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Do Rabbits Know What Not to Eat **SELF_CONTROL**

Do Rabbits Know What Not to eat

As a general rule Rabbits do not know what or how much to eat. Problems in this area are 1) Obesity 2) Mal Nutrition 3) Overgrown Teeth 4) Digestion Problems Rabbits can get Gastrointestinal (GI) stasis In the wild generally, rabbits avoid plants that are bad for them Problems come when food is limited.

Do Rabbits Know What Not to Eat

Do Rabbits Know What Not to Eat? The answer to that is Yes and NO. Yes, in the sense that rabbits are herbivores animals, which means; they’ll most likely feed on anything except meat. And NO, in the sense that rabbits can’t throw up, which implies that if they unknowingly eat something terrible for them like a poisonous non-meat substance, they’re stuck with it until it passes through their system.

Do Rabbits Know What Not to EatThat’s why rabbit owners are often advised to be careful in the choices of foods they give to their rabbit, as these animals eat whatever is provided to them at the expense of their health.

Rabbits are one of those fluffy and adorable pets one could ever have in their homes. And while these tender and lovable animals are no strangers to eating whatever they are given, the big question remains, do rabbits know what not to eat? Whatever the case may be, we’ll get to find that out as we go a bit further.

Do Rabbits Know What Not to Eat **SELF_CONTROL** 1
Do Rabbits Know What Not to Eat?

And in case you’re already wondering what foods are best for rabbits and those that are a taboo, below are some of the good ones you should feed them with.

We also can consider the from two viewpoints. One

You can also Read our Guide –18 Ways to Make Money by Rabbit Farming—Extensive Guidelines for Rabbit Farmers

1) If Your Rabbit is Free Ranging the Rabbit has choices and is able to choose what it wants and needs.

2) If Your Rabbit completely depends on what you bring him, he really has no choice.

Do Rabbits Know What Not to Eat / Can Rabbits Over Eat

Yes, Rabbits can overeat. If You look at Rabbits in the wild, II have never seen a fat Wild Rabbit. The problem comes from us when we decide what the Rabbit is going to Eat. Some problems that can arise are..

  • Obesity
  • Mal – Nutrition
  • Overgrown Teeth
  • Digestion Problem
  • GI Status – Where the Rabbits Digestive system shuts down

If we are talking about Tame, Pet rabbits. We want to learn and understand what is best for the health of our Pet

If you are a Rabbit Meat Farmer would want to feed your Rabbits, from the direction, what keeps my Rabbits Healthy / Avoid Disease, and optimal Growth so you can get them to market.

Either scenario, the Rabbit is depending on us as giving him the proper diet. There are a lot of things Rabbits can Eat.

One word of Caution is EXCESS. If all your Rabbit eats is French Fries – You get the thought.

Rabbit Meat Profitability Table

RabbitsRabbits BornLbs Meat / YearAverage Price / LBTotal Revenue Possible
184252$ 8.00$ 2016
2168504$ 8.00$ 4032
54201260$ 8.00$ 10,080
108402520$ 8.00$ 20,162
2016805040$ 8.00$ 40,320
3025207560$ 8.00$ 60,480
40336010,080$ 8.00$ 80,640
50420012,600$ 8.00$ 100,800
100840025,200$ 8.00$ 201.600
20016,80050,400$ 8.00$ 403,200
Rabbits Have Average 7 Kits (Babies) /Month - Some have had up to 14

Can Rabbits Get Colic

Rabbits don’t get Colic, But along the same lines, it is caused by gastrointestinal (GI) stasis. This has some of the same symptoms and complications for your bunnies.

What is Gastrointestinal (GI) stasis

It cames from the same type of problem of eating, the wrong Items in the Wrong amounts, at the wrong time.

The Rabbits start having very dangerous symptoms

  • Loss of Appetite
  • Loss of Ability to defecate
  • Plugged up – Constipated
  • Diarrhea
  • Intestinal Flora out of Balance
  • Stomach Pain
  • Bloating

What do you do For Gastrointestinal (GI) stasis

Your Root Problem is Probably Diet but before you can fix it you might need to help your Rabbit

First you have to somehow determine the root problem. If Your Bunny is constipated, you need to get him moving, If it is diarrhea, you need to slow it down

  • Constipated – Massage
  • Constipated – Gentle Massage
  • Constipated – Liquids
  • Constipated – gentle Laxative
  • Constipated – Hair Ball
  • Pain Relief –

If you are on the opposite side and your little guy is pooping himself to death

  • Increase fiber Content
  • Maintain Liquids – Dehydration
  • Hay – Hay – Hay Orchard Grass, Timothy, Oat
  • Contact your Vet

Will rabbits eat poisonous plants if they have access?

In the wild generally, rabbits avoid plants that are bad for them. Your Free-ranging Rabbits will do the same if they have plenty of natural good food for them to much on. Difficulty comes when the Rabbit is hungry and his only options are bad for him.

FOODS TO FEED YOUR RABBIT

Hay and Pellets

Of course, it’d be criminal to kick off this list without making mention of the most versatile diet plan for rabbits. So, if you own some rabbits, feeding them hay and pellets are a must for the good of their health.

Best Rabbit Diet

Vegetables

Even though it is required for hay and pellets to comprise a large portion of your rabbit’s diet, fresh veggies should also be offered on a daily basis (about 1-2 cups per rabbit per day). This will help provide them with the necessary minerals to help them stay healthy.

The best kinds of vegetables to feed them with include; romaine or dark leaf lettuce, collard greens, kale, celery & celery leaves, asparagus, squash, broccoli leaves, bok choy, clover or dandelion leaves & flowers, mustard greens. If you want to spice things up a bit, you could include herbs such as basil, cilantro, dill, mint, parsley or watercress into their diet plan.

Fruits

Rabbits love eating fruit, and the best part is; it works perfectly with their body system. As such, you can feed them with the likes of carrots, cucumber, bananas, apples, the berries like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, pears, mango, papaya, peaches, pineapple or grapes. All these join to form a healthy source of diet for rabbits.

Now, let’s have a look at some of the meals you should never feed your rabbits with.

FOODS TO NEVER FEED YOUR RABBIT WITH

The below a number of foods can disrupt a rabbit’s digestion and be harmful to their health in the long run.

Bakeries

One of the diets you should completely abstain from feeding your rabbits with are bakeries such as pasta, bread, cookies, or crackers. This is because of the high sugar level in these foods, which can all join hands to cause lethal health issues in your rabbit, such as enterotoxaemia; and speaking of this disease.

Yogurt

According to Rabbit.org, research, feeding your rabbit with yogurt may likely create an atmosphere for critical rabbit health issues such as enterotoxaemia, which is “a toxic overgrowth of ‘bad’ bacteria in the intestinal tract.” Thus, both yogurt or bakeries should be no-go areas when looking for options to feed your rabbit. Displays itself Green / Brown Diahrea

Avocado Pear

If you observed, you’d discover that we omitted avocado as part of the fruits you should feed your rabbit with, and there is a single reason why. According to Small Pet Select, this fatty fruit can be deadly if ingested by a rabbit. So, unless you’re ready to jeopardize the health status of your rabbit, you might want to do away with avocados for good.

Cereals

Cereals, and other processed food, in general, are known to cause tooth and tummy problems in a rabbit. So, you should keep such foods off your rabbit’s cage. 

Iceberg Lettuce

Although most people don’t know this, feeding your rabbit with light-colored lettuce, such as the iceberg lettuce is dangerous. And this happens to be as a result of the lactucarium chemical, which is often present in such lettuces. This chemical is known to be a harmful substance once it gets into a rabbit’s stomach, so it should be kept at arm’s length. And still, on the matter of what vegetables to feed your rabbit, you should take a look at the next food.

Silverbeet

Just like iceberg lettuce is regarded as a dangerous vegetable for rabbit’s consumption, so has silverbeets also been red-marked.  And for those of you who don’t know, silverbeet is a green leafy vegetable that, according to veterinary centers in New Zealand, can cause a rabbit to suffer from colic and bloating. So, rather than feeding your rabbits with silverbeet, you can go for other healthy options like radishes, alfalfa, rosemary, and so on.

Hamster Food

Even though most people are accustomed to feeding their rabbits with hamster foods, perhaps because of the high fiber contents; still, it might interest you to know that these foods are little to no good when it comes to giving your rabbit the necessary nutrients. Put differently; they are a waste of time. Hamster food is formulated to give your hamsters their proper nutrients. Rabbits need a Different Formula for optimal Health

Walnuts

As said earlier, fats do not go down so well with rabbits, mainly due to the fact that it often causes indigestion. So, given that walnuts, as well as other nuts like peanuts, and so on are high in fat and not fiber, trust me, it’d be best to keep them far away as possible from your rabbit. They cause severe discomforts to rabbits.

Chocolate

Chocolate is an absolute no-no for rabbits. And obviously, this is because of the high sugary content in it, which does not go friendly in rabbits.

Oatmeal

Although feeding rabbits oatmeal won’t cause them significant harm, it’s not an ideal meal. Rabbits need large amounts of hay, fresh green leaves, and water. Put differently; oatmeal is redundant in a rabbit’s diet.

So, while rabbits may be conscious enough not to eat meat, for the sake of their health, you should be careful of whatever non-meaty food you feed them with. We hope this article has been helpful in your journey to rabbit feeding.

Things Not to Feed Your Rabbits

Rabbit Breeder Associations

Rabbit AssociationLocationLink
American Breeders AssociationUnited StatesARBA
House Rabbit SocietyCaliforniaHRS
Ohio States Rabbit Breeders AssociationOhioOSRBA
Livestock Conservancy North CarolinaLC
Rabbit Welfare Association and FundUnited KingdomRWA
British Rabbit CouncilUnited KingdomBRC
European Association of Rabbits....EuropeEAP
Australian National Rabbit CouncilAustraliaANRC
Australian Rabbit House SocietyAustraliaARHS
ARBA - Rabbit ShowsUnited StatesARBA - Shows
Resource List of Rabbit Breeder Associations
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Author

  • Darlene and Greg

    Darlene and I have Lived on a 500 Acre farm, we lived there raising our 3 children and 6 Foster Children. On That farm we and our Children Raised Rabbits Chickens Hogs Cattle Goats

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