sgprescue
Mama Doe
I often get pm's from people interested in learning more about the way I feed the rabbits so I thought I would start a seperate thread
Feeding a hay and veggies diet is simple, effective and most importantly most natural to the bunny. You must remember that a rabbits digestive system is designed to digest grass and vegetation and nothing else. If you start adding processed foods into the diet the are more likely to develop health problems.
The basics
Hay, hay and more hay. Forget about all the chopped up prepacked rubbish you find in some pet shops, when looking to purchase hay it needs to be long, green, clean and sweet smelling. Dont be afraid to sniff it before you buy , you may look a little odd but its important you get it right. I make sure there is plenty of good quality clean fresh meadow hay available at all times. For those of you with toilet trained bunnies remember they like to eat when they poo so put a nice big pile of hay on top of the litter in the tray, alternatively hang a hay rack next to the litter tray.
and more hay...........
As often as possible vary they types of hay you offer. I frequently feed oxbow timothy, oxbow orchard, herbal hay, oat hay etc. I also feed Dodson and Horrel "just grass" , as a combination of timothy, rye and fescue its a fantastic high fibre addition to your rabbits daily diet.
Grass
This is the best part of the diet, grazing on fresh grass is not only excellent for the digestive system but helps keep the teeth in good shape. If you have a garden why not set aside a section especially for the bunnies where you can grow lots of bunny safe plants. You can purchase timothy, orchard and other safe grass seeds from www.planetguinea.com . I also purchased clover, dandelion, chickweed and mallow seeds from http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/seeds/
Wild plants
If you are fortunate enough to live near a nice quiet country lane you can pick lots of bunny safe wild plants for them to eat. I dont pick them from anywhere where cars drive past or that could have been sprayed with chemicals. The most enjoyed plants to pick are grass, dandelions, sow thistle, clover, plantain and hog weed. For pictures of safe/unsafe wild plants there are 2 excellent books to get, one is "rabbit nutrition" by Virginia Richardson and the other is "greenfoods for rabbits and cavies" by F R Bell, both of these books are available from the RWA online shop.
Fresh vegetables
I give plenty of fresh veg on a daily basis. I try and stick to dark leafy greens as these are nutritious and provide a good work out for the teeth. I rarely feed fruit and carrots as they are high in natural sugars. There is a good basic list of what to feed at http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/rwf/articles/safefoods.htm
Herbs are also a great addition to the diet and if you have kids, getting them to grow herbs is a good way of getting them interested in helping with the bunnies.
Commercial food
I do not feed any commercial food whatsoever, that includes pellets, mix and treats. A rabbit filling up on processed food will become lazy and eat less hay which in turn can lead to health problems.
Babies and adults
In the wild, young rabbits (past weaning age) will eat exactly the same food as the adult rabbits. There is absolutly no need to feed dry food to babies to "build them up". I feed any babies that come into the rescue on exactly the same as the adults, hay, grass and veg, something they do very well on.
Thin rabbits
For rabbits that otherwise eat normally, if your rabbit is thin, consider having it blood tested to rule out other problems. A normal healthy rabbit should not need any commercial food to help it put on weight. Common causes for weight loss include EC, kidney disease, Liver problems and dental problems.
How much
Lucy and Buster can show you for themselves. Their meal in these photos consists of grass, dandelions, clover, plantain, sow thistle and hog weed, all freshly picked that day.
If I have missed anything out please forgive me, it is late at night :lol:
Feeding a hay and veggies diet is simple, effective and most importantly most natural to the bunny. You must remember that a rabbits digestive system is designed to digest grass and vegetation and nothing else. If you start adding processed foods into the diet the are more likely to develop health problems.
The basics
Hay, hay and more hay. Forget about all the chopped up prepacked rubbish you find in some pet shops, when looking to purchase hay it needs to be long, green, clean and sweet smelling. Dont be afraid to sniff it before you buy , you may look a little odd but its important you get it right. I make sure there is plenty of good quality clean fresh meadow hay available at all times. For those of you with toilet trained bunnies remember they like to eat when they poo so put a nice big pile of hay on top of the litter in the tray, alternatively hang a hay rack next to the litter tray.
and more hay...........
As often as possible vary they types of hay you offer. I frequently feed oxbow timothy, oxbow orchard, herbal hay, oat hay etc. I also feed Dodson and Horrel "just grass" , as a combination of timothy, rye and fescue its a fantastic high fibre addition to your rabbits daily diet.
Grass
This is the best part of the diet, grazing on fresh grass is not only excellent for the digestive system but helps keep the teeth in good shape. If you have a garden why not set aside a section especially for the bunnies where you can grow lots of bunny safe plants. You can purchase timothy, orchard and other safe grass seeds from www.planetguinea.com . I also purchased clover, dandelion, chickweed and mallow seeds from http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/seeds/
Wild plants
If you are fortunate enough to live near a nice quiet country lane you can pick lots of bunny safe wild plants for them to eat. I dont pick them from anywhere where cars drive past or that could have been sprayed with chemicals. The most enjoyed plants to pick are grass, dandelions, sow thistle, clover, plantain and hog weed. For pictures of safe/unsafe wild plants there are 2 excellent books to get, one is "rabbit nutrition" by Virginia Richardson and the other is "greenfoods for rabbits and cavies" by F R Bell, both of these books are available from the RWA online shop.
Fresh vegetables
I give plenty of fresh veg on a daily basis. I try and stick to dark leafy greens as these are nutritious and provide a good work out for the teeth. I rarely feed fruit and carrots as they are high in natural sugars. There is a good basic list of what to feed at http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/rwf/articles/safefoods.htm
Herbs are also a great addition to the diet and if you have kids, getting them to grow herbs is a good way of getting them interested in helping with the bunnies.
Commercial food
I do not feed any commercial food whatsoever, that includes pellets, mix and treats. A rabbit filling up on processed food will become lazy and eat less hay which in turn can lead to health problems.
Babies and adults
In the wild, young rabbits (past weaning age) will eat exactly the same food as the adult rabbits. There is absolutly no need to feed dry food to babies to "build them up". I feed any babies that come into the rescue on exactly the same as the adults, hay, grass and veg, something they do very well on.
Thin rabbits
For rabbits that otherwise eat normally, if your rabbit is thin, consider having it blood tested to rule out other problems. A normal healthy rabbit should not need any commercial food to help it put on weight. Common causes for weight loss include EC, kidney disease, Liver problems and dental problems.
How much
Lucy and Buster can show you for themselves. Their meal in these photos consists of grass, dandelions, clover, plantain, sow thistle and hog weed, all freshly picked that day.
If I have missed anything out please forgive me, it is late at night :lol: