Feeding Guide
Hay:
Hay is the most important 'feed' you can give your rabbit. Rabbits can live on hay alone, pellets are just an additive we as rabbit owners and breeders feel is a good base feed. Hay is helps the digestive tract more than you actually would think, it also manages a rabbit's incisor growth as they chew on the hay. Of course, if you have pregnant/lactating does and kits, you'll want to give them hay as well as feed to keep them well nourished. Then you eventually wean them off of the pellets. If you decide to feed just hay or you want to feed it with pellets Timothy hay is the best, Alfalfa is rich in protein so it is good for pregnant/lactating does and kits but not a whole bunch (I would mix it with timothy). Hay should be available to your rabbit(s) 24/7 if it is the only feed.
Pellets:
Feeding your rabbit the rights foods is essential for a healthy rabbit. (If you decide to feed pellets along with hay instead of just hay, this is a good paragraph for you to read!)
I don't like to feed the rabbit food that you get at regular shopping stores like Target, Walmart, or even petstores. Get your rabbit feed from a feed store (Tractor Supply, etc.). They sell you a 25# or 50# bag or just plain alfalfa pellets for a really good price. And that's all your rabbit needs - PLAIN ALFALFA PELLETS - as a base feed. The mixtures and 'gourmet' rabbit feed is really not that healthy. Yes, it gives your rabbit a variety, but it can also make him fat. Overfeeding is the most common problem a rabbit owner can have. The corn in the mix is full of sugar that he doesn't need especially if he's in a cage a lot. And a lot of the other tidbits have sugar as well. So, to the point here --- give your rabbit 1/4 - 1/2 cup alfalfa pellets per 6 lbs of body weight twice daily. I feed our Mini Rex 1/4 cup twice a day at night and occasional veggies/fruits during the day.
Treats:
First and foremost your rabbit should be fed lots of hay. It's essential to keeping their teeth from overgrowing. Veggies are a daily treat and essentail. Fruit/Veggies (more veggies than fruit) need to be a variety but not a lot in one day (I.E. A couple baby carrots, leaf of lettuce, and apple core is good enough as a daily dose). I like to get my rabbits treats, it's fun and they love them. I recommend the yogurt bites and raviolis that you can buy at the petstore. Another fun thing to do is stuff some treats down an empty toilet paper roll and give it to your rabbit, they have fun chewing through it to the treat (unless of course they can get the treat out without chewing through the cardboard, which is fun too!).
Hay:
Hay is the most important 'feed' you can give your rabbit. Rabbits can live on hay alone, pellets are just an additive we as rabbit owners and breeders feel is a good base feed. Hay is helps the digestive tract more than you actually would think, it also manages a rabbit's incisor growth as they chew on the hay. Of course, if you have pregnant/lactating does and kits, you'll want to give them hay as well as feed to keep them well nourished. Then you eventually wean them off of the pellets. If you decide to feed just hay or you want to feed it with pellets Timothy hay is the best, Alfalfa is rich in protein so it is good for pregnant/lactating does and kits but not a whole bunch (I would mix it with timothy). Hay should be available to your rabbit(s) 24/7 if it is the only feed.
Pellets:
Feeding your rabbit the rights foods is essential for a healthy rabbit. (If you decide to feed pellets along with hay instead of just hay, this is a good paragraph for you to read!)
I don't like to feed the rabbit food that you get at regular shopping stores like Target, Walmart, or even petstores. Get your rabbit feed from a feed store (Tractor Supply, etc.). They sell you a 25# or 50# bag or just plain alfalfa pellets for a really good price. And that's all your rabbit needs - PLAIN ALFALFA PELLETS - as a base feed. The mixtures and 'gourmet' rabbit feed is really not that healthy. Yes, it gives your rabbit a variety, but it can also make him fat. Overfeeding is the most common problem a rabbit owner can have. The corn in the mix is full of sugar that he doesn't need especially if he's in a cage a lot. And a lot of the other tidbits have sugar as well. So, to the point here --- give your rabbit 1/4 - 1/2 cup alfalfa pellets per 6 lbs of body weight twice daily. I feed our Mini Rex 1/4 cup twice a day at night and occasional veggies/fruits during the day.
Treats:
First and foremost your rabbit should be fed lots of hay. It's essential to keeping their teeth from overgrowing. Veggies are a daily treat and essentail. Fruit/Veggies (more veggies than fruit) need to be a variety but not a lot in one day (I.E. A couple baby carrots, leaf of lettuce, and apple core is good enough as a daily dose). I like to get my rabbits treats, it's fun and they love them. I recommend the yogurt bites and raviolis that you can buy at the petstore. Another fun thing to do is stuff some treats down an empty toilet paper roll and give it to your rabbit, they have fun chewing through it to the treat (unless of course they can get the treat out without chewing through the cardboard, which is fun too!).