Feeding Your Rabbit

A proper diet is important to the health of your bunny. Fresh water should always be available for your bunny.

Pellets
The main diet of a rabbit should be rabbit pellets. Rabbits can also be fed certain vegetables, and hay. The most common recommended amount of pellet to be fed daily is 1 ounce per 1 pound of rabbit. If your rabbit weighs 4 pounds, then it should receive 4 ounces of rabbit pellets. Bunnies up to 4 months old should be fed as much as they will eat. Good quality pellet should be 16% to 18% protein, and at least 16% fiber. Rabbit pellet can spoil or get mold on it, both can cause illness in your rabbit. Only buy enough pellets to feed your rabbits for about a month. Ours typically lasts three weeks.

Hay
Hay should also be a regular part of your rabbits diet. Hay helps reduce hairballs and blockages in the intestines which can kill your rabbit. The most preferable type of hay is timothy hay. It provides the best fiber and lowest levels of calcium. alfalfa hay is higher in calcium and protein and lower in fiber. Alfalfa is usually an ingredient in rabbit pellets. Straw can be used, but contains little nutritional value.

Vegetables & Treats
Rabbits have a sweet tooth. They can be fed several types of treats, but should be limited to small portions two or three times a week. Never feed treats that have been treated with chemical fertilizer or pesticides. Rabbits under 6 months should not be fed any of these items. After 6 months or when trying a new treat watch the rabbits droppings to ensure they stay solid. Below is a list of items you can and cannot feed your rabbit.

Good
Apples (no seeds)
Grapes
Pears (no seeds)
Oranges
Strawberries
Cherries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Papayas
Pineapples
Melons
Mangoes
Peaches (no pit)
Tomatoes
Peas
Beans
Kale
Carrots
Carrot Tops
Mustard Greens
Dandelion Greens
Sugar Beets
Parsnips
Parsley
Potato Peels

Bad
Acorns
Almonds
Apple Seeds
Apricot Pits
Asparagus Fern
Azalea
Bleeding Heart
Carnations
Cherry Pits
Clematis
Creeping Charlie
Daffodil Bulbs
Daisy
Eucalyptus
Gladiola
Hyacinth Bulbs
Iceberg Lettuce
Iris
Ivy
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Jonquil
Lily of the Valley
Milkweed
mistletoe
Mustards
Nutmeg
Oak
Peach Pits
Pear Seeds
Peony
Philodendron
Plum Pits
Poinsettia
Rhododendron
Rhubarb Leaves
Skunk Cabbage
Tomato Leaves
Tulip Bulbs

Choosing a Pet Rabbit

Choosing the right rabbit for you and your family can be a very exciting process. There are currently over 40 recognized breeds of rabbits. Many of the breeds have multiple varieties and colors. Rabbits range in size from 2 pounds to over 10 pounds. So the choices are very abundant.
Many breeders give different answers regarding the preferred gender for a pet rabbit. This is compounded by the individual temperament of the rabbit. Often a doe (girl rabbit) that is not spayed, can become territorial was she reaches maturity. She may nip at you when reaching for her or even her food or water dishes. Some does will eliminate that aggression when a familiar face does the feeding on a daily basis. Some does we’ve found to be non-aggressive, and yet others can become territorial towards everybody, but that is very rare. If you do not plan to breed your rabbit, and you want a doe, it is best to have her spayed to help reduce the chances that she may protect her den.
Bucks present a different problem all together. Bucks generally are not aggressive. However, spraying can be a problem. When the buck reaches maturity he may start to spray his urine everywhere to let the whole world know he is ready for a mate. Again, not all bucks will do this, and typically the ones that do, will only do so for a short period of time. This problem can be eliminated by having the buck neutered.
Grooming is another consideration. The wool breeds such as angoras and jersey woolies require extra work in grooming. All rabbits need a good routine of grooming by their caretaker, but the wool breeds require more time because of the nature of their fur type.
The best way to see and find out about rabbits is to attend a rabbit show. At the rabbit show you will find many breeders and most of the breeds of rabbits. To find a show near you visit our calendar page and search for a show in your state.
I would not recommend buying a rabbit without first seeing it, nor would I recommend purchasing a rabbit from a pet store. It would be in your best interest to find a breeder in your area of the breed you think you would like. Visit with that breeder. See what the conditions are in the barn. Ask if you can hold a rabbit. Watch the rabbit’s reaction to their cage being opened. Rabbits that love attention, will immediately come to the door, some will even make happy grunting type noises. Other rabbits will immediately go to the back of the cage. If a rabbit moves to the back its probably not a good rabbit for you.

Interesting Facts About Rabbits

Rabbits are not rodents, they are lagomorphs.

A male rabbit is a buck

A female rabbit is a doe.

A baby rabbit is a kit.

When the doe gives birth her babies are collectively refered to as a litter.

The gestation period for a rabbit averages 31 days.

A rabbits teeth never stop growing.

The American Rabbit Breeders Association has 45 recognized breeds of rabbits .

The ARBA has over 30,000 members .

Rabbits can be litter trained .

A pet rabbit can live as long as 10 years .

Bunnies get weaned at about 8 weeks old .

Adult bunnies can weigh between 2 lbs - 20 lbs depending on breed .

Rabbits can purr similar to a cat .

Domesticated rabbits are born without fur .

Domesticated rabbits eyes do not open until they are about 2 weeks old .
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Rabbits cannot vomit .

Rabbits need hay to assist the digestive system and prevent fur balls in their stomach .

A group of rabbits is called a herd.

A group of rabbits live in a warren .

Mothers typically only feed their kits about 5 minutes a day .

Rabbit meat is lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than chicken, pork and beef .

Rabbit meat is all white meat

Rabbit droppings make an excellent garden fertilizer

Rabbits have 28 teeth

A 4 pound rabbit will drink as much water as a 20 pound dog

Bunnies love to chew

Rabbits do not hibernate

Rabbits can jump 36″ and higher .

Rabbits can suffer heat stroke .

Rabbits can see behind them, but have blind spot in front of their face.

When rabbits are happy, they will jump and twist, this is called a binky .

Rabbits can start breeding as early as 3-4 months of age .
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Predators can literally scare a rabbit to death .

Does will pull fur when pregnant to assist in the building of their nest .

Rabbits can have false pregnancies .

Rabbits groom themselves .

Domestic rabbits cannot breed with wild rabbits .

The only place a rabbit sweats is through the pads on its feet .

Rabbits eat their own night droppings called cecotropes .