What kind of pellets should i feed my rabbit

Rabbits need a well-balanced diet to be healthy and happy. Take a look at our rabbit feeding tips. Recognising pet obesity, the associated health risks and how to prevent them. Share this What should a rabbit's diet consist of? Print What should a rabbit's diet consist of? Find out where to buy hay here. When you feed a lower quantity or no of pellets, you must replace the nutritional value without the calories, which is done by increasing the vegetables. Also, a variety of hay must be encouraged all day long, we do this by offering fresh hay a couple of times a day.

Like lots of people, many rabbits have a sweet tooth. As with humans, treats are at the top of the food pyramid for bunnies and therefore should be fed sparingly. Healthy treats for your bunny include small pieces of fresh or freeze-dried fruit the approved fruits listed above ; natural, unprocessed mixes that include hay and dried flowers the approved flowers listed above ; and Oxbow brand rabbit treats.

Always read the ingredient list on store-bought treats because not all of them are safe for bunnies. Avoid treats that include added sugar, preservatives and artificial coloring, and never give your rabbit human treats. Some foods are not good for rabbits under any circumstances because they can make rabbits extremely sick. Here are foods to avoid giving your bunny completely:. Finally, rabbits need to stay hydrated, so they should have an unlimited supply of fresh water, which should be changed daily.

The water container should be cleaned with soap and water every few days. Water bottles are not easy to clean and can be difficult for rabbits to use, so bowls are better. Additional rabbit info and resources. About Best Friends Animal Society: A leader in the no-kill movement, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as lifesaving programs in collaboration with thousands of partners nationwide working to Save Them All.

When given in small amounts, pellets are still considered a healthy part of a balanced rabbit diet. Personally, I do feed my rabbits a daily portion of healthy pellets. Since rabbits are more likely to be excited about eating pellets than hay, a rabbit who suddenly refuses to eat their pellets is showing an immediate sign that they might be sick. Healthy brands of pellets are also fortified with vitamins and nutrients that are helpful for rabbits. However, it is definitely possible to keep a bunny healthy on a completely pellet-free diet.

After all, wild rabbits never have access to manufactured pellets and they are able to remain healthy. You can have a happy and healthy bunny, either way, so the decision is up to you. If you want to give your rabbit a pellet-free diet, you will need to adjust the quantities of hay and leafy greens that you give your rabbit.

This will help to ensure that they can replace the calories they would get from the pellets in their diet. Add in another type of hay in addition to their timothy hay try orchard hay or oat hay , and give your rabbit different types of leafy greens on a daily basis. Our domestic rabbits are actually the exact same species as European wild rabbits. They, of course, did not originally eat pellets as part of their normal diet.

Pellets were originally manufactured as a way to cheaply feed rabbits that were being bred as meat livestock.