What Do Rabbits Eat

We are adding meat rabbits to our backyard farming operation. What do these animals eat?

Rabbits are easy and inexpensive to feed. As herbivores and grazers, they eat continuously. 

Rabbits, however, have sensitive stomachs and require a varied, high-fiber diet. 

Hay Is The Mainstay

Hay is the most important part of a rabbit’s daily diet because it is high in fiber to aid digestion. Rabbits should have unlimited access to high-quality grass hay, such as timothy or orchard grass. A rabbit’s teeth are constantly growing and chewing hay helps grind down the teeth and keep them at a healthy length. 

Do not feed rabbits straight alfalfa hay as it has a high calcium level that creates a sludge consistency in the urine and eventually kidney stones. 

Pellets

Quality rabbit pellets are formulated to grow healthy rabbits economically. Pellets include consistent ingredients for nutrient balance. 

Pellets should have 16 percent protein plus a high fiber content. They should have a uniform size and consistency, offer a green color and smell fresh. 

Always feed the same brand and type of pellet to your rabbits because a sudden change of food could create digestive issues. If you do change feed, mix the old feed with the new feed so the rabbit digestive tract becomes accustomed to the new feed.

Pellet Quantity

An adult rabbit will eat 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pellets per 6 pounds of body weight each day. Over-feeding pellets to adult rabbits will result in obesity and a soft stool, which is caused by an overgrowth of abnormal bacteria in the digestive tract. 

Coprophagy

Rabbits practice coprophagy, which means they eat their own feces. The fecal pellets are cecotropes or night droppings; they are small and have a strong fermented or sweet smell. Rabbits consume them at night as a rich source of protein, and vitamins B and K.

Contact your veterinarian or local Cooperative Extension Service with rabbit feeding questions.