If you ask young children this question, the answer is often "Carrots!". Most adults though, hopefully, would know that grass makes up the majority of a wild rabbit's diet, along with other vegetation (dandelions, clover etc.). To have a healthy domestic rabbit, their diet should ressemble this as much as possible.
Rabbits do NOT naturally eat grains so the 'muesli' style foods are completely unnatural. They encourage selective feeding where the rabbit chooses all the tasty bits while leaving the more healthy pieces behind. This is much like humans having a diet of junk food with no vegetables. This selective feeding causes digestive problems and teeth problems and will lead to obesity, which is a growing problem in pet rabbits.
To simulate the diet of the wild rabbit, the majority of the diet should be made up with grass and hay. These need a lot of chewing so help to keep the rabbit's teeth down as well (all of a rabbit's teeth grow continuously).
A run on a lawn is a perfect source of growing grass - do not use weedkiller on the grass however as this may cause severe problems to the rabbit. The grass should be supplemented with good quality hay. Timothy hay is one of the best. It is very tasty and keeps the teeth down well.
A lot of the rabbit treats available are very high in sugars and are not good for your rabbit. The best treats that you can give them are fresh greens, herbs and vegetables. Dandelion leaves are a particular favourite. Vegetables should not be fed in too great a quantity but a small amount of fresh greens every day is suitable. Fruit should be reserved for a very occasional treat.
Not really! If provided with a lot of hay and grass rabbits really shouldn't need to eat much else. It is a good idea to give them a small amount of a pelleted diet, however, to top up any minerals and vitamins that they are not receiving in the diet.
The best food to feed is the Burgess Excel Rabbit. This is a completely pelleted diet which prevents selective feeding. Only a small amount (about 1 tablespoon per kilogram bodyweight) should be fed daily.
