FEEDING YOUR BUNNY
Fresh, clean water must be available at all times and is best given via a water bottle rather than a bowl which can be tipped over. In the winter, ensure the water supply does not freeze - wrapping a bottle in bubble-wrap can help prevent this.
A good quality rabbit mix of flaked peas, nibbles, cereals and grains such as 'Russel Rabbit', or a composite feed of 'Burgess Supa Rabbit Excel' or Supreme Science Selective nuggets, should be available in a small bowl - plastic bowls used for cats are ideal while heavier bowls are more suited to bunnies who like to toss them around.
Rabbits are herbivores and, in
the wild, would consume large quantities of fibrous plant material which is
essential for maintaining an healthy digestive system.
Rabbits require 16-18% CRUDE protein throughout their lives for growth, reproduction, cell renewal and tissue repair. Grasses and grains contain different levels of protein and fibre:
oats, wheat, barley, maize contain 9-12% crude protein
dried grass - 19% crude protein
alfalfa, lucerne - 22%
wheatfeed (used to make crunchy biscuits found in mixes) - 17%
Digestible protein should be 65-75% of the total crude protein
Vitamin and mineral requirements:
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Vitamin A 12,000 iu - important for fertility and the survival of young rabbits
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Vitamin B complex - this is found in grains and is reingested via soft caecotrophes
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Vitamin D 1,200 - 1,600 iu - a lack of Vitamin D can lead to calcium deficiency. Vitamin D can be synthesized by the body via UV sun rays (as in humans)
-
Vitamin E is necessary for protections against infection and an as anti-oxidant. Rabbits don't tend to be susceptible to deficiencies
-
the Calcium : Phosphorous ratio should be 1.5-2 calcium: 1 phosphorous. Calcium is required for the formation of strong teeth and bones as well as being involved in energy cycles. Excess calcium can lead to kidney and bladder stones.
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Magnesium should account for 0.3% of the total diet
Very little fat is required although the fatty acid linoleic acid is essential.
An ideal rabbit mix (for
non-breeding rabbits) should
include: 12% protein, 1-3% oil, 0.5-1% calcium and 20% fibre. Pregnant
or lactating does and growing youngsters have additional requirements.
Commercially prepared rabbit mixes can be labeled as either 'Complete' or Complimentary'. A complete mix can provide a fully balanced diet whilst complimentary feeds need additional supplements such as extra fibre, ie hay. Mixes can also allow rabbits to be selective in the bits they eat and leave. Many rabbits prefer the flaked peas and coloured crunchy nibbles in preference to pellets - if the vitamin and minerals are added to the pellets, then rejecting these will not provide your rabbit with a fully balanced diet. Therefore, it is advisable to feed you rabbit once their bowl is empty (or soiled) to ensure your rabbit has a balanced diet.
Rabbits also enjoy clean fresh vegetables (which must be introduced very
gradually for young rabbits - see below) such as carrots, carrot tops, cabbage, and occasional tomatoes and
apples. Potatoes and most types of lettuce, especially iceberg, should
not be offered.
Hay provides essential fibre
and must always be available as a staple part of the diet. This can help
prevent furballs
and gastric stasis disorders while the chewing action of long hay
(not the cropped type available in plastic bags from pet shops) is necessary for healthy teeth. Ideally, you should aim to feed your
bunny a pile of hay equivalent to his/her body size each day.
In addition to hay, another source of
fibre is Spillers' ReadiGrass - grass dried rapidly at a high temperature to retain the colour and
seal in the nutrients. It has a high protein
content (12%) together with 2% oil and a very high fibre content of 32%. This is available
in 1kg bags labeled for rabbits (local shop price £2.94, elsewhere priced up to
£4) or large 18kg bales intended for
horses (or a lot of rabbits!) from larger
animal feed stores.
Other excellent sources of fibre include: Dengie HiFi (40% fibre), Dengie HiFi Lite (40%), Dengie Alfa-A (25%).
A rabbit recovering from gastric stasis can benefit from a short-term diet of grass, ReadiGrass, long hay and water although this would not sustain a doe through pregnancy or weaning and could lead to growth retardation of very young rabbits.
