Rabbits should have a daily diet of mostly grass hay, a smaller amount of fresh vegetables, and a limited number of pellet only food (we recommend oxbow). Hay is the most important part of a rabbit's daily intake. A mix of Timothy, orchard or brome, should be 80% of a rabbit's diet. Alfalfa can be offered to rabbits under the age of 6 months. Their diet should be supplemented with a variety of leafy green vegetables every day. Variety is important. Introduce new vegetables slowly and in small quantities, and monitor for soft feces, diarrhea, or signs of gas pain.
Particularly good vegetables include the dark leafy greens like romaine lettuce, bok choy, mustard greens, carrot tops, cilantro, watercress, basil, kohlrabi, beet greens, broccoli greens. Some leafy greens, such as collard and dandelion greens, parsley, kale, Swiss chard, and escarole, should be fed in limited quantities. Other acceptable vegetables include broccoli, green peppers, Brussel sprouts, endive, wheat grass, radicchio, and squash. Iceberg or head lettuce should not be fed, as it’s mainly water and contains few nutrients. Carrots should be fed sparingly, as they are very high in carbohydrates and may upset GI bacterial flora.
Fruits can be fed in very limited quantities – no more than 1-2 tablespoons of high-fiber fresh fruit (such as apple, pear, or berries) every 1-2 days. It is recommended that fruit is introduced after 3-4 months of age.
Fresh water should be available 24 hours a day. We occasionally add a bit of apple cider vinegar to our rabbits water to promote gut health. Please note if your rabbit has stopped eating for over 8 hours this is considered an emergency. Rabbits' digestive systems need to constantly be moving to function properly.
Rabbits engage in coprophagy, which means they eat their own feces. These fecal pellets are different from the ones normally seen. They are called cecotropes. They are small, soft, and have a strong sweet smell. These pellets serve as a rich source of nutrients for the rabbit, specifically protein and vitamins B and K. Most owners never observe this behavior, as it happens in the early hours of the morning.
Lastly Rabbits are very social. They love company and need a good amount of exercise. They may be small but their personalities are BIG. While “free roaming” gives a rabbit lots of freedom it is our opinion that they should still have an enclosure. Rabbits need a safe place to be able to escape to if they feel overwhelmed or tired. Rabbits love to chew and squeeze into small places, for their safety if you are unable to supervise them they should have a rabbit proof space. This will save many electrical cords and prevent your rabbit from going missing or getting locked/stuck in unseen places. They can be litterbox trained and should get at least 1-3 hours out of the enclosure a day. Hormones kick in after 12 weeks, if you have an overly frisky rabbit consider spaying/neutering (Wickford veterinary clinic and providence animal rescue league both service rabbits). The road to bonding with your rabbit can be long or short, both are normal. We find one of the best ways to bond is to sit on the floor and let your rabbit come to you, offering to hand feed them vegetables. You want to create positive experiences with your rabbit so that they will be comfortable and come to trust you. Being a prey animal, not all rabbits enjoy being picked up, with this in mind; get down to their level and offer lots of head pets.
Resources
Oxbow critical care (along with a baby syringe) and baby gas drops are always items we recommend having in your rabbit first aid kit along with styptic powder, nail clippers, antibacterial spray and cotton swabs.
Oxbow pellets and hay are good quality products we recommend, you can also find rabbit supplies on chewy in bulk as well. *Whichever brand you choose, be sure that the rabbit food is pellets only and does NOT include dried fruit or seeds in the mix.
Omlet is a great website for rabbit hutches/runs and accessories
Krolik XL Rabbit Cage w/Wire Extension on amazon is a great start up kit. Please note rabbits still need 1-3 hours outside of the cage a day to be happy and healthy
Raising Rabbits website offers a great deal of information on a variety of different subjects.
We find the best enrichment toys and brain games on etsy (Bard river farm is one company we buy from often), there are also great treat recipes online as well as DIY toys made with mostly items you would have around the house (toilet paper rolls, cardboard boxes and lots of hay).
House Rabbit Society has a list of rabbit vets by state. But we find the best way to find a good vet is to ask around and look for reviews. If you are local to Rhode Island we recommend Wickford Veterinary Clinic.
And of course we are always here for you. Any questions or trouble please reach out to us by either email minirexhomestead@gmail.com or by phone (401)996-6718 if we don’t answer please send a text or leave a voicemail.
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