There are many misconceptions about what rabbits should eat, including the myths that rabbits need lots of carrots and lettuce, as well as regular portions of commercial food. In fact, while carrots are fine as an occasional treat, rabbits don't actually eat fruit or vegetables in the wild.
To set the record straight, here are our top rabbit diet mythbusters:. 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. See our rabbit meal planner. Hay isn't just bedding. Fresh, dust-free hay should be your rabbit's main source of food and you should make sure they have access to it at all times. Eating lots of hay or grass helps wear down rabbits' constantly growing teeth and keeps their tummies healthy.
It also allows foraging and grazing, which are important natural behaviours. You could read this article for the Take care of Orphan Baby Rabbits. Also, Pedialyte human baby milk is not recommended for the baby bunny. However, the mother bunny feeds her baby only two times a day. By taking proper care, you can grow baby rabbits. Upon confirmation that the wild baby rabbit is orphaned, you could rescue it. If not, do not rescue it. Remember that wild momma bunnies explore their surroundings in search of food.
You might come across one. However, it does not mean it is orphaned. Whether it is a pet rabbit or a wild rabbit, they love carrots insanely. Moreover, carrot is a popular food for the bunny all over the world. In nature, wild rabbits eat a lot of carrots. But the wild rabbit runs miles to miles daily. But for the pet rabbit, you should not provide carrots daily because pet rabbits do have not the luxury to run miles to miles daily.
Usually, Bird seeds that fall on the ground are not the regular diet for the bunny. Some birdseed contains a high amount of fat and carbohydrate that keep the rabbits warm and healthy in the winter. Wild rabbits are prey animals. Some exceptions exist. Pet rabbits and wild rabbits are vastly different. Consequently, their behaviors are very different. Now that you know what wild rabbits need to eat in winter, I hope you have a clear picture of what they need. However, this list is not limited to winter.
The wild rabbit can eat these foods all year round. Alex is a full-time rabbit lover and part-time Biologist. He is a proud parent of two rabbits. It's his childhood dream to rescue endangered animals and make the world better for living.
Hay, water, leafy greens, and a few fruits make up the rabbit's diet. But if you take a closer look, you are likely to find out that rabbits eat almost everything, including vegetables and fruits. Most rabbit breeds cannot tolerate high heat.
So, it could be a good treat for the rabbit especially in the summer. But have you thought that is watermelon is Skip to content. Continue Reading. Fruits can also be fed in small amounts. In the wild these would be special high calorie foods obtained only at certain times of the year. Fruits make great training treats! You also might choose to hand-feed the fruit portion of the diet as part of developing a close bond with your bunny and also to make sure he has an appetite every day.
It is a great way to see if your bunny is feeling good when you observe if he takes his fruit treat every morning! Remember that dried fruits are about 3 times as concentrated as the fresh variety so feed less of those. Rabbits, like many animals naturally gravitate towards high calorie foods such as those high in sugar or starch. This is a protective device from the wild days when they could never be sure when or if they would get the next meal.
When a plant would produce fruit, it is for a limited time and all the animals in the area would want to gobble these gems up quickly!
This means that rabbits cannot limit themselves when given sugary or starchy foods if left to their own devices! Overfeeding fruits can result in a weight gain or GI upset so it is up to you to feed these foods in limited amounts. An approximate amount of fruit to feed your rabbit is a teaspoon per 2 lbs of body weight daily in one feeding or divided into multiple feedings. The grass hay will help to get his GI tract motility and flora in good working order so that he will be able to accept new foods more easily.
Introduce one new food every three days and keep a watch on the stools. Keep a list as you go of the foods that your rabbit has successfully eaten; you will then have a handy shopping list when you go to the store! NOTE: It is always preferable to buy organic produce if at all possible.
If collecting wild foods such as dandelion greens, make sure they are from a pesticide-free area. All fresh foods regardless of the source should be washed or scrubbed in the case of hard vegetables before serving them to your rabbit. Leafy Greens I need to be rotated due to oxalic acid content and only 1 out of three varieties of greens a day should be from this list.
NOTE: unless otherwise stated it is more nutritious to leave the skin on the fruit particularly if organic , just wash thoroughly. IF you are in doubt about the source of the fruit and you are concerned about chemicals in the skin, then remove it.
Please note that there is currently dispute within the scientific community regarding the levels of oxalates and goitrogens in kale.
0コメント