2006-12-30 07:48:27 · 10 answers · asked by rabbit lover 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Every day, I give my rabbit a big handful of alfalfa hay and rabbit food pellets. Every other day I give him a carrot, or his favorite is an apple, cut up, no middle (it is poisonous) Don't give them lettuce as they can get diarrhea.
2006-12-30 07:52:33 · answer #1 · answered by Jill S 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Be sparing with the fruit. It's not something rabbits naturally get, so what's healthy for you is like a giant bowl of ice-cream for her. She can actually get all the nutrients she needs from straight alfalfa pellets, but she'll be happier and healthier if she has an unlimited supply of low-calorie hay, a measured amount of plain pellets daily, and maybe some rabbit-safe greens. Do your research before you feed her vegetables; many foods we eat are upsetting or even toxic to rabbits.
2006-12-30 08:48:41 · answer #2 · answered by Rachel R 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She needs rabbit pellets, which you can find in most pet stores. Because she is five pounds, you could probably give her two handfuls, or more if she is not overweight. (There are also better instructions on the back of pellet food packages.) Your rabbit also needs constant access to fresh water, hay (for bedding, and a separate few handfuls of alfalfa or timothy for her to eat whenever.) Also, as treats once or twice a day, you could give her a carrot, little bits of apple, some fresh grass, etc.) There are also little treats especially for rabbits in most pet stores. My rabbit loves the ones that are fruit covered with yogurt.
Just make sure to introduce new foods very slowly to your rabbit, and check to make sure it is safe for her to eat.
Here is a good website that has some more diet suggestions:
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/treat.html
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html
Good luck and I hope this helps!
2006-12-30 08:49:24 · answer #3 · answered by horsegirl22 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
She needs regular rabbit pellets and timothy hay or alfalfa daily and fresh veggies at least 4 times a week for optimum health. Rabbits won't really overeat so make sure she has a full bowl all the time and gets plenty of exercise.
2006-12-30 07:53:06 · answer #4 · answered by talarlo 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
How old is your rabbit? Babies need different food than adult rabbits, which you'll see in in the links I'm sending. In general, be sure that your bunny has access to unlimited hay, fresh water. Your bunny should also have plain pellets (not the kind with seeds, nuts, corn, treats), and a variety of greens every day. You can give fruit and carrots, but in very limited amounts and no cookies, crackers, or treats from the pet stores.
Please check out:
Diet: http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabcare.html#diet
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Food/feeding_en.pdf
http://www.carrotcafe.com [tips on what and how much to feed your bunny at different ages]
Hay: http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabcare.html#hay
HTH,
2006-12-30 09:06:19 · answer #5 · answered by Martha G 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Rabbit pellets, and some hay to munch on. As a treat, we give every morning to the 100+ rabbits on the premises romaine (NOT iceburg) lettuce, and fruits and veggies like corn, strawberries, grapes, rasberries, etc.
2006-12-30 09:13:24 · answer #6 · answered by D 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
That is partially going to depend on the age of your rabbit.
If your rabbit is a larger breed of rabbit that grows to about 9 pounds or more in size then you should feed it about a 1 cup measuring cup of rabbit pellets a day. A 1 cup measuring cup equals about 6 ounces of pellets if you weigh it on a dietetic scale.
If your rabbit is a smaller breed of rabbit, which I'm guessing is the case. Then I would recommend giving it 2/3 of a cup of rabbit pellets a day, which equates to 4 ounces of rabbit pellets.
Growing rabbits require a little more protein than adult rabbits that are already grown. Growing rabbits should get about 17% protein and about 17% fiber (a 17-17 ration) a 16% protein rabbit feed will do, but I think 17% works a little better. Smaller breed adult rabbits can usually do well on rabbit pellets with about 15% protein and about 20% fiber (a 15-20 ration sometimes known as a show ration).
A good rule of thumb for feeding is give your rabbit just what it will clean up in 24 hours. It should barely clean up all of its food in 24 hours, with not a bit left in the feeder.
Don't listen to the people that tell you that you need to feed it veggies, greens, fruits, carrots, etc. Those can be given to your rabbit, but if so in very regulated amounts. Those kinds of foods have sugars that the rabbit's digestive system can't process very well. Those sugars can also cause diahrrea, especially if given too much. Also, some vegetables, fruits, and other things can have toxins that build up over time in the rabbit's system. If you give your rabbit treats like this you are just asking to give your rabbit diahrrea at some point. Diahrrea is probably the #1 disease that kills most domestic rabbits.
The rabbit pellets you feed your rabbit should be formulated so that they meet all of your rabbit's nutritional needs for food. You don't need to give them salt blocks, mineral blocks, veggies, or even hay.
Hay can be given to them, but you want to watch what kind of hay you feed and how much. If you are feeding a wide-leafed hay such as alfalfa or clover hay, you need to regulate how much you feed it just like you would for any treats. Too much wide leafed hay can also give your rabbit diahrrea. Wide leafed hays contain a lot of protein. If you look at the ingredients of your rabbit pellets, alfalfa should be right near the top of the list. It makes up a main portion of their rabbit pellets. But if you give them more in addition you can set off that nutritional balance that the rabbit needs. Giving them veggies and fruit can also ruin that nutritional balance. A rabbit needs a good balance of protein, fiber, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Whenever you add things to that, you risk throwing off that balance that professionals formulated who know rabbit nutrition way better than the average pet rabbit raisers do.
Stemmy hays like timothy or orchard grass consist mainly of fiber. Stemmy hays unlike wide leafed hays will not give your rabbit diahrrea. You can give your rabbit a small handful a day and that would be totally fine and you'd never have to worry about the stemmy hay like timothy giving your rabbit diahrrea.
Many people look at rabbits from a human standpoint. People need a variety of foods, so why shouldn't rabbits? Bugs Bunny likes carrots, so rabbits should like carrots right? Rabbits aren't people so the nutritional diet they need shouldn't be compared to human diets. And Bugs Bunny is no expert on rabbit nutrition, he's a cartoon.
One last note, if your rabbit pellets list carrots in the ingredients, switch to a better feed. Some feed companies do that to entice people at pet stores to buy their rabbit feed , but feed companies like that usually know very little about rabbit nutrition.
Below are some good quality rabbit feeds:
Heinold Feeds, Purina Feeds, Buckeye Feeds, Show-Rite Feed, Master Mix Pen Pals Formula, and Kent Feeds.
I personally like Heinolds Feed the best followed by Purina Feeds.
2007-01-03 04:00:18 · answer #7 · answered by devilishblueyes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
rabbit pellets
2006-12-30 07:59:44 · answer #8 · answered by Domino's Mom 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
vegetables. hope i helped you and your rabbit! good luck!
2006-12-30 08:30:51 · answer #9 · answered by pvw0909 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
she should be eating carrots sellary and fruits such as grapes , halfs of bananas and some apples!! Belive me!!
2006-12-30 07:52:15 · answer #10 · answered by chellyfrommars 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋