Your rabbit deserves a healthy and perfect diet with a mix of hay, seeds and fresh vegetables. That way, the rabbit not only gets enough nutrition every day, but also stays healthy for the rest of his life. Rabbits have a sensitive digestive system, and need a diet rich in fiber such as whole grains, hay, and vegetables for their digestive system to function normally. Give your rabbit the right greens for a healthy and happy life.
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Part 1 of 2: Getting the Right Greens
Step 1. Choose at least three types of vegetables per meal, including one vitamin A-rich food
Each type of vegetable will provide different nutrients to rabbits. Make sure your rabbit eats a variety of vegetables and practice chewing movements. Your rabbit's teeth will continue to grow so it will need to be constantly trained to grind food. Vegetables that are good for rabbits include:
- collard greens (a type of mustard that is rich in vitamin A)
- Beets (shoots, rich in vitamin A)
- Lettuce, Romaine, Green or Red leaves (don't give iceberg or lightly colored leaves)
- Spinach
- Parsley
- Basil
- Mint
- Bok Choy
- Dandelion Leaves
- Mustard greens
- Peas (peas only)
- Brussels sprouts
- Swiss chard
- Broccoli (leaves and stems only)
- Coriander
- Dill
- The green part of the carrot
- Celery leaves
- Watercress
Step 2. Don't overfeed certain vegetables
Some vegetables can be harmful if your rabbit eats too much of it in a short period of time, or if there are too many additions to certain nutrients in the rabbit's body. Vegetables such as cabbage, parsley, mustard greens, and spinach should not be given too much because they are rich in oxalates and goitrogens.
Vegetables such as eggplant, potatoes, and tomato leaves are toxic to rabbits and should not be given at all
Step 3. Use carrots and fruits as a snack
Carrots should not be given too much to rabbits because they are rich in sugar and oxalate. Oxalates can even trigger urinary stones in rabbits. Carrots should only be given as a snack.
- Give your rabbit 1.25 cm of carrots to chew up to once a day to prevent adding sugar to the rabbit's diet. Rabbits also love sugar and tend to eat sugary foods instead of healthy foods.
- Fruits rich in natural sugars such as bananas and grapes should only be given as a snack. Limit rabbit fruit consumption to two tablespoons per 2.2 kg rabbit weight and prioritize fibrous fruits such as apples, blueberries, oranges (without skin), papaya, and pineapple.
Part 2 of 2: Feeding the Rabbits
Step 1. Wash all the vegetables before giving them to the rabbit
Wash the vegetables thoroughly to remove pesticides or other harmful chemicals on the surface of the vegetables.
Try to use organic products so that your rabbit is not exposed to pesticides
Step 2. Give the rabbit a daily diet based on its weight
The standard formula is at least one cup of vegetables per day for every 1.8 kg of body weight. Most rabbits weigh around 2.2-3.6 kg. Find your rabbit's weight and then use the formula to determine the amount of vegetables to give your rabbit.
Step 3. Give the rabbit one vegetables at a time
This way, you can check the sensitivity of the rabbit's body, and prevent his digestive system from being shocked. Start by giving your rabbit some leafy greens, and watch your rabbit for digestive issues such as diarrhea or loose stools.
Rabbits also have individual tastes in food. Therefore, if your rabbit doesn't like a certain vegetable, write it down and replace it with another vegetable that your rabbit may like
Step 4. Make a nutritionally balanced salad for each of your rabbit's meals
Start by making a salad from a base of leafy greens, romaine, or lettuce, and two other herbs or greens, one of which must contain vitamin A.
For example, you can try a salad of romaine lettuce, spinach and mint. Watch the rabbit's reaction to this meal. If the response is good, continue feeding the rabbit variations of this salad (for example, replacing spinach with beets or collards). After a few meals, replace the salad base with other lettuce and other vitamin A-rich vegetables
Step 5. Maintain the rabbit's diet with hay and seeds
Fresh hay is the most important element of the rabbit's diet because it contains a lot of fiber and is good for the rabbit's digestive system. A rabbit's diet should contain mostly fresh hay, vegetables, fresh grains, and drinking water. Give adult rabbits timothy, grass, and wheat, while for young rabbits give alfalfa hay. Do not give alfalfa to adult rabbits because it is too high in protein, calcium and sugar.
