Staple Foods: This section is made up of foods that should make up the main part of your rabbits diet - staple foods. There are only 2 types of food in this section; rabbit pellets and hay. Rabbit pellets are a combination of different grains, vitamins, minerals and hays, and contain most of what your rabbit needs to consume to keep healthy. Access to unlimited hay should also be allowed, as the fibre is a very important part of a rabbit's diet. Without fibre, a rabbit would not be able to digest any of the essential vitamins or minerals, and so it would not be able to survive.
Pellets: Rabbit pellets should be fed every day. Most brands of pellets contain a healthy balance of vitamins and minerals that every rabbit needs. Pellets also contain lots of protein, which help to provide energy for your rabbit. However, the high protein also means that a rabbit will quickly become overweight when fed excess amounts of pellets.
A large rabbit can have 1/3 - 1/2 a cup of pellets per day.
A medium-sized rabbit can have 1/4 - 1/2 a cup of pellets per day.
A small rabbit can have 1/4 cup of pellets per day.
Hay: There are 2 main types of hay: Grass hay, and Legume hay. These 2 types of hay are quite different from each other, so they are good for different purposes.
Grass Hay: Types of grass hay include Oaten Hay, Timothy Hay, and Johnson Hay. Grass hays tend to be lighter, less rich, and more fibrous than legume hay. Grass hays are excellent for feeding adult rabbits, as they provide most of the fibre needed to digest the vitamins and minerals a rabbit receives.
Legume Hay: Types of legume hay include Lucerne hay and Clover hay. Legume hays tend to be very rich in protein and calcium, so they are very good for nursing mothers and developing youngsters. The extra protein provides an energy boost and the calcium helps with better bone development of youngsters and helps mothers to produce richer milk in greater quantities. However, because of the richness of Legume hay, it should be fed in moderate proportions to adult rabbits. Protein causes quick weight gain when overfed, and excess calcium in a rabbit's diet can cause minor health problems. Rabbits expell excess calcium in the form of sludgy urine or bladder stones. Large bladder stones often require surgical treatment. So it is important not to overfeed high-calcium foods such as legume hay to your rabbit.
To summarise: the main thing to keep in mind when feeding food such as legume hay is to always include it in your rabbit's diet gradually. Rabbits have sensitive digestive systems, and it will take time for them to adjust to a new food. Most types of hay are safe to feed to your rabbit, as long as you are mindful of your rabbit's sensitive digestive system, and feed cautiously.
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