Home  Fun fur  Bucks  Does  Juniors  Hollands For Sale

 

 

<Back         Next>

 

Beware of...

Don't be fooled by fancy packaging. Most gourmet rabbit foods, and rabbit treats are unhealthy and even dangerous for rabbits to eat. They are often high in calories (causing obesity), low in fiber, low nutrients, contain seeds and corn that cause blockages, and they are expensive. My daughter would beg me to buy our bunny treats. So I got a very fancy container and put Cheerios and a few fruit loops in it.   Rabbit treats are $2.50 to $$5.50. Cheerios cost a few cents and rabbits love them. Shredded wheat is a great treat too.

I do not recommend the above treat sticks for rabbits. Rabbits can get very fat really quickly off these kinds of treats and the corn can cause a deadly blockage.

I don't use these cereal type treats. You can buy a cute container and put Cheerio's in it for your kids to feed  your rabbit a treat. Then both the children and bunny can share a snack. The rabbit will end up with less quantity of fatting treats if it's something a child can eat too. You can buy stickers at the dollar stock and have your child decorate his/her treat container to make it special. Be careful not to feed cereal type rabbit treats, rabbit yogurt drops and human cereal too often and in small quantities only. There is research to support that this kind of food can encourage the over growth of "bad" deadly bacteria that lives in the intestinal tract. This can be fatal to rabbits and is very hard to reverse.

Above is Meadow Hay and Timothy

Although Rabbits are not related to rodents, their teeth are constantly growing. They do need something to chew to wear their teeth down. Timothy hay or grass Hay is the best treat for bunnies and should be offered daily.  It's high in fiber and gives bunnies something to chew to keep their teeth healthy.

Pet stores sell small bags for around $4.00 to $5.00 Dollars. If you live near a farm you can ask the farmer to fill a garbage bag for the same price. A fifty pound bale of hay costs around $5.00 in Ontario Canada. The Farmers are normally happy to sell a bag full weighing around 10 pounds for $5.00. You get 10 times the amount for you money  and  the farmer is happy too. Ask for Timothy hay, grass hay or alfalfa mixed hay (the farmer knows what that means). A Horse farm will normally carry the right kind of hay. A cow farm may carry straight Alfalfa, still good but very rich and high in calories. So feed sparingly.

 

 

 

 

bunnyclip28.gif (6891 byte)

Starting you rabbit on vegetables the right way.

A rabbit needs is a good quality Timothy Hay, Pellets, fresh water and you can feed something succulent everyday (fruit or vegetable).

I don't recommend feeding a rabbit under 4 to 6 months old any vegetables.
For the simple fact that a rabbit's digestive tract isn't full developed.
Feeding them vegetables and fruits before 4 months of age isn't the problem.
The problem is if the rabbit gets diarrhea because something it ate disagreed with them. Diarrhea with most baby animals is serious and often deadly. It's very difficult to get under control, it also washes out the good bacteria needed to digest food. Adult animals can recover more easily. That is why I don't recommend feeding until a later age.

When you do start feeding them fresh fruits and vegetables, you still need to start slowly. A rabbit that is on an all pellet and hay diet has a very slow digestive system.
A sudden change to fresh food can still be serious and deadly. Even if the rabbit recovers from diarrhea, they tend to become constipated and gassy. Cramps from gas will stop a rabbit from eating and drinking. If you don't get the rabbit eating again within a day or two, it can die from the pain or from complications such as it's liver and kidneys shutting down.
The key to getting your rabbit on vegetables is to start with small amounts and introduce a new food every few days or  once a  week. This  way if something does upset the rabbit's system, you'll  know which food was the problem. Also by feeding in small amounts you will minimize any adverse affects from a digestive upset.

 

<Back           Next>

 

Home  Fun fur  Bucks  Does  Juniors  Hollands For Sale