| A BUNNY DIET....FEEDING THE WAY NATURE INTENDED |
| When it comes to feeding any animal, it is always best to research exactly what that animal would eat naturally in the wild. Unfortunately, with the advent of commercial pet foods, we have been getting away from this, and have been feeding our pet animals diets too high in grains, processing, chemicals and additives. All of my animals are fed a natural, non-processed fresh foods based on their natural diet. For buns, this is relatively easy. In terms of diet here are a few basic questions: WHAT DO BUNS EAT IN THE WILD? Our domestic bunnies have the same digestive system as their wild counterparts. It is a system that is designed to take in a relatively bland diet, that is difficult to extract a lot of nutrition from (this is why some of their food is digested twice). It is also very high in fibre, and low in sugars. A wild rabbit`s predominant food would be grasses. It would also take in smaller amounts of wild plants, flowers, sticks, leaves, etc. On occassion it may also find some berries, or small amounts of seeds or grains. PROBLEMS WITH COMMERCIAL RABBIT PELLETS: Commercial rabbit pellets were for the most part designed for large meat operations. Basically they are to get a rabbit fat, and long term health is not considered as meat rabbits are butchered at their market weight. Pellets tend to be high in grains such as soy, wheat, barley, and corn. While these may be okay in small amounts, they should NOT be the staple of a bun`s diet! They do contain some vitamins and minerals and buns love them, so they are okay to feed in smaller measured amounts. Remember that not all pellets are created equal. AVOID rabbit food that contains a high corn content (timothy hay should be the first ingredient..alfalfa only for younger buns or underweight ones), chemical preservatives (BHA/BHT/Ethoxyquin) or dyes. Also, if a rabbit food is mixed with coloured bits, seeds, or other treats, don`t buy it. Buns do not need this! My own favourite rabbit food brands are Oxbow and Martins. WHAT SHOULD AN IDEAL BUNNY DIET BE MADE UP OF? In order to replicate a wild buns diet, this is a general formula for feeding pet buns (click on the link for pictures and more info!): #1 INGREDIENT is HAY-Click here for pics A good quality hay will provide fibre, roughage and will keep teeth in good shape.The best hays to feed are Timothy, Orchard, or any mixture of grass hays. If possible, try to mix them up for more variety and nutrition. Alfalfa hay is higher in fat so should only be given occassionally or for rabbits who need it. If possible try to get hay that has not been chemically treated. Buying from local farms is WAY cheaper than the petstore where hay is marked up to a ridiculous price!! Hay should smell pleasant not moldy, should have good colour (not yellowish brown) and not be too dusty. You may have to experiment to get a hay your bun will eat. Hay should be offered unlimited. #2 INGREDIENT is FRESH GREENS-Click to see my green mixes! Fresh greens contain moisture, enzymes and other nutrients a rabbit would find in various wild plants. Domestic farmed greens are different from wild herbs and plants, but they make an acceptable replacement. Any green leafy vegetable is usually fine, but avoid gassy ones (ie cabbage/peppers etc.) or onions and garlic. I use various lettuces, parsley, cilantro, dandelion greens, carrots tops, beets tops, kale, spinach or herbs. I feed between 2-3 cups of greens per day. In the summertime, I also add as many wild plants (WARNING: FOR A LIST ON SAFE WILD PLANTS PLEASE LOOK HERE!) as I can, plus I let the buns graze outdoors in safe places. Plaintain, dandelion, a bit of clover and aster flowers, as well as wild grasses or wheat grass are favourites. Ensure the areas you are collecting from are not sprayed or walked on by many people and other animals. Wild grasses are a good way to introduce a rabbit with digestive problems to fresh greens, as they are bland and similar to hay. #3 INGREDIENT is PELLETS This is optional in my opinion. Rabbits do like them though, and they have some supplements and vitamins in them. For my medium sized bun, I feed 1/4 cups of pellets a day. For my smaller bun I feed around 1/8 cup of pellets per day. OVERFEEDING PELLETS IS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF OVERWEIGHT BUNS, not to mention other health problems associated with a high grain, processed diet. #4 INGREDIENT is TREATS or FRUIT Of course we all like to indulge a bit, so feeding treats is okay in moderation. I still avoid almost 99% of the commercial rabbits treats however, as they are often full of preservatives, colours, and poor quality grains or ingredients. A small piece of apple, strawberry, or blueberry will be just as delicious and healthy for your bun I buy horse treats as well which in general are higher quality than rabbit treats. A SMALL amount of grains such as oat groats, barley, flaxseed etc are okay occassionally as well. Just use common sense, and realize that too many sugars or fats are not ideal for a buns. HOME |
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