Rabbit Diet
Hay Hay Hay & More Hay!
Hay makes up almost 85-90% of a bunny's diet. It's important to keep your bunny healthy as it maintains digestion, trims down teeth, reduces unwanted chewing, and much more. Hay is high in fiber which is essential to keep your fur baby healthy. However, timothy hay is a very common allergy among most individuals. Other hay alternatives include oat hay, meadow hay, orchard grass, & coastal hay. We don't recommend feeding your bunny alfalfa hay as it has very high levels of protein, calcium, & fat. This can cause health issues which can affect the bladder and kidneys.
Pellets
Good Quality Feed
Finding a good quality pellet is very important to keep your bunny healthy. Here in our Rabbitry, we use Kalmbach Best In Show 16%. You can purchase this on Chewy.com. It only comes in 50lb bags and if you cannot buy in bulk we recommend Oxbow rabbit pellets. Bunnies that are 6 months and older only need 1/4-1/2 cup of pellets per day. Babies should get 1/2-3/4 cup per day. We feed all our bunnies 1/2 of the recommended amount in the AM and 1/2 in the PM. Hay and fresh water is provided at all times
Transitioning Pellets
It's Important to gradually introduce new pellets if you are changing the bunny's diet. Rabbits are very sensitive to any change in their diet, especially young babies. This chart shows a good example how to mix pellets to gradually wean bunnies from old pellets to new.
Housing
If you are unable to free roam your bunny, we recommend finding a cage at least 4ft x 4ft as bunnies love to run and binky around. The bunny should be able to hop at least 3-4 times in all directions and to be able to stand up on their back feet. We recommend a large dog X-pen that is at least 4 ft tall as bunnies can jump 3-4 ft high. You may also DIY your own top to enclose the pen. For flooring, never use bedding or litter as this discourages the bunny to use a litter box. Instead, use vinyl flooring, waterproof tarps, or blankets as the base for the enclosure.
There are SO many options out there and a good website I recommend for research is ohiohollandlops.com. We agree with the information they give and they have some wonderful examples of setups.
Litter
We have used so many different types and brands of litters used for litter boxes. We have finally found the best with an affordable price. These Kiln Dried Pine Pellets from Tractor Supply work wonders for absorbing odors and very easy to clean.
Litter Box
Training your new bunny to use a litter box is highly recommended. They are started here and have a good foundation. However, they are still babies and learning. You would want to find a litter box that will fit the whole bunny comfortably. We recommend using a large cat litter box with Kiln Dried Pine Pellets or Natural Paper Based Pellets. Never use sand or clay based cat litter! Always keep their food and water in or near the box as this encourages them to use it.