Feeding your rabbit
As herbivores rabbits need a diet consisting
almost entirely of vegetable matter. Variety is essential, and the food
offered must be fresh. An ideal diet consists of 85% hay and 15% green
veggies with occasional fruit.
Green leafy vegetables such as Asian greens and
endive (not lettuce and cabbage as these can cause diarrhoea) are in
fact preferred, while fruit (mostly apples and pears) and root
vegetables (such as carrots) should only be fed in small amounts.
The
hay portion of the diet can also be supplemented with a bowl of oaten
chaff. Fresh water must be supplied via a drip feed bottle rather than
in a bowl which can be easily contaminated or tipped over.
Avoid
feeding your pet pellets (as they can cause dental problems) and mixes
which are high in grains or which contain molasses.
For
rabbits, an essential ingredient to ensure their dietary health is
grass or grass hay. This will allow your bunny extended periods of happy
chewing which is necessary to wear down their continuously-growing
teeth, and thereby helping to prevent dental disease.
Chewing on grass
or grass hay also helps keep your intelligent friend occupied and
prevent boredom. The high fibre content of grass and grass hay is also
crucial for normal gastrointestinal motility.
To ensure your rabbits have a healthy 'balanced' diet, you should provide:
-
A constant supply
of good quality fresh grass or grass hay - e.g. Timothy, oaten, wheaten,
pasture, paddock, meadow or ryegrass hays. Rabbits should not be fed
lucerne (alfalfa) or Clover hays as they are too high in protein and
calcium.
Grass or grass hay is paramount in providing sufficient fibre
for gastrointestinal health and encouraging chewing for long periods of
time for healthy teeth.
-
Plenty
of fresh leafy greens, vegetables and herbs. As a guide, feed around
two packed cups of leafy greens per kg body weight per day.
Some
examples are: veggies: broccoli, celery, endive, beet/carrot tops,
brussels sprouts, spinach leaves, bok choy; other Asian greens and dark
leafed lettuce varieties; herbs: parsley, dandelion, coriander, basil,
dill, and mint.
-
A dietary source of
Vitamin C (for guinea pigs) because, like humans, guinea pigs cannot
synthesise Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) from other food substances.
While
this is usually supplied by fresh leafy green veggies, it is a good idea
to feed your guinea pig small quantities of vitamin C rich foods such
as citrus or kiwi fruit (commercial Vitamin C supplements added to
drinking water or commercial feeds are not reliable sources of vitamin
C).
- Plenty of fresh water supplied via drip feed bottle.
Keep
feeds and feeding habits consistent. Any changes to the diet must be
made gradually, over a two to three week period, to minimise digestive
upsets.
Do
not feed your pet: cereals, grains, nuts, seeds, corn, beans, peas,
breads, biscuits, sweets, sugar, breakfast cereals, chocolate or any
garden plants that are toxic to rabbits.
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