Oats make a good treat for rabbits. Like everything else, they should be given in moderation. One teaspoon a day is plenty unless you have an underweight rabbit. Oats are low is sugar but higher in fat.
How Much Hay Do I Give My Rabbit? You can give rabbits an unlimited supply of hay. Timothy Hay or Oat Hay are good sources of fibre. The only hay that should be limited or even completely eliminated from the diet of an adult rabbit is alfalfa hay.
The following feedstuffs are commonly used in rations for rabbits: Green feeds – growing plants such as grasses, weeds and leafy vegetables. Root crops – sweet potatoes, turnips and beets. Cereal grains – oats, wheat, barley, grain sorghums, corn and rye.
The RSPCA Victoria states that rabbits should not be fed any pet cereals, breakfast cereals, grains, seeds, nuts, corn, bread, biscuits or beans. When given uncontrollably, such foods can be toxic to rabbits.
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.
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.
Yogurt or dairy products should never be fed to rabbits, for the following reasons: - Lactobacillus/Acidobacillus are not a natural host of the adult rabbit intestinal and, if surviving the passage through the acid stomach, it will not survive the anaerobic conditions of the cecum.
Fresh hay should make up the bulk of your rabbit's diet and needs to be readily available at all times. Adult rabbits can eat timothy, grass, and oat hays, while younger rabbits should be fed alfalfa.
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.
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.
So, can your rabbit eat oat hay instead of Timothy? Yes, technically, although it won't be the best main course for every rabbit. If your rabbit starts to get a little too round, they probably need a “lighter” grass hay making up the majority of their daily fare.
Some people do offer cooked oats to their rabbits and it probably won't do them any harm, but it isn't a great idea. Overall, it's better not to give your rabbit any cooked foods, and that includes cooked oats. If you want to give your rabbit oats, only offer a few raw ones for it to enjoy on an infrequent basis.
What is a suitable hay for rabbits? Grass hays in Australia are pasture hay, paddock hay, meadow hay, oaten hay, cereal hay, ryegrass hay, timothy hay. Straw is not generally considered nutritional but can contribute to the non-digestible fibre component in diet and acts as good bedding.
Rabbits love anything leafy green. Lettuce, leaf lettuce, kale, spinach and dandelion greens, most flowers but especially petunias, carrots are a favorite too.
Rabbits usually wake up with the dawn and stay active until about mid morning. 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.
Though this likely will not come as a surprise, it is worth mentioning that rabbits, as herbivores, should never be offered meat, eggs, or dairy.
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.
Because rabbits require a high fiber diet with little fat, cheese is not suitable for them. Furthermore, cheese contains lactose, which rabbits cannot digest properly, and this can lead to diarrhea, stomach cramps, and gas buildup.
Can rabbits drink milk? You should not give rabbits milk to drink. Adult rabbits are lactose intolerant and milk products are bad for the rabbit's digestive system. Baby rabbits should also not have cow's milk because it is very different from the milk they get from their mothers.
Newborn rabbits drink only milk for the first 10 days. From 10 days small amounts of hay and veggies may be offered. By day 20 the kits should be nibbling the solid food, and by day 28 no more milk replacer should be offered.
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.
Myth #1 - Rabbits eat carrots
Reality: carrots shouldn't be a main source of food. Rabbits don't naturally eat root vegetables or fruit. Carrots and fruit are high in sugar and should only be fed in small amounts as occasional treats.
Light green lettuce, like iceberg, contains lactucarium and that causes diarrhea for your rabbit. When giving your rabbit lettuce for the first time, introduce the veggie slowly and in small quantitates, large amounts of lettuce can hurt their tummy.