Your rabbit’s daily diet will consist of
Hay
Hay is essential to keeping your rabbit healthy, and a proper diet consists of 70-80% grass hay. High fiber in hay promotes a healthy gut, while dental health is maintained by repetitive and rapid chewing. It’s important to buy good quality Timothy hay. You may feed a mix of Timothy/Orchard/Mountain Grass/Oat, but large amounts of alfalfa hay should be avoided, unless instructed by NBRR.
Always inspect your hay for freshness. It should be bright green (not tan or brown), should smell fresh, and should NOT be dusty. Ingesting dusty hay can lead to serious health problems in rabbits, and moldy hay can kill a bunny quickly. Hay should be stored in a cool, dry place. Heat can adversely affect hay. It’s more economical to buy hay in a larger quantities, but it must be stored properly.
FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS: Your rabbit should have unlimited access to hay all the time. Place half of the daily feeding of hay in one end of the litter pan in the morning. Replenish in the evening, or more often if necessary. Rabbits will pick and choose the pieces they want, they will never eat all of the hay, so don’t wait until it’s gone to add more. You can also purchase a hay bag or hay feeder, and put that next to the litter box.
Leafy vegetables
Fresh greens provide additional nutrients to your rabbit’s diet, as well as a variety of tastes and textures. You should have the basic Romaine/Green Leaf/Red Leaf lettuce on hand for your rabbit’s arrival. NEVER FEED RABBITS ICEBERG LETTUCE, as it contains lactucarium, which is toxic to rabbits in high doses.
FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS: Your rabbit should be fed at least two cups of fresh greens per day. Refer to the list below, and rotate veggies so that your bunny isn’t always eating the same thing. Keep in mind that rabbits have sensitive digestive systems. New fresh foods should be introduced gradually, and you must monitor your rabbit for changes in appetite, posture, and stool.
Treats/Fruit
Fresh fruit and berries are the safest and best treat for your rabbit.
Do NOT feed your bunny packaged, sugary treats even if labeled “safe for rabbits”! Anything containing dairy (yogurt), nuts, and/or seeds is not safe for rabbits. If you’re looking for a variety of treats for your bunny, purchase only from stores dedicated to rabbits, such as binkybunny.com.
Pelleted Food
Pelleted food is given as a supplement and also to assess whether your rabbit is feeling well. Most rabbits LOVE pellets, so if your bunny doesn’t want to eat them, (s)he may be in distress. However, feeding too many pellets is not healthy for the rabbit and can cause them to stop eating hay. When choosing pellet food, look for Timothy Hay as the first ingredient and do NOT feed anything containing corn or corn by-product.
FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS: Feed your rabbit according to the label. If you’re not sure how much your rabbit weights, contact us. Rabbits have sensitive digestive systems and new types of food should be introduced slowly.
New Beginnings Animal Rescue for Rabbits 