There are many good feeds out there for your rabbit. The most important thing is that the feed is kept fresh. A rabbit under 5 pounds will eat about a tuna fish can full of feed a day. We feed our Polish about 1/3 cup of feed per day and our Mini-Rex about ˝ cup of feed per day. But the most important thing to remember is to not feed the rabbit more then it will clean up in one day's time. If feed is left in the feeder the next day dump it out. It is very important to keep feed fresh as it looses its nutritional integrity when it is exposed to the elements. We buy feed 1-2 weeks of feed at a time in the winter and about 1 weeks at a time in the summer. In most cases you will not need to supplement your rabbits feed. We however show our rabbits and feel we need to supplement as we put them under stress that the average rabbit would not incur. Much as a professional athlete will have a different diet then the "average person". We use 1 pound of black oil sunflower seed to every 100 pounds of feed. It is important to add here that we only do this in the spring, winter and fall months of the year. Sunflower seeds help to hold in a rabbits body heat and therefore, should not be feed in the summer months, or when temps are over 80 degrees. We also add about a tablespoon of rolled oats and barley mixed ˝ and ˝ to each rabbit's daily ration. Every 6-7 days, or once a week we add a tablespoon of "show bloom". This is just a supplement that helps them keep their coats nice and shinny and gives them a boost. Very much like vitamins would us. We find the sunflower seeds add protein, oil and fiber to their diet. This helps to keep them in good condition and adds shine to their coats. The rolled oats aid in their digestion and sooth sore tummies. The barley helps them to hold condition. Rolled oats are also used to rid of diarrhea. Another important supplement is hay. We recommend grass hay. Although we do use alfalfa cubes at shows and when we have a rabbit that needs to add some weight. Sometimes if it is very hot and we have rabbits that are not eating well, we will also feed alfalfa cubes to keep their systems going. We also use hay cubes the day before and day after weaning a litter. But, most of the time we use grass hay. We like to feed grass hay at least 3 times a week. The rabbits love this treat! It helps to push and toxins they might have ingested out of their systems. It is important that the hay is kept dry and free from mold. This is VERY important as moldy hay or feed will kill a rabbit. I keep my grass hay and on pallets with a tarp over the top. It needs to be kept dry from both the top and the bottom. This is why we keep our feeds in sealed plastic garbage cans. It is important to make sure the lids are always kept tightly sealed. Never leave feed someplace where rodent droppings or moisture can get in it. This is why we feel it is important not to have too much feed on hand in the summer months. We did open a bag of feed many years ago and find it had some mold in it. Thank goodness we found it and we did not feed it! I know several rabbit breeders that sample every bag of feed themselves. I don't go that far but I do pay a lot of attention to how the feed looks and how much dust is in it. We never get more feed in the summer then what we can put into the container immediately. Even in winter any reserve feed in put on pallets so as to help prevent moisture from getting into it. Another thing some people do is to keep their feed in the freezer. They then only take out a week feed at a time. This also will help to keep the feed fresh if you do not have many rabbits. The only time we change our feed routine is when a rabbit appears to not feel well or we are weaning a litter. It is important at this time to give mama all the grass hay and hay cubes she wants. When weaning reduce the feed by half and increase the grass hay or cubes the day before you take the kits away. This will help keep the kits from getting interitis and the doe from getting mastitis. Just as important as fresh feed is fresh water. Your rabbit needs FRESH water daily. This means you need to dump out the old water and put in fresh. You will also need to wash out your water crocks at least once a week. We use bleach and dish soap, but make sure you rinse them well. We also bring all our crocks in the house and run them through the dishwasher from time to time. If your rabbit does not have fresh water it will go off feed, become dehydrated, and die. This is why FRESH water is so important. If you have a rabbit that does not want to drink enough water, I add a small amount of apple cider vinegar. This will increase water consumption. I do this a lot in the summer to keep bacteria from building up in the water crocks. I use about ˝ teaspoon per gallon of water. For many years I added bleach to their water but now add apple cider vinegar instead. I never had any adverse affects from the bleach other then in being hard on my cloths. But since I heard of the virtues of apple cider vinegar I have been using that instead. Since it is a natural product I think it may be a better choice. I have also heard tell of people who use it to increase fertility in brood does. I do have to admit my litters this time is bigger then normal. But I do not know if it is because of this switch. Another good product most rabbit breeders use is 4-Way Acid Pack. I use 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. This additive is good for keeping rabbits drinking in very cold or very hot weather. I use it when I wean kits, and when I go to over the road shows. I guess a simpler way is to say I use this when they are stressed. They like the taste of the 4-Way and therefore consume more water. It also keeps good flora in their little tummies. Acid-Pak is water-soluble and contains organic acidifiers, electrolytes, bacteria and enzymes. Good water consumption can only have a positive effect on the coat quality. This helps to keep the water supply clean. It does leave a slight sent to the water. Speaking of flora, I have found yogurt to be very helpful. Bunnies seam to like strawberry the best but will eat most any flavor. This will put the flora back in their tummies if they have gone off feed or been given antibiotics that destroy good flora. Just a little bit will help. My bunnies will often lick if off my fingers. Or sometimes I mix it with rolled oats. Now we are done with the basics lets talk about the fun stuff. Treats! Your bunny is no different then you in that respect. We do not feed many fresh vegetables but we do sometimes leave small carrots in their cages in the winter. When the crocks are frozen they will often chew on them for moisture. I know we all see wild bunnies eating in our gardens and vegetation in parks. But your domestic rabbit may not be able to tolerate such a diet. Remember that your bunny has for many generations been fed a diet of rabbit pellets and grain. Rabbits are many times not able to digest raw vegetables. Raw vegetables may even make them sick. So if you decide to introduce this into their diet be careful to do it very slowly. One of our rabbit's favorite treats is dried white breed. They like the heals so now you know what to do with them. Let them dry out completely so they are nice and hard. 1 piece of bread should feed 4-6 rabbits. They think this is the best…they get excited as soon as they smell you break of a piece. Another good treat is cheerios or honey nut cheerios. Just a few of these will go a long way. But again if I have somebunny who does not want to eat it is something I try to get their little systems going again. I also buy a mixed grain treat for my bunnies at the shows. It is called a conditioning mix and I use it when I have a rabbit that does not eat well or is loosing condition. If you want to watch your bunnies have a really good time. Give them hay inside the cardboard part of a paper towel or toilet roll. They have a great time throwing it around and it is really fun to watch the babies play with it. And those silly things will now have a productive use. Well that's about it now you have learned the basics of rabbit nutrition and a little more.
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