Diet
is one of the most important part of looking after your rabbit.
A rabbit is designed to eat grass and other plants. The fibre and
roughage in these plants keeps the intestinal tract working properly, their teeth in good shape and helps prevent boredom!
Grass:- Grass can be provided by daily access to a large
run on the lawn.
Hay:- Hay is the most important part of your
rabbit's diet and should be provided at all times in unlimited
amounts. It provides indigestible fibre, energy and other nutrients
essential to your rabbit's health.
Feeding hay is of tremendous benefit to your rabbit's teeth. Teeth
grow through out a rabbits life and overgrown molars and incisors
can become a life-threatening problem if the animal doesn't have
enough abrasive food to chew on. In addition, the extra time chewing
reduces boredom and the 'full' feeling may stop the rabbit from
chewing anything else!
Good quality hay should be sweet smelling and not dusty. Offering
it in a hay-rack will keep it clean and minimize waste
Fresh
Food :- Freshfood should be offered
daily. if your rabbit has never had greens before, it is best
to establish it on hay first. Sudden introduction
of greens without this can trigger potentially serious diarrhoea.
When starting to feed greens, introduce them slowly. If you find
a food that results in a softer stool the same day it is fed,
eliminate it from the diet and try again in about three months
time. Feed a minimum of three leafy green foods daily, washing
all leaves thoroughly before feeding. A minimum to be given is
about 1 tightly packed tea cup per 2kg/4lb body weight.
Examples
of good leafy foods:
carrot tops, dandelion greens and flowers, kale, beet
tops, chickweed, clover, cabbage, broccoli (plus leaves)
pea pod, sprouts,basil, raspberry leaves, bok choy.
Rabbit
Pellets and 'Mix'':- Rabbit pellets and mix are not
necessary as part of your rabbits diet. They are high
in calories, low in volume and require little chewing which is
the complete opposite to the diet that a rabbit is designed to
eat. Feeding just pellets or mix to a domestic rabbit can lead
to obesity, liver disease, diarrhoea, dental disease and kidney
disease. Additionally, rabbit mix does not provide a balanced
diet as the majority of rabbits are selective feeders and will
only eat parts of the mix. If fed at all, pellets and mix should
only make up a very small proportion your rabbits daily food intake
(eg: one table spoon daily). Never refill the bowl until everything has
been eaten and then only when the next meal is due.
Water:- Water should be available at all times and changed daily.
Rabbits that eat a lot of greens will not drink as much as those
on pellets and mix.
Treats:- Treats such as carrot, broccoli, apple cores and strawberries
can be given in small amounts. Avoid bananas and grapes as they
can be addictive. DO NOT give your rabbit salty or sugary snacks.
