In their natural habitat rabbits eat a range of grasses, weeds, leaves, shoots, twigs as well as the bark of shrubs, bushes and trees. They will also eat crops, roots, fruit and vegetables. Rabbits are herbivores and their digestive system has evolved to be extremely efficient, with the ability to eliminate indigestible fibre rapidly and ferment those fibres that are digestible. Hay should be available at all times and form a major part of your rabbit’s diet in order to prevent boredom and aid dental wear
What to Feed Your Rabbit
Rabbits need feeding twice a day, every day (in the morning and in the evening). A good quality, heavy, earthenware food bowl is essential to keep the food dry and clean, and prevent the rabbit from tipping the food on to the floor of the hutch. Their bowls must be cleaned after every use.
Rabbits need a balanced diet with high levels of fibre to keep their gut healthy and to encourage grinding to keep their continually-growing teeth in trim to ensure that they stay happy and healthy. Fresh vegetables and hay should be provided every day.
Many small animal food brands currently available contain a mixture of ingredients of varying taste, texture, shape, size and palatability. These foods are known as coarse mixes.
An alternative to this type of diet is one that is made up of identical pellets or extrusions (biscuits). This type of diet is referred to as a mono-component diet.
Mono-component diets and coarse mixes both have their advantages and disadvantages, however when deciding which type of diet to feed an animal, the lifestyle and behavioural characteristics of the animal are the main factors to consider.
Course Mixes – Pros / Cons
Rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas are known as foragers and grazers therefore feeding a coarse mix, with it’s variety of ingredients, would greatly enhance their ability to perform natural behavioural patterns, by allowing the animal to decide what it eats and when.
However, when feeding a course mix, it is essential that all the ingredients are consumed for the animal to receive a balanced diet. If the animal is provided too much food, it may be able to satisfy its hunger by only consuming its favourable ingredients. This may lead to the animal’s nutritional intake suffering.
Preventing Selective Feeding
If feeding a coarse mix and the animal is selectively feeding, there are several ways in which this can be controlled. The animal’s diet can be reduced gradually to encourage them to consume more of the ingredients. If the animal is set in their ways and continues to selectively feed then feeding the animal half the required amount twice a day will prolong the overall feeding time, therefore encouraging the animal to consume more of the diet.
If after all these steps have been taken, the animal continues to selectively feed, it would be advisable to change the diet to a mono component diet in order to ensure that the animal receives a balanced diet.
Mono Component Diets – Pros / Cons
Mono component diets are specifically designed to prevent an animal from selectively feeding. All of the extrusions are of identical nutritional composition and similar shape and size. Therefore the ability for the animal to selectively feed is eliminated.
It could be argued that providing a naturally foraging animal with a mono component diet is reducing its ability to perform natural behaviour. However, if the animal persistently selectively feeds, in order to ensure good nutrition and to promote efficient gut function and dental wear, taking away the animals opportunity of being fed a course mix is the best option for animal and owner.
To Summarise:
Some animals are naturally very fussy eaters, and if all efforts to encourage them to consume a coarse mix fail, then providing a mono component diet is the best option. It is always easier to encourage an animal to eat a good diet from birth. Therefore, if the animal is introduced to different ingredients correctly at a young age, then the likelihood of it selectively feeding later in life is reduced.
Changing your Rabbit’s diet
When changing your rabbit’s diet you must introduce new food gradually. Mix about one quarter of the new food with three quarters of the old food on the first day and then gradually increase the new food and decrease the old food over a 10-day period. This should make sure that your rabbit has no tummy upsets.
Treats
Treats are so called because that’s just what they should be – a “treat”. If fed correctly they are not detrimental to a rabbit and they will love them. However, treats are designed to be an extremely small element of the animal’s diet, and overfeeding may lead to health problems such as obesity, dental problems and heart disease.
Too much green food will cause diarrhoea. If you feed your rabbit human food, remember to avoid foods that are high in calories, sugary or contain too much fat. To help keep your rabbit’s teeth healthy, you need to provide lots of hay and perhaps a gnawing block and safe twigs to chew, such as apple, hazel or willow.
You can also feed special treats from your garden such as fresh grass, parsley, dandelion, carrot, apple, kiwi, alfalfa sprouts, celery, broccoli, sprouts, cauliflower, kale, spinach, cabbage leaves, peas, swede, tomatoes and raspberries. Many plants in your garden can upset your rabbit, to find out more, visit the Is My Rabbit Well? section.
A number of specially made Rabbit treats are also available from your local pet shop.
Drinking Bottle
It is vital that you ensure there is fresh drinking water available at all times.
The best way to provide fresh drinking water is to use a gravity-fed water bottle, attached to the front of the hutch. Use one of the large ballpoint bottles to prevent dripping and ensure a constant supply is available. Water bowls are not suitable as they are easily tipped over and can get contaminated.