- Celery.
- Collard Greens.
- Cauliflower leaves and stalks.
- Chicory.
What is toxic to rabbits?
Apples and pears are the most notorious examples, but the pits from apricots, peaches, plums, and mangos also contain cyanide, as do cherry pits. While the amount of cyanide contained in fruit seeds and pits is generally scant, it is best to avoid feeding them to rabbits altogether.
What did people feed rabbits before pellets?
Hay ( like timothy/clover ) is the foundation of the rabbits diet. Grass hay is very good for rabbits for GI tract health. It is not so high in protein so if you are feeding pellets, this is the best hay to use. Hay is used as fiber and keeps things moving fast thru the GI tract.
Can rabbits eat cucumber?
Yes, it is safe for rabbits to eat cucumber! Most rabbits will love the fresh taste. Rabbits can also eat cucumber leaves. Before feeding cucumber to your rabbit, wash it in cold water to remove pesticides.
How many greens should a rabbit eat?
General feeding recommendations are around 1 cup of dark, leafy greens per 2 pounds of a rabbit’s body weight daily.
How often should you clean a rabbit cage?
As a general rule, clean your rabbit’s hutch or cage thoroughly at least once every two weeks. 1 However, your rabbit’s cage might need deep cleaning more often, depending on the size of the cage and how well your rabbit is litter-trained. If you have more than one rabbit, it will need to be cleaned more often.
How long can bunnies go without food?
A rabbit can go maybe 3-4 days without food before dying. However, they can also develop severe GI Stasis within 12 hours of not eating and can die.