Rabbit Diet: What to Feed a Bunny

What should pet bunnies eat? Contrary to popular belief, rabbits need to eat more than just carrots and lettuce. They require a balanced diet of hay, fresh veggies and fruit, and a few pellets. Rabbits have very sensitive digestive tracts, so the transition to hay or pellets, or the introduction of new fruits and vegetables, must be done gradually to allow the rabbit’s system to adjust.

Hay: The staple of a rabbit’s diet:

The bottom of a rabbit food pyramid would contain long-stemmed ﬁber, in the form of hay, which makes up 80 to 90 percent of a rabbit’s diet. As grazing animals, rabbits need to have an unlimited supply of fresh hay daily.

You’ll want to feed your rabbit grass hays. Good types of grass hay for bunnies are timothy, orchard grass, brome and oat hay. You can feed your bunnies either one type or a mixture of different grass hays. Buy the freshest hay possible and check for the presence of mold or dust, which could make your rabbit sick.

Alfalfa hay is not a good choice for an adult rabbit, since it’s a legume, not a grass, and as such is too rich to be fed on a daily basis. Alfalfa can be given to rabbits once in awhile as a treat. Rabbits under one year of age can be fed alfalfa hay, but as they get older they should be switched to grass hay, especially if they are also being fed alfalfa pellets.

Pellets: Feed a bunny small quantities:

Timothy hay pellets can be given to bunnies in small quantities. An average-sized (6-10 pounds) adult rabbit only needs one-quarter cup of pellets daily. If your rabbit is under five pounds, feed just one-eighth of a cup. Rabbits larger than 10 pounds do not need more than a quarter of a cup, since it’s not a crucial part of a bunny’s diet.

Rabbits under one year old can be fed alfalfa pellets. Be sure to feed grass hay (rather than alfalfa) if you are feeding your young rabbit alfalfa pellets. Look for pellets with a high ﬁber content — the higher the better. Also, be aware that many foods marketed to rabbits aren’t actually healthy for them and can sometimes be harmful, so please read the ingredients. Do not buy the rabbit pellets that have dried corn, nuts and seeds added, because those foods can potentially be very harmful for rabbits.

Vegetables: A rabbit’s favorite foods:

Rabbits count vegetables and herbs among their favorite foods. Most greens found in a supermarket are safe for rabbits, with a few limitations and exceptions. (See the list of foods to avoid below.)

No more than two cups daily of fresh vegetables should be given to adult rabbits. Dwarf breeds and rabbits under five pounds should get just one cup of fresh veggies per day. A variety of two or three vegetables is ideal. Add one new vegetable at a time, and watch for signs of loose stool or diarrhea because, as mentioned above, bunnies have delicate digestive systems. Certain vegetables can be given every day, while others should be fed sparingly, one or two times a week.

Do not feed your rabbit potatoes, corn, beans, seeds or nuts. These foods are difﬁcult for rabbits to digest and can cause serious digestive problems.

Vegetables that can be fed to a rabbit daily:

Bell peppers
Bok choy
Brussels sprouts
Carrot tops
Cucumber
Endive
Escarole
Fennel
Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme
Lettuces: romaine, green leaf, red leaf, Boston bibb, arugula, butter
Okra leaves
Radicchio
Radish tops
Sprouts: alfalfa, radish, clover
Watercress
Wheatgrass
Zucchini

Vegetables and plants to give sparingly (one or two times a week) to a bunny:

Broccoli (stems and leaves only)
Carrots
Chard
Clover
Collard greens
Dandelion greens (pesticide-free)
Flowers: calendula, chamomile, daylily, dianthus, English daisy, hibiscus, honeysuckle, marigold, nasturtium, pansy, rose
Kale
Spinach

Fruit: Give to a bunny once or twice per week:

Fruit should be given to your bunny one or two times a week. The appropriate serving is one to two tablespoons of fruit (either one kind or a mixture) per five pounds of body weight. As with vegetables, fruit should be introduced slowly and one at a time.

Fruit to feed your rabbit (one or two times a week):

Apple (no seeds)
Banana
Berries: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries
Cherries (no seeds)
Grapes
Melon
Nectarine
Orange
Papaya
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Plum
Watermelon

Treats: Feed to a rabbit sparingly:

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.

Foods to avoid giving a rabbit:

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:All human treats

Beans
Beet greens
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Cereal
Chocolate
Corn or corn-cob treats
Crackers
Iceberg lettuce
Legumes
Mustard greens
Nuts
Pasta
Peas
Potatoes
Rhubarb
Seeds
Sugar
Turnip greens
Yogurt

Fresh water: Unlimited supply for a bunny:

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. A heavy ceramic bowl is ideal, since it doesn’t tip over easily.

In the end, I hope that you have found what you are looking for in this topic, and that I have helped you in explaining Rabbit Diet: What to Feed a Bunny in 7 steps, and to know the most important tips for its success.

Thanks for reading ❤

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