What's a Rabbit's Favorite Food?

A rabbit's favorite food should be hay, though you may have to take steps to ensure that your rabbit is eating enough before adding in other foods that your rabbit loves. Hay should make up at least 80% of your rabbit's diet, then it's off to the races with fresh veggies and other treats!

Click Here For a Guide to Understanding Your Rabbits Diet.

High Quality Hay

It’s very important that you select high quality hay for your rabbits, otherwise they will not get the nutrition they need.

Alfalfa Hay

Alfalfa Hay is a great choice for rabbits up until the age of 7 months. It has bigger leaves and thicker stems compared to grass hays, and it has plenty of protein and calcium to keep your young rabbit happy and healthy. You should transition your rabbit to grass hay at 7 months, as their body’s needs change to keep them happy and healthy.

Timothy Hay

Timothy Hay is high in fiber, but lower in protein and calcium. This mix helps keep your rabbit's teeth and digestive track healthy. Farmers cut Timothy hay three times, with the first cut being the coarsest and providing great nutritional and dental benefits. The second (medium) and third (soft) cuts are better suited for rabbits who need softer hay for their teeth. Once your rabbit is on the third cut of Soft Timothy Hay you should add supplemental foods, like All Natural Apple or Willow Chew Sticks, for dental health.

Orchard Grass

Coarse Orchard Grass and Soft Orchard Grass are a great choice for people or pets that are allergic to Timothy Hay. In terms of nutritional and dental health value, Coarse Orchard Grass is very similar to Coarse Timothy Hay. Like Soft Timothy Hay, your rabbit will need supplemental chew toys or coarse hay to help their teeth stay healthy once you move on to the Soft Orchard Grass.

Mountain Grass

Mountain Grass is most like what rabbits would eat in the wild, and it is high in fiber and low in protein and calcium. This mix of wild grasses has coarse leaves and almost no stems. Even without the stems, it is coarse enough to cover your rabbit's nutrition and dental needs.

Hay Additives

Your rabbit eats around the clock, and they should have fresh food available, primarily hay, throughout the day. But what if you have a picky eater? Try rubbing natural flavors into your hay such as fresh peppermint, sage, rosemary, or basil. Be careful, as a little goes a long way. Once you find a mixture that your rabbit will eat, stick with it! Keeping your rabbit healthy and happy is dependent on hay being their favorite food.

Fresh Vegetables

Rabbits love vegetables and they are good for them. Stay away from potatoes, beans, nuts, seeds, and corn to avoid digestive problems. Once they've committed to eating their daily hay, your rabbit will be ecstatic to eat green, leafy vegetables like lettuce and escarole. The tops of several vegetables, such as radishes or carrots also make great treats. Just be sure that you are not providing too many of these favorite options if they cut into hay consumption.

Pellets

Alfalfa Pellets help introduce young rabbits to the foods they should learn to love, and you can feed them as many as they will eat until they reach 7 months old. Pellets are high in fiber and nutrients and can be used in conjunction with hay and mother's milk. You can continue to feed your rabbit pellets after 7 months old, but they should be as a treat in addition to an 80% hay diet, not served as a substitute.

Chew Toys

Chew toys for rabbits not only keep them occupied, but they also help maintain dental health. They are a great addition to the diet of rabbits who must eat softer hay. Choose Apple or Willow Chew Sticks to help keep your rabbit happy and healthy.

Cubes

Cubes are convenient and less messy for you, and they are a great source of nutrition for your rabbit. Until they reach 7 months old, your rabbit should eat Alfalfa Cubes, then you can transition them over to Timothy Cubes.

It may take some experimenting to find the right mix of foods to come up with your rabbit's favorites, but the good news is that there are several high-quality choices out there to keep your rabbit healthy and happy. It is easy to take great care of your rabbit, because you can order farm fresh hay and other foods shipped straight to your door from RabbitHoleHay.com.