I just got a rex/satin bunny. It's a doe, but still a baby. Any advice? I'm new to rabbits. She is so cute!
In addition to pellets and fresh water, make sure you always give good quality hay to your bun. Stay away from feeding lettuce. That's just a start...
Congrats on your little bun! Do you have a pic? I generally feed mine hay and pellets. I give them occasional treats of parsley, cilantro or other good greens. They have a list of what to feed bunnies on this site, I downloaded it but I can't remember where. I will think and let you know. Anyone know in the meantime? I just try to be careful how much greens I feed, they do not do well with too much because it gives them diarrhea which can be deadly for them. There could be a whole other set of rules for baby buns regarding greens, so you might want to look into that. Anyway, enjoy your bun!
Iceberg lettuce can cause diarrhea. And you DON'T want to upset a rabbits digestive system if you can help it. And they need continual food/fiber passing through their gut or they can develop intestinal stasis. Good quality hay can prevent this AND hairballs. Buns can't vomit like a cat so the hair has to pass through. Oh and don't forget the fresh veggies and limited amounts of fruit. Buns tend to have a sweet tooth, lol.
I don't feed any greens besides quality hay until my buns are past six months old. Any bout of loose stools in a young bunny can be deadly and greens are the most common culprit. Oats can be a nice treat instead mixed into their pellets. And once they are old enough for greens I would introduce them one at a time and very gradually. Best of luck with her!
A wild rabbits diet consists of mostly roots, barks, and dried grasses, not greens. They do nibble on them, but don't eat that many. When you see a wild rabbit out in someones yard, more than likely they are eating the roots of the grass, not the grass itself. Wild rabbits are also a different species than our domesticated rabbits. Domestic rabbits are dubbed "European" rabbits because they originated in Europe. They cannot produce offspring with a wild rabbit. They can breed, but nothing will come of it. I second the oats. Plain oatmeal is great, but in small quantities. When introducing a new food, go slowly, and only introduce one new food per week (that's what I recommend anyway). That way, if there are problems, you can easily identify which plant or feed item is causing it. Hope this helps some! Emily
