Feeding Time

Hey All

I'm new to the forum, my name is James.

I just wanted to clarify something. I have been given a rabbit from someone, she looks to be in excellent condition and well cared for, but they've been feeding her store bought rabbit food and there is some hay in the hutch, and I have been told not to bother giving rabbit food to her as its not actually that healthy.

I have been told to feed her hay, fresh cut grass (not mowed) and I can also feed her dried stinging nettles......along with certain vegetables but not all the time! Is this correct?

I have bought today a bale of Timothy Hay, Straw to use as bedding and I have some fresh cut grass and currently have some nettles sitting to dry out.......just wanted to be certain I am feeding her correctly as its been years since I had a rabbit

Its all different for different owners.

Some owners do a lot of foraging for their rabbits and so don't feed rabbit food.

However, for most rabbit owners we feed an egg cup of rabbit pellets (not muesli mix), around 15% of their diet is fresh veg/forage & then 80% is hay.

My girls are fed on Science Selective rabbit food which they get in the evenings. In the morning they get a bowl of kale, broccoli, watercress etc (it varies each day) and then throughout the day we top up & change their hay. The get forage most days too, i.e. willow branches/leaves, birch, plantin, maple, hawthorn etc etc

OK I will get some pellets and give an egg cup every day. Currently she's got some broccoli in there, hay and the fresh cut grass. Have you ever fed yours nettles?

I've offered them, but neither liked them so I stopped bothering.

With the pellets, if she's never had them before you need to tart with just one or two and gradually increase over the week to get to an egg cup full. This is to prevent against a tummy upset.

If she's not used to veg every day, that's fine. If you introduce any new foods to her, take it slow & only offer 1 new one at a time. This makes it easier to monitor for any tummy upsets.

Mine love dead nettles - and they don't need to be dried either. I do dry forage for them, but that's my building them up a winter stock for them.

At the moment, my 9 are eating fresh forage every morning (plantain, nettle, cleavers, vetch, willow etc.) and the same again or an eggcup of Science Selective pellets per bun at night. They get readigrass every other day or so, and Fibafirst as a treat. There's unlimited hay too, of course.

In winter, I tend to add a bit more 'regular' veg, but the more I dry, the less I'll have to replace forage with veg. :lol:

Good luck with your bun.

I got some pellets this afternoon. Tonight she's got some broccoli, nettle, pellets and her hay.

I haven't foraged yet as I'm not clued up o what different things are,,....I know Grass & Nettles but that's about it lol

When you say getting a dry stock for winter........have you all just got lots of vegetation drying out in your sheds lol

JimmyT28 said:

I got some pellets this afternoon. Tonight she's got some broccoli, nettle, pellets and her hay.

I haven't foraged yet as I'm not clued up o what different things are,,....I know Grass & Nettles but that's about it lol

When you say getting a dry stock for winter........have you all just got lots of vegetation drying out in your sheds lol

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Good job - just make sure she's transferred over slowly else it can cause gut issues. I hope she enjoys them!

I had very little clue last year too, but it can be quite easy to pick up with a little research. I find it very therapeutic to forage too. Dandelion and bramble (thorns and all!)are easy ones to add, but there's so much to potentially feed. At the moment, I'm feeding a fair bit of willowherb, various rose types, herb robert, herb bennet, plantain, dead nettle types, hawthorn, vetch, willow leaves... the list keeps going.

As for drying - personally, my airing cupboard looks like it has exploded with vegetation. :lol: And I store it in boxes once dried under my bed.

I think it may be a slow transfer, I'm hoping she is eating her hay, well I know she is eating her hay as I've seen her just not sure on how much she is eating, she hasn't touched the broccoli, cauliflower, nettles & pellets........I think she has been fed mainly on rabbit mix/muesli as this is what was in her hutch when I got her