diet/nutrition

[jamesedwardwaller]

everone knows what fiber is,yes??..it is 70% of a rabbits diet,--hay--ie..orchard/timothy grass,,,now comes the nutrition question//-how much nutrition is in hay??..can we feed only hay 24/7 without problems,,some people think so,//,have you tried it??,,if so you better weigh your rabbit daily,,-you will be amazed at the results,....sincerely james waller

 

[kirbyultra]

Hay only may be a stretch? I don't know, maybe not... don't wild bunnies eat fresh grass and hay where grass is not available and they seem to get by well! I'm sure they steal a fruit where they can but certainly they are not chowing down on lettuce like house buns do.

 

[Hazel-Mom]

Along with the grasss and heys, they eat lots of the "weeds" that grow in between the grasses. They also eat leaves and twigs, and bark off brushes. And fruits, when in season. And as many gardeners can tell you, they don't turn their noses up to lettuce and carrots either .
If you look at a natural meadow, you will see there is a tremendous variety of plants growing in it, varying with the different times of the year.
So no, rabbits in the wild do not eat just fresh grass or hay. They have a very varied diet, more varied than most houserabbits, and I'm sure that helps provide them with all the vitamins and minerals they need.
And since they are out in the sun a lot, they probably get plenty of vitamin D too

 

[Happi Bun]

I wouldn't feel confident (understatement) feeding strictly hay. Wild Rabbits feed on a variety of leafy plants when the season permits along with grass, all with various nutritional value. This I know makes up most of their diet but they also eat lots of other vegetation like Hazel-Mom pointed out. Also, different cuttings of hay have different nutritional values. First cut has the most fiber, third having the least.

 

[tonyshuman]

Some people feed only hay, but they usually give treats of veggies and/or fruit sometimes. I have heard that you need to give several kinds of hay, such as orchard, timothy, brome, bermuda, oat, alfalfa, etc if you are going to do an all-hay diet.

 

[fuzz16]

I have a custmoer whose rabbits refuse pellets and must eat different types of hay and veggies and grass to get wht they need. her vet worked out what sounded like good meals

 

[pamnock]

A balanced diet is most important. Most foods that rabbits eat out in the wild contain fiber and a wild rabbit's diet doesn't consist primarily of hay (very minute amount actually). Feeding a lot of hay does not provide a nutritional balance for rabbits.

Pam

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

pamnock wrote:

A balanced diet is most important. Most foods that rabbits eat out in the wild contain fiber and a wild rabbit's diet doesn't consist primarily of hay (very minute amount actually). Feeding a lot of hay does not provide a nutritional balance for rabbits.

Pam

absolutely,,correct,..scientific research has proven-rabbits that run wild eat what they can,,,where-ever they can-in other words an assortment,//,sometimes things are not as they appear..ie..wild rabbits reproduce in numbers but it is unlikely they are healthy or live very long--(due to health problems,predators,and environmental factors)---however they do get unlimited sunshine.(the essence of life)/.consider now a captive rabbit limited sunshine at best,constantly-grooming,chewing-(see a problem yet???)-please continue the trhread,below--leaving comments,,,sincerely james waller:wave: