All you need to know about Rabbit Diet: Fresh Leafy Greens & Vegetables
While every bunny should have access to hay, adding fresh leafy greens and vegetables is an excellent way to ensure your rabbit is meeting their dietary needs.
ALWAYS provide a mixture of leafy greens and vegetables. Not only is it great for their diet because they are getting a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, it is also good for their mental health as well. Add new items slowly and one by one. Monitor for diarrhea, soft stools, and signs of gas pain.
What Should you feed your bun?
A variety of fresh leafy greens:
Feed Greens such as spring mix (no spinach), romaine lettuce, bok choy, mustard greens, carrot tops, cilantro, watercress, basil, kohlrabi, beet greens, broccoli greens, mint, basil, dill, and cilantro
High in calcium greens such as collard and dandelion greens, parsley, kale, swiss chard, and escarole can be given sparingly, like once a week.
High in water and low in nutrients, these greens should be given sparingly Iceberg Lettuce or Head Lettuce.
A variety of veggies:
Feed vegetables such as endive, wheat grass, radicchio, and squash.
Carrot tops can be given freely (the leafy green part), but make sure you only use a small amount like a quarter size, once a week.
Broccoli (a few florets), green pepper (a slice), brussel sprouts (small head or cut medium in half), can be given sparingly, but watch for bloat and only give small amounts.
If your bunny is chunky, reduce the amount of veggies per your vet's instructions.
Regardless of what you choose to feed them, a good rule of thumb is 1 cup of fresh greens per 4lbs, but make sure your rabbit is eating primarily hay. Remember the foundation is HAY to ensure good gut motility.
How to feed fresh leafy greens and vegetables?
Most people use a heavy ceramic bowl or paper plate. This is because some bunnies will find the bowl a fun toy to throw around. If your bun does this, don't fret. Switch to another style of feeding or let them have fun.
Place food spread out on a timothy mat or forage mat. This helps promote foraging, which is a healthy behavior for rabbits.
Hide around their enclosure to encourage your bun to search for the goodies! Place on top of boxes, in a tunnel, wherever you can think. Attach to the bars of the enclosure with binder clips so they have to use different teeth to get it all. This is a great technique to encourage foraging and mental acuity.
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