Tamsin
10-03-2008, 11:09 PM
Ideally a rabbit should eat large quantities of hay and small controlled portions of pellets. In addition they may have fresh foods such as vegetables, grass and herbs.
Hay should always be available and make up the majority of a rabbit’s diet. The high fibre content is important for keeping the gut working properly and also helps to wear down the teeth, preventing them overgrowing. As well as fibre, hay is also a source of vitamins and minerals. Ideally a rabbit should eat a pile of hay roughly the same size as its body each day. Buying hay by the bale will help keep costs down, and if you can find a good supplier you’ll get as good as or better quality hay than pre packaged. If you can’t store bales or only have a few rabbits then ask if you can buy part bales. You can buy directly from farms or via horse feed suppliers/shops usually prices are £2-4 per bale. Good quality hay aimed at horses will also suit rabbits.
Sainsburys run a scheme to donate left over fresh produce to good causes (ask in store) and markets are another good source for fresh foods.
Pelleted dry foods are better than mixes as they prevent selective feeding and are generally higher in fibre. The availability of these varies (call for stockists) so your location may dictate the choice. Allen & Page offers one of the highest fibre levels and is around half the price of the other brands so, if available, this may be the best option.
It’s important that the quantity of pellets is carefully controlled to prevent rabbits becoming over weight. The quantity of dry food required depends on where the rabbit is kept, how old it is, how much exercise it gets and how big it is. A medium sized adult rabbit generally requires no more than 50g of dry food a day. A rabbit that eats a large quantity of hay and 'greens' may eat less. Rabbits outside during winter may need increased pellets to maintain a healthy body weight as they expend more energy in keeping warm. If exercise is limited then reducing pellets, encouraging them to top up on hay, will prevent them becoming over weight.
Diets for Young, Adult and Older Rabbits
A young rabbit is growing and will need a higher protein level, generally baby rabbits can be allowed food ad lib. However, it is important young rabbits get into the habit of eating hay. If this is overlooked for the pellets then it may be necessary to limit pellets to encourage hay eating as well. An elderly rabbit may need more dry food to maintain a healthy body weight.
Changing a Rabbits Diet
Any change to a rabbits diet needs to be done gradually. Ideally when changing one sort of dry food for another you should gradually mix the new feed into the old over a period of around 7-14 days. For example, start of with a mix of 10% of the new food and 90% of the old, and increase the new and decrease the old each day. During this time you need to watch out for changes to the rabbits droppings. If they become soft or runny, slow down the change. Introducing new foods such as vegetables should also be done slowly - starting with small quantities to check they don’t upset the rabbit’s gut.
New Rabbits
If possible ask the rabbits previous owner to bring the current food in with the rabbits. Then it can be gradually swapped from one diet to the other. This is particularly important in young rabbits who are more prone to gut problems due to stress. If a gradual change is not possible instead feed hay as the bulk of the diet for the first few days and gradually introduce dry food, increasing the amount as the rabbit gets used to it.
Common Problems
Excess cecal pellets (‘Dirty/Sticky Bottoms’)
Rabbits produce two types of droppings - round dry pellets and darker, soft ones resembling bunches of squashed grapes (cecal). Usually the second type are eaten as they are produced so not seen. A rabbit whose diet isn’t quite the right balance will leave them on the floor or they may become caked to the fur around the bottom (sticky bottom). A common cause for this is too much dry food or a diet that is to low in fibre/high in protein. Try reducing the amount of pellets, feeding higher fibre pellets and topping up the diet with more hay.
Refusing Hay
Despite the importance of hay many rabbits are brought in unused to it. Encouraging them to eat more is important for their health. This can be done by placing hay in areas he/she likes to doze, such as the litter tray and bed. Adding hay to toys, such as stuffing it in cardboard tubes, can also encourage the rabbit to nibble. Reducing the dry food may also help hay intake and mixing the dry food into the hay.
Overweight
Rabbits generally become over weight due to overfeeding combined with a lack of exercise. Overweight rabbits are prone to sticky bottoms and fly strike. To reduce weight cut down on dry food to encourage more hay intake. Exercise can be encouraged using the enrichment techniques below.
Underweight
Teeth problems are a common cause of weight loss; this and other health problems should be ruled out. If the rabbit has been starved, start with a diet of hay and small amounts of dry food and build the dry food up gradually so the sudden change does not upset the gut. Porridge oats mix with a little water to make a mush can help weight gain.
Other Tips
It may help to put up notices explaining why the rabbit’s bowls are empty - some visitors will expect rabbits to have permanent supplies of dry food not realising this can led to the rabbit becoming over weight.
Cards attached to hutches with diets for each rabbit can help if multiple volunteers are responsible for feeding so a routine is maintained.
Monitoring the rabbits weight regularly can help with making adjustments to the diet. Rabbits can be weighed by placing them in a carrier/box on a pair of kitchen scales. Take the weight of the empty carrier away from the total weight to get the rabbits weight.
Hay should always be available and make up the majority of a rabbit’s diet. The high fibre content is important for keeping the gut working properly and also helps to wear down the teeth, preventing them overgrowing. As well as fibre, hay is also a source of vitamins and minerals. Ideally a rabbit should eat a pile of hay roughly the same size as its body each day. Buying hay by the bale will help keep costs down, and if you can find a good supplier you’ll get as good as or better quality hay than pre packaged. If you can’t store bales or only have a few rabbits then ask if you can buy part bales. You can buy directly from farms or via horse feed suppliers/shops usually prices are £2-4 per bale. Good quality hay aimed at horses will also suit rabbits.
Sainsburys run a scheme to donate left over fresh produce to good causes (ask in store) and markets are another good source for fresh foods.
Pelleted dry foods are better than mixes as they prevent selective feeding and are generally higher in fibre. The availability of these varies (call for stockists) so your location may dictate the choice. Allen & Page offers one of the highest fibre levels and is around half the price of the other brands so, if available, this may be the best option.
It’s important that the quantity of pellets is carefully controlled to prevent rabbits becoming over weight. The quantity of dry food required depends on where the rabbit is kept, how old it is, how much exercise it gets and how big it is. A medium sized adult rabbit generally requires no more than 50g of dry food a day. A rabbit that eats a large quantity of hay and 'greens' may eat less. Rabbits outside during winter may need increased pellets to maintain a healthy body weight as they expend more energy in keeping warm. If exercise is limited then reducing pellets, encouraging them to top up on hay, will prevent them becoming over weight.
Diets for Young, Adult and Older Rabbits
A young rabbit is growing and will need a higher protein level, generally baby rabbits can be allowed food ad lib. However, it is important young rabbits get into the habit of eating hay. If this is overlooked for the pellets then it may be necessary to limit pellets to encourage hay eating as well. An elderly rabbit may need more dry food to maintain a healthy body weight.
Changing a Rabbits Diet
Any change to a rabbits diet needs to be done gradually. Ideally when changing one sort of dry food for another you should gradually mix the new feed into the old over a period of around 7-14 days. For example, start of with a mix of 10% of the new food and 90% of the old, and increase the new and decrease the old each day. During this time you need to watch out for changes to the rabbits droppings. If they become soft or runny, slow down the change. Introducing new foods such as vegetables should also be done slowly - starting with small quantities to check they don’t upset the rabbit’s gut.
New Rabbits
If possible ask the rabbits previous owner to bring the current food in with the rabbits. Then it can be gradually swapped from one diet to the other. This is particularly important in young rabbits who are more prone to gut problems due to stress. If a gradual change is not possible instead feed hay as the bulk of the diet for the first few days and gradually introduce dry food, increasing the amount as the rabbit gets used to it.
Common Problems
Excess cecal pellets (‘Dirty/Sticky Bottoms’)
Rabbits produce two types of droppings - round dry pellets and darker, soft ones resembling bunches of squashed grapes (cecal). Usually the second type are eaten as they are produced so not seen. A rabbit whose diet isn’t quite the right balance will leave them on the floor or they may become caked to the fur around the bottom (sticky bottom). A common cause for this is too much dry food or a diet that is to low in fibre/high in protein. Try reducing the amount of pellets, feeding higher fibre pellets and topping up the diet with more hay.
Refusing Hay
Despite the importance of hay many rabbits are brought in unused to it. Encouraging them to eat more is important for their health. This can be done by placing hay in areas he/she likes to doze, such as the litter tray and bed. Adding hay to toys, such as stuffing it in cardboard tubes, can also encourage the rabbit to nibble. Reducing the dry food may also help hay intake and mixing the dry food into the hay.
Overweight
Rabbits generally become over weight due to overfeeding combined with a lack of exercise. Overweight rabbits are prone to sticky bottoms and fly strike. To reduce weight cut down on dry food to encourage more hay intake. Exercise can be encouraged using the enrichment techniques below.
Underweight
Teeth problems are a common cause of weight loss; this and other health problems should be ruled out. If the rabbit has been starved, start with a diet of hay and small amounts of dry food and build the dry food up gradually so the sudden change does not upset the gut. Porridge oats mix with a little water to make a mush can help weight gain.
Other Tips
It may help to put up notices explaining why the rabbit’s bowls are empty - some visitors will expect rabbits to have permanent supplies of dry food not realising this can led to the rabbit becoming over weight.
Cards attached to hutches with diets for each rabbit can help if multiple volunteers are responsible for feeding so a routine is maintained.
Monitoring the rabbits weight regularly can help with making adjustments to the diet. Rabbits can be weighed by placing them in a carrier/box on a pair of kitchen scales. Take the weight of the empty carrier away from the total weight to get the rabbits weight.