Good quality hay and/or grass, always available, should constitute the majority of rabbits' diets. - Rabbits graze, naturally eating grass/other plants for long periods, mainly at dawn and dusk. - Rabbits' digestive systems need grass and/or hay to function properly.
What type of grass is safe to feed? Normal lawn grass is generally totally safe for your rabbits however if your bunny isn't used to eating grass then it should be introduced to their diet slowly.
Hay & grass – ideally an unlimited amount, but at least a bundle that's as big as them each day. Fresh food – an adult-sized handful of leafy greens, vegetables and herbs twice daily. Nuggets – just one tablespoon of rabbit nuggets once daily (or twice daily if your rabbits weigh over 3.5kg).
A rabbit's daily diet should consist mainly of large quantities of hay or dried or fresh grass that will provide the necessary fibre for the rabbit. Rabbits should have hay or dried or fresh grass during the day and night.
Baby rabbits can usually eat grass after about 8-weeks. They'll probably pick at grass or hay whilst still feeding on their Mother's milk and will transition across to hay completely at around 8-weeks.
Rabbits love anything that provides shelter, like low-to-the-ground shrubs, bushes, and taller grass.
The total amount of fresh food that you may give to your rabbit daily (once your bunny has been gradually introduced to it), is a minimum of 1 heaping cup (loosely packed), per 5 pound of body weight, given two times a day.
Average sized bunnies will make 200-300 poops per day. They should be uniform in size and shape which means rounded and pea to garbanzo sized. The size of your bunny won't always predict the size of their poops.
Hay: The staple 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.
What do rabbits eat? Rabbits should have a daily diet of mostly hay, a smaller amount of fresh vegetables, and a limited number of pellets. Hay is the most important part of a rabbit's daily intake. Unlimited, high-quality grass hay, such as Timothy, orchard or brome, should make up the bulk of a rabbit's diet.
After all, what would Rabbits do in the wild if it rained for a long time! Just don't feed them cut wet grass, it does decay faster and would be like you eating rotten food. My buns love the grass in the garden and eat it wet or dry, they're not fussed! Yes, this entirely refers to cut grass, like the others have said.
Fresh, clean drinking water and good quality hay and grass should make up the majority of your rabbits' diet. A rabbit's digestive system needs hay or grass to function properly so a healthy supply is extremely important. You can supplement with leafy greens and a small amount of pellets.
Green, leafy vegetables are good for bunnies. You can include arugula, basil, bok choy, broccoli leaves, carrot tops, celery, clover, collard greens, dandelion leaves, dill, endive, kale in small quantities, romaine and dark leaf lettuce, mint, mustard greens, parsley, and watercress.
Rabbits love grass or hay
Rabbits' food should be as close as possible to their natural diet, of mostly grass or hay. In fact, rabbits could live on hay and water alone, but we recommend fresh leafy vegetables and a little commercial feed.
This should be a given. Your rabbit wants and needs to be clean. Rabbits sleep on the hay or straw that you place in their cage; so, be the friend that your rabbit deserves and place fresh, clean straw (here's an example) down for your rabbit friend to sleep on.
It is nearly impossible for a rabbit to eat too much hay. However, if a rabbit has other foods that are easier to eat available, they will typically forgo the hay in favor of these other foods. So when a rabbit is given too many pellets or sugary treats, they will end up overeating them instead of munching on hay.
Indoors, a rabbit's living area should be placed in a cool room, out of direct sunlight and draughts, as well as away from radiators (as rabbits can suffer from overheating) and loud noises.
Technically, they can live without hay for years, but it's not good for them to go without for too long. The chewing hay helps wear down the teeth, it's high fiber, helps keep their gut moving, etc.
A typical rabbit day
They spend this time eating, grooming, digging, foraging and playing. They may investigate a new toy or digging box, follow you around to see what you are doing, or race around burning off energy.
Similar to dog urine, high concentrations of rabbit urine is known to burn turfgrass resulting in brown spots. If you've been noticing spots in your yard that look really short and are beginning to brown, check for rabbit pellets because it is likely rabbit damage.
Avoid foods high in sugar and simple carbohydrates, such as grains, nuts, seeds, corn, beans, peas, breads, biscuits, sweets, sugar, breakfast cereals, or chocolate. There are a number of garden plants that are toxic to rabbits (see Table One).
Digestive upset
Rabbits have amazing digestive systems that can turn grass into energy, but things can, and do, go wrong. Those bunnies whose digestion isn't quite right may also stop eating, or may become more choosy about which food they do eat.
Feed your rabbits a small amount of good quality pellets or nuggets daily. Give them the right amount - measure 25g (an eggcup-full) of pellets per kg of your rabbit's body weight. For example, for a medium-sized rabbit (2kg), feed a maximum of two full egg cups.
High in sugar, apples should only be fed to rabbits as a treat. Also high in sugar, it's safe for rabbits to eat bananas occasionally. Rabbits have a sweet tooth, so grapes are great as a treat.
The term rabbit starvation originates from the fact that rabbit meat is very lean, with almost all of its caloric content from protein rather than fat, and therefore a food which, if consumed exclusively, would cause protein poisoning.