I raise large meat rabbits for my family's table and currently have eight rabbits, although the numbers go much higher during the fall to early summer time period when the rabbits are raising kits. I feed pellets but not exclusively. The does get 1/2 cup and the bucks get 2/3 cup of a 16% protein pellet. Every morning each adult rabbit gets a piece of fruit, such as watermelon rind, cantaloup rind, slice of apple, or on rare occasion a piece of the core from a pineapple (they have to arm wrestle the geese for that). Pellets are designed for the rabbit's nutritional need. I also, on occasion, give each rabbit a handful of alfalfa stems. I also have goats who love alfalfa leaves and flowers but are not crazy about the stems. I gather up the stems after the goats are done and give that to the rabbits.
If you feel that you need to feed your rabbit hay, timothy or otherwise, there are some ways to cut down on the wasted hay. First off keep in mind that once a rabbit drops a piece of hay the probability of the rabbit picking it back up range from none to "what, are you out of your mind?". You can use a hay rack and cut the hay into 4" lengths so that when they pull out a piece it isn't a big piece. You will have dropped hay regardless. I've found that if they get hay on occasion they are less likely to waste it, so mine get hay occasionally. There is a product out by Brown's that is a compressed timothy hay cube. The rabbits like that and it helps with the teeth.
Rabbits love to chew, gnaw, on wood so if I don't have anything like fruit tree branches from trimming my trees, I will give each cage a piece of 2 x 4 as long as it is not, NOT, did I say NOT treated wood. Mine love rose cane when I prune back the rosebushes. They also love mulberry and I've found it doesn't have to be fresh as they will gnaw on a mulberry branch that is old and dry.
I don't give my rabbits mineral blocks or salt spools as I've read in several places that those types of items are really not needed as long as the rabbit is getting good nutrition from the pellets.
I do give the rabbits the tops off the carrots, extra lettuce from the garden, and the occasional piece of cucumber. I hesitate to give fresh green things to cages that have kits (baby bunnies) unless I stand there to intercept the wee ones from getting their dam's treat. I've read where others do give fresh greens to kits without any tummy upsets, and have read as many postings that say horrible things happen because the kits can not handle fresh greens. I've also read that if you dry the lettuce (dehydrate) you can then feed that to kits with no worries. Too many variables for this wee brain to handle so the kits get their dam and pellets until they are 8 weeks old and then just pellets and occasional hay until they are 6 months old then they get all the goodies the adults get.
All that to say there isn't anything wrong in just feeding pellets, as long as the nutritional needs of the rabbit are being met. They don't seem to get bored with their diet. At least no one has complained to me about the same old pellet in his food dish...yet
Seems to me fresh greens for an adult rabbit, to supplement his pellets, should not be a problem. Wash the greens well, wouldn't want to give the rabbit chemicals best left on the lawn. Good luck with your rabbit. As a rule they like having the top of their noses scratched and their foreheads rubbed.
If you feel that you need to feed your rabbit hay, timothy or otherwise, there are some ways to cut down on the wasted hay. First off keep in mind that once a rabbit drops a piece of hay the probability of the rabbit picking it back up range from none to "what, are you out of your mind?". You can use a hay rack and cut the hay into 4" lengths so that when they pull out a piece it isn't a big piece. You will have dropped hay regardless. I've found that if they get hay on occasion they are less likely to waste it, so mine get hay occasionally. There is a product out by Brown's that is a compressed timothy hay cube. The rabbits like that and it helps with the teeth.
Rabbits love to chew, gnaw, on wood so if I don't have anything like fruit tree branches from trimming my trees, I will give each cage a piece of 2 x 4 as long as it is not, NOT, did I say NOT treated wood. Mine love rose cane when I prune back the rosebushes. They also love mulberry and I've found it doesn't have to be fresh as they will gnaw on a mulberry branch that is old and dry.
I don't give my rabbits mineral blocks or salt spools as I've read in several places that those types of items are really not needed as long as the rabbit is getting good nutrition from the pellets.
I do give the rabbits the tops off the carrots, extra lettuce from the garden, and the occasional piece of cucumber. I hesitate to give fresh green things to cages that have kits (baby bunnies) unless I stand there to intercept the wee ones from getting their dam's treat. I've read where others do give fresh greens to kits without any tummy upsets, and have read as many postings that say horrible things happen because the kits can not handle fresh greens. I've also read that if you dry the lettuce (dehydrate) you can then feed that to kits with no worries. Too many variables for this wee brain to handle so the kits get their dam and pellets until they are 8 weeks old and then just pellets and occasional hay until they are 6 months old then they get all the goodies the adults get.
All that to say there isn't anything wrong in just feeding pellets, as long as the nutritional needs of the rabbit are being met. They don't seem to get bored with their diet. At least no one has complained to me about the same old pellet in his food dish...yet
Seems to me fresh greens for an adult rabbit, to supplement his pellets, should not be a problem. Wash the greens well, wouldn't want to give the rabbit chemicals best left on the lawn. Good luck with your rabbit. As a rule they like having the top of their noses scratched and their foreheads rubbed.
