When do baby rabbits start eating solid food

Baby rabbits will start to nibble on hay after a few weeks and then should be moved to a diet full of hay after they are weaned from their mother’s milk. The type of hay they eat is important. 

Alfalfa hay is ideal hay for baby bunnies as it is richer in calcium (which helps their bones grow strong) and protein which gives them the energy they need to grow up healthily. Alfalfa hay also tastes good to a baby bunny. This is also its downfall. As your bunny gets bigger and enters adulthood, everything that makes alfalfa hay good for them as a baby is bad for them as an adult. Too much calcium will cause bladder issues and too much protein will make them overweight. This creates additional health issues for rabbits. 

Timothy hay and Meadow hay or another adult type of hay have less calcium and protein, so is much healthier for your bunny. Learn all about all the different hay types for your bunny. The trick is to move your young rabbit over to Timothy Hay without them missing Alfalfa hay too much. To do this takes time but is essential. Start the process slowly by adding more Timothy Hay and taking out some Alfalfa, over a few months complete the process until there is no alfalfa hay being given to your bunny at all.

Dry pellets for your baby rabbit

Should I feed unlimited pellets?

In short, no. A baby rabbit will love eating pellets and giving them an unending supply will create problems with their diet. A quality hay diet like the Timothy Hay created by The Little Hay Co. mixed with alfalfa hay whilst they are young is the best for your rabbit, with pellets added for extra nutrients. A baby rabbit will usually only have an egg cup full of pellets when young, with this only increasing a little as they get bigger. Moving a rabbit onto hay as soon as possible is more natural and will help with their teeth health. Hay naturally wears down their teeth to a manageable and healthy size.

Changing dry food/pellets

You should swap out your pellets daily, so they always have a fresh supply. You will probably find most young bunnies eat all the pellets they are offered anyway, but if any are leftover, swap them out with new fresh ones.

Fresh fruits and vegetables for baby rabbits

When can a baby rabbit have fresh foods?

Around 3-months is a good time to introduce fresh foods to your rabbit. Ideally, you should introduce fresh food to a rabbit one at a time. This will allow you the chance to see which ones they like most and if any affect their digestive system in negative ways.

Which fresh fruits and vegetables are suitable for a baby rabbit?

Leafy greens are an excellent fresh food to give a baby rabbit. Carrot tops, dandelion leaves, kale, spinach, spring greens, herbs like parsley or basil, watercress, broccoli greens and cilantro can be offered to baby rabbits in moderation.

Can baby rabbits eat grapes, apples, bananas?

Giving a baby rabbit fruit is a little trickier. Fresh fruit often contains too much sugar for a baby rabbit, so should only be offered as a treat once a week. These treats for rabbits include apple (without seeds), banana, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, cherries (no seeds), melon, grapes, orange and nectarine.

At what age can rabbits eat grass?

Baby rabbits can usually eat grass after about 8-weeks. They’ll probably pick at grass or hay whilst still feeding on their Mother's milk and will transition across to hay completely at around 8-weeks. Fresh grass is not always practical for a bunny owner, hay (which is dried grass) is usually the main diet of all rabbits.

Should I give meat to a baby rabbit?

No. Rabbits are herbivores and do not ever eat meat.

Can baby rabbits drink water?

Baby rabbits are getting milk from their mother, but at around 3-4 weeks old, they will start to drink small amounts of water too. As they grow and their diet changes, so will their water intake. Hay is dry, so a rabbit eating hay will want more water than a rabbit eating fresh leafy greens. But all animals need fresh water to survive, so it should be a plentiful resource to your bunny.

How often should I feed a baby bunny?

As you should have picked up your bunny after it has weaned from its mother and not before 8-weeks old, your bunny will already be eating hay and pellets and fresh greens. A ball about the same size as your bunny is the right amount of hay each day. The fresh food should be limited and slowly added over time.

If your baby rabbit is refusing to eat?

A rabbit’s digestive system needs to work constantly to avoid health problems, so any interruption in eating habits needs addressing quickly. If your rabbit is eating a small amount, they may be bored, so you can try to tempt them with leafy greens and remove the pellets. If they are still not interested in any food, you should get them checked by your nearest specialist.

Transitioning into adult rabbits

Rabbits grow fast to help them survive in the wild. The period a rabbit is a baby is short. After 3-weeks a wild rabbit will leave the nest, fend for itself and return at night. A baby rabbit should stay with its mother for 8-weeks to get all the protection her milk offers at this critical life stage.

The transition into adulthood is quick, after 6-8 months they will be eating a quality Timothy Hay, begging for treats and still starring in your latest Instagram posts.

Care and Feeding of Orphaned Domestic Rabbits

The following information is for DOMESTIC RABBITS ONLY. If you are concerned about apparently orphaned wild rabbits, please link to this site on wild baby cottontails, which are completely different in their needs.

Before you take the baby domestic rabbits into your care and attempt to bottle feed them, please consider...

Unless the mother rabbit is known to be dead, there is a good chance that she is feeding her babies, even if she seems to be ignoring them. A mother rabbit does not constantly tend to her babies the way a mother carnivore does. Rabbit mamas feed their babies only twice per day, and then leave them alone. This is normal and natural: in the wild, a mother rabbit not in the process of feeding her offpsring stays as far away from the nest as possible to avoid attracting predators to her babies.

If mama rabbit seems to be "ignoring" her litter, check their condition before you interfere. If the babies' tummies are round and full-looking (you sometimes can see a whitish patch where the milk-filled stomach shows through the thin skin of the belly), they are warm, their skin is a healthy, dark pink, and not overly wrinkled, and they are sleeping calmly in the nest, then mama is feeding them. If the babies are very wrinkled, cold, bluish in color, have shrunken bellies, and perhaps are even crawling around looking for mama (instead of nest-sleeping, as a well-fed baby should), then you may have to intervene.

Before handling the babies, wash your hands well with disinfectant soap and hot water. Your hands are covered with bacteria, no matter how clean they may seem, and these can be dangerous to babies whose immune systems are not yet mature enough to control bacterial growth, should harmful microbes be ingested. Once they're clean, rub your hands in a bit of clean, fresh hay and on mama's fur to scent your hands.

If the mama bunny is healthy and active, put the babies in a secure nest box in a place easily accessible to her. The box should be shallow and long enough for mama to jump in without stomping on her babies, but too tall for the babies to accidentally crawl out. Line the bottom of the box with a soft towel (no loose strings or holes! These can tangle around tiny necks or limbs and cause life-threatening injury or death!). Place a thick (3") layer of soft, grass hay or straw on top of the towel, and make a small "well" in the hay. If the mama has already built a nest of her fur, place the fur in the "well" and gently transfer the babies into the nest. If she did not pluck any fur for a nest, and if she is calm, you may be able to gently clip some away from her chest (Not too much! A handful is fine.) and line the well of the straw nest with it.

Make sure mama sees the babies in the nest and can easily join them. Place the box and mama in a quiet, private place (a clean, disinfected bathroom with a baby gate in the doorway is a good choice) and let her get acquainted with her surroundings and her family's location.

If the mama has been separated from the babies for more than 24 hours, and refuses to feed them, you can try to gently, but firmly hold her over the babies until they can get a meal. Stroke the mama, talk to her gently and love her, making her feel secure. After the first feeding, you probably won't have to do this again. She will take care of the babies on her own.

If the mother rabbit is very ill, dead, or exhibiting aggression towards her babies, you may have to remove them and feed them without her help. Before you take on this formidable task, consider the following:

• Did the babies get any mother's milk? If not, you'll have to provide the babies with a special, immunoglobin-rich substance called colostrum. For the first few days of lactation, a mother mammal produces colostrum, which contains antibodies that help destroy foreign bacteria. Without a colostrum "starter", the babies have a lower chance of survival.

If the babies really are orphans or have been abandoned by their mother, here's a protocol that's been successful for us.

1. Keep the babies in a warm (about 75^o - 78^o Farenheit), quiet place in a nest similar to the one described above. (Bunny fur is the best lining, but clean cotton wadding will do as a substitute. Just be sure the babies do not get tangled in it.) DO NOT use an electric heating pad. Two or more babies usually are able to snuggle and keep each other warm if they have a good, padded nest. If there's only one baby, a warm water bottle wrapped in a soft towel can provide an excellent artificial heat source, but be sure the baby can crawl away from the bottle if it feels too warm.

2. The nest box should be at ground level, in a room where small children and pets are not allowed (at least until the babies are eating solid food and out of the nest). For the first few days, keep the room relatively dimly lit and quiet.

Feeding the Babies

Formula and feeding supplies

• plastic sterilizing steam bag (available at most pharmacies, these are used by women to disinfect breast pumps and other nursing materials)
• very small nursing nipples
  There are many different types, and unfortunately few pet supply stores carry the smallest nipples that are best for baby rabbits. If your local pet supply store doesn't carry nipples suitable for baby squirrels and rabbits, then the ones for kittens are the next best thing.
• nursing bottle or syringes
  The type of bottle or syringe you buy will depend on the nipples available in your store. They usually are paired. A variety of feeding supplies are available online from The Squirrel Store. Order them while you use the kitten supplies locally available, and you'll have better nipples and syringes in a few days.
• Formula recipe
  • fresh, whole goat milk - 1/2 cup
  • KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer by PetAg) - 1/2 cup
  • lyophilized (freeze dried) colostrum - contents of 10 capsules, or 1-1.5 Tablespoons
    This is available at most high-quality health food stores, either in bulk powder form, or in capsules. It's expensive, but will give the babies their best head start.
  • heavy cream - 3 cc (a cc is the same as one ml, or milliliter), equal to about 1/2 teaspoon

Feeding Procedure

1. Steam disinfect all syringes, bottles, and nipples as per instructions on the disinfecting bag.

2. Sit or lie on the floor to feed the bunnies, using a towel as a lap cushion for the baby being fed. Baby rabbits are wiggly, and unpredictable. They jump suddenly and unexpectedly, and you must be on the floor so that they don't hurl themselves off a chair or table and injure themselves. A drop of only one or two feet can be fatal, especially if the baby has a stomach full of milk.

3. Hold the baby horizontal in one hand, and the bottle/syringe in the other. If you wrap the bottle in a washcloth or cotton pad, allowing a fold to drape over your hand with the nipple protruding, the baby will be able to "paddle" with his front feet, as he would his own mother's breast.

4. Babies often resist feeding at first, and you must overcome the temptation to force feed. If the baby spits out the nipple, then simply wet the baby's lips with a drop of warm formula so he'll lick it off. Once he's swallowed that, repeat the procedure over and over. Be persistent and gentle. If you can keep him hydrated and fed--even against his will--for a few feedings, more often than not, the baby will start to lap or sip at the drops you provide, though he may not do this on the first feeding. (If you're lucky, the baby will quickly learn the Turbo Suck^tm : this can empty 15 cc's of formula in as little as 9 seconds!)

5. DO NOT SQUEEZE TOO MUCH FORMULA INTO THE BABY'S MOUTH! It's better to err on the side of caution than to have the baby inhale milk!

6. Baby rabbits may lose the suckling reflex in only a day or two. If the baby grabs the nipple and begins suckling, allow him to do so without adding any pressure yourself. DO NOT squeeze the nursing bottle or put pressure on the syringe plunger. The baby should be able to suckle with enough strength to empty the bottle or syringe (as long as the plunger is adequately lubricated in advance with a bit of pediatric simethicone suspension) without any help from you. If you provide extra force, the baby may accidentally aspirate formula that's coming in too fast!

7. If the babies do not suckle, it's not a major problem. Most will learn to lap/sip from the tip of the nipple, and this is actually safer, in terms of reducing the risk of aspiration. Try to hold the nipple sideways or downpointed, relative to the mouth, to further reduce the risk of aspiration.

8. IN CASE OF ACCIDENTAL ASPIRATION. We hope this doesn't happen, but if the baby does aspirate formula, it can completely block the airway and cause the baby to pass out. This does not have to be a death sentence, but the following "Bunny Heimlich" maneuver is the only hope of saving the little one. And it's scary.

• hold the baby very firmly between your palms, one on each side of the rabbit
• stabilizing the back and neck firmly so they do not move at all, raise the baby above your head, so his nose is pointing skywards.
• with a firm, downward motion (not too fast!), swing the baby downwards towards your feet, (being very careful not to come too close to the floor!)
• repeat the procedure two or three times, as necessary. The weight of the baby's internal organs pressing against the diaphragm when you swing downwards ususally provides enough pressure to expel air from the lungs, as well as the drop of milk blocking the airway.
• Once you feel the baby begin to move, STOP THE MANEUVER IMMEDIATELY.
• Consult with your veterinarian about whether or not to place the baby on prophylactic antibiotics to prevent aspiration pneumonia.

9. Until they open their eyes (at about the age of 10-12 days), handle the babies as little as possible when you're not feeding/grooming.

How much to feed?

Two to three weeks: 7-13 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings). Domestic rabbits' eyes open at about 10 days of age. Start introducing them to timothy and oat hay, pellets and water in a shallow dish.

Rabbit lactation: features. Feeding rabbits during lactation

An important component of successful breeding of rabbits is the milkiness of the female rabbit. Eared milk contains 3 times more nutrients than cow's milk. Thanks to this, the weight of babies increases by 10 times already by the age of one month. In the article we will tell you how rabbits behave during lactation and what conditions they need.

Features of lactation in rabbits

Lactation begins immediately after birth. First, colostrum is released, which contains many vitamins, minerals and forms immunity. Then, within three weeks, milk secretion increases, as babies cannot eat solid food and especially need it. After 21 days, milk production gradually decreases. At this time, you can start weaning and transfer rabbits to plant foods. On the 45th day, milk completely disappears in 70% of individuals.

Composition of milk

Rabbit milk contains the following components:

• dry matter;
• crude protein;
• fats;
• sugar;
• minerals;
• calcium;
• phosphorus.

The ratio of substances changes with the growth of newborns and completely covers their needs. In the first days, the maximum concentration of proteins and minerals is observed, which ensures the rapid growth of the cubs. Then their number decreases, but the content of calcium and phosphorus increases.

You can understand how a rabbit is lactating by looking at the offspring. With good milk production in cubs:

• calm disposition;
• stable weight gain;
• smooth shiny coat;
• dense smooth skin;
• full tummies.

If the quality of milk is not up to standard or it is simply not enough, the following signs are observed in rabbits:

• coarse, tousled coat;
• skin folds;
• skinny body;
• restless character (try to suck each other, squeak, pinch and want to get out of the nest).

In this case, the babies are at risk of dying of starvation, so it is better to transplant them to a female rabbit with abundant milk production. This decision contributes to the productivity of breeding and the vitality of young animals.

What affects milk production?

A lactating female rabbit gives from 50 to 250 ml of milk per day. This indicator is influenced by:

• climate conditions;
• heredity;
• conditions of detention;
• diet;
• lactation period.

Other factors also affect:

• Season. Milk production increases in the warm season. Milk has more protein in summer and fat in winter.
• Number of rounds. The maximum rate is reached after the third and fourth births.
• Breed. For example, the Soviet chinchilla belongs to high-milk breeds (produces up to 207 grams per day).

Feeding rabbits during lactation

During lactation, the body's needs increase dramatically. In the process of feeding the offspring, nutrients are quickly excreted in milk. To maintain the normal functioning of the female, their consumption must be replenished. For this, the amount of feed is increased by 2-4 times.

Particular emphasis is placed on foods that promote milk secretion - grass, greens and root crops. It is also important to monitor the amount of protein, during this period, 16-18 grams of digestible protein should fall on 100 grams of energy feed units.

In summer, rabbits are given alfalfa, clover and oat mixture, in winter they are given high-quality silage, legumes, potatoes, carrots and fodder beets. The amount of concentrates is also increased to 70-80% - peas, bran, oats are served.

The menu must also include:

• hay or grass meal;
• sunflower cake and meal;
• fish oil;
• chalk;
• table salt.

For the digestion of lactating rabbits, mashes based on hay, alfalfa flour, oats or barley with the addition of skim milk or sour milk are useful.

Special compound feed for rabbits can be served together with natural feed. For the period of lactation, a full-ration PZK 92-2 is suitable. It is poured into the feeders ad libitum and added as it is eaten.

You can determine whether the diet is correctly chosen by weight gain in rabbits. If the female feeds 6-8 cubs, then normally their weight should be:

• at the time of birth - 60 g;
• 20 days - 300 gr;
• 1 month - 550 gr;
• 1.5 months - 950 gr.

Housing conditions

To create suitable conditions for lactation, the nest must be prepared before littering. It is cleaned, disinfected and covered with hay. It is also important to observe the level of humidity in the room (no more than 75%), ensure normal ventilation, and eliminate drafts.

Rabbits should always have access to clean drinking water. Dehydration increases the risk of cannibalism by the mother.

Conclusion

The level of milk production of females is important for successful rabbit breeding. Thick and nutritious milk is the main food for cubs in the first 20 days of life. In order for the offspring to regularly receive high-quality milk, the rabbit needs more food. Its composition must be optimally balanced. Complete feed, which contains the necessary vitamins and minerals, helps to ensure normal lactation for rabbits.

Related materials

• How to increase the profitability of rabbit meat production?
• Breeding rabbits at home

To articles

How and what to feed small rabbits with and without a rabbit: diet and feeding norms

The nutrition of rabbits in domestic rabbit breeding is of paramount importance. If it is organized correctly, the animals will grow up healthy, gain weight quickly. Consider what and how to feed small rabbits with and without a rabbit, as well as after weaning.

Maintenance

• Lactating rabbit diet
• Feeding of young rabbits under the female
• Feeding young rabbits without a female
• How to feed the young after laying

The diet of a lactating female rabbit

Most of the nutrients that come from the feed into the body of a lactating female go to milk production. Therefore, during the suckling period, the rabbit's diet should be enhanced with protein and vitamin products, juicy feeds that increase milk flow.

Lactating rabbits are given legumes, fresh herbs and hay in winter, grains, dry and sprouted cereals, bran, cake, carrot and beet tops, cabbage leaves, dill, yarrow, nettle and wormwood. There must be zucchini, pumpkin, cucumbers, carrots, watermelons, apples, pears and other vegetables and fruits in the menu, in which there is a lot of juice. In addition to succulent feed, the female should receive plenty of fresh clean water daily, as well as supplements in the form of chalk and salt.

The total nutritional value of the feed must be:

• 330 feed. units - in the first 10 days of the life of the offspring;
• 440 fod. units - from 11 to 20 days;
• 560 fod. units - from 21 to 30 days.

Per 100 feeds units should account for 16-18 g of protein. The large amount of food that the rabbit must consume daily is explained by the high nutritional value and the volume (200 g) of milk produced by her every day. It has been established that by the time of jigging the rabbits, during the period of feeding, the female produces milk, the amount of which exceeds her weight by 1.5 times.

Feeding the young rabbits under the female

The milk of the rabbit contains all the substances and minerals necessary for the young rabbits, and if everything is in order, the female regularly feeds her offspring, all the babies have enough food, then they do not need to be fed anything: feeding the rabbits under the uterus carried out only by her milk. Therefore, it is important at this time to focus on the proper nutrition of the female herself. In the future, the grown rabbits, being with their mother, will begin to try her food and thus gradually become accustomed to the diet of adult animals.

Feeding rabbits without a female

If the rabbit feeds the babies herself, there is nothing to worry about. Another thing is if she died or for some reason refuses to feed her offspring. A rabbit may refuse babies if she does not have enough milk, due to stress, this is often observed in primiparous females.

How to deal with babies in this case? You can force the female by force: put her on her side, hold her paws with her hands and let the rabbits near her. The rabbit, after several such tricks, should get used to it and start feeding the children. If this did not happen, the easiest way is to plant the babies with a recently born female, who has rabbits of about the same age as them. A healthy calm female should take the rabbits. If there is no lactating rabbit, there is another option.

Baby rabbits abandoned by their mothers can also be fed artificially. But this will require free time and patience, especially in the early days, because very small rabbits often eat, they need to be looked after, warmed up.

For feeding rabbits without a rabbit, first of all, you need to choose milk - the main food for babies. Not every milk is suitable for these purposes: in the rabbits themselves, it is fatty, it contains a lot of protein. In terms of composition, deer is closest to it, but, for obvious reasons, it will be problematic to get it. In second place is canine, it can be purchased dry in veterinary stores and made from mixture powder. Infant formulas are also suitable, but only if they do not contain additives and do not have too many sugars.

We recommend reading

Of the fresh milk of other animals for feeding rabbits, goat is best, in composition it is closest to rabbit, but not as fatty. In the most common cow's milk, not only fat, but also carbohydrates are not enough, so cow's milk should be given to rabbits mixed with condensed milk in a ratio of ¾ to ¼. Although many rabbit breeders believe that this mixture should only be used as a last resort, when there is no other option.

Baby rabbits should be fed with syringes with nipple-like nozzles, available from veterinary shops. If they are not there, then a small volume of ordinary syringes without needles, bubbles from drops will do. For newborn rabbits, pipettes can be used, for grown-up rabbits, small-volume baby bottles.

It is important to learn how to properly feed your pups. The rabbit is taken in one hand so that it assumes a vertical position. The syringe is brought to the mouth of the animal and lightly pressed on it so that the milk enters the oral cavity. You do not need to press hard, the liquid may be in the airways of the rabbit and he will suffocate. It is enough for the liquid to get on the lips of the rabbit and he will lick it off. If milk accidentally gets on the muzzle or body of the rabbit, it must be blotted with a clean, soft cloth so that it does not dry out on the fur. After the next feeding, the syringes are washed with warm water. Store milk or mixtures in the refrigerator, warm up to 38-40°C before use.

The amount of milk to be fed to baby rabbits depends on their age. 4-5 ml is enough for newborns, this volume must be divided into equal parts and the rabbits should drink them 4-5 times during the day, that is, only 1 ml of liquid is enough at a time. Then gradually the amount of milk is increased: week-old rabbits need 2 times more milk, 2-week-old ones - 3 times. The frequency of feeding, on the contrary, is reduced - week-old babies are fed 4-3 times, at 1.5 weeks they are transferred to 3 meals a day.

Norms of artificial feeding of rabbits (per 1 animal per day):

• 1 week - 5 ml, 1 ml at a time;
• Week 2 - 20 ml x 5 ml;
• 3 weeks - 20-26 ml, 10-13 ml;
• 4 weeks - 30-50 ml, 15-25 ml.

After feeding, be sure to gently massage the bellies of the rabbits from the sternum to the tail in order for them to defecate. This should be done after each feeding for about 2 weeks, until the digestive system of the animals finally improves. For the same purpose, rabbit droppings should be given to rabbits from 1.5-2 weeks. It contains proteins, vitamins, microorganisms that are not found in the gastrointestinal tract of the young. You need to take litter (cecotrophs) from adult healthy animals. It is enough to add 1-2 peas to the milk mixture every day.

Liquid vitamins A and D are added to milk for baby rabbits already in the first day of their life. Pharmaceutical preparations can be replaced with fish oil. Dosage - according to the instructions for use. Vitamin complexes for rabbits: Chiktonik, Aevit, Chika, E-Selenium, Prodevit. They can also be purchased at veterinary pharmacies.

The success of artificial feeding of rabbits can be determined by their appearance, behavior and growth rate. If after feeding their bellies are full, smooth, they lie quietly in the nest, do not move or squeak, then everything is fine. From 3-5 days of life, rabbits begin to become covered with wool, at 1.5 weeks their eyes open.

After feeding, the rabbits are taken to a warm room, put in a box or crate. In the cold season, they are heated with a lamp, it is hung over the kids at such a distance so as not to burn them. The box is covered with hay and cotton wool.

Food other than milk is offered to rabbits from 2 weeks of age. First, these are vegetables grated on a fine grater, for example, carrots, turnips, zucchini. At this time, rabbits still drink milk, so you should not exclude it, but you can no longer use a syringe, but simply pour it into small shallow drinkers, from where two-week-old animals will lap up the liquid. From 3 weeks you can give grass, also finely chopped, at first its volume should not exceed 3-4% of the weight of the rabbit. From 1 month to 1.5, the amount of milk is gradually reduced, but the volume of herbal, juicy food is increased, and finely ground grain is given. At 1.5 months, the rabbits begin to eat any food on their own, so they are transferred to adult food, as their digestive system and teeth are already ready to consume any solid and rough food, such as whole grains and branches.

How to feed the young after hatching

Month-old rabbits should be fed for the first 2 weeks the same as they ate with their mother. All products that will be included in their diet in the future are introduced gradually: it takes at least 3 days to get used to each. The frequency of feeding the weaners is 4-3 times a day.

Young rabbits should be fed as fully and varied as adult animals. Their diet should contain grass (it is not recommended to feed fresh in summer, it needs to be dried a little), in winter - good quality hay. Root crops are given in crushed form, separately or as part of a mash, grain is also crushed or sprouted.

Potatoes and fodder beets are given no more than 1-2 times a week. Mineral additives - chalk, salt, fish and bone meal - 0.5-2 g per day per head. Monthly rabbits can be offered thin twigs and leaves of fruit trees, birch, needles (only in winter).

Approximate composition of compound feed for rabbits, which can be prepared on your farm:

• grass meal or hay - 35%;
• barley - 25%;
• sunflower cake - 20%;
• corn - 15%;
• bran - 5%.

Maximum feeding norms for rabbits in 1 month:

• concentrates - 40-60 g;
• grass - 300-500 g;
• hay - 120-150 g;
• root crops, vegetables - 150-200 g.

In the summer diet should be more grass, in the winter - concentrates and vegetables. Water must be present in the cages all the time, especially if the rabbits are kept on compound feed. It must be changed daily, warmed up in winter. Two-month-old rabbits can already be fed with whole grains, vegetables should not be grated, but cut into fairly large pieces, animals will gnaw everything on their own with pleasure.

Do not give rabbits grass wet from dew and rain, bad old hay, tops from potatoes and tomatoes, rotten, strongly withered root crops and vegetables, frozen in winter, rotten grain with insects, green potatoes and sprouts. Sweet, fatty, spicy, pickled, spicy foods, mushrooms and fresh bread are excluded (crackers can be fed). It is necessary to monitor the quality of grass and hay so that poisonous plants do not come across in them, from which even the strongest individuals die.

Expert opinion

Irina Titova

Poultry expert

Ask an expert

Feeding rabbits at home should be properly organized, regardless of whether the babies will be under the mother or without her.

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