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Rabbit Pellets: Rabbit pellets are not a necessity, nor are they to be considered a convenience. A bunny, excepting special circumstances listed below, should never just be given a "bowlful" and allowed to regulate its own diet. Apparently, some basic rabbit traits will never be bred out of bunnies. For instance, a domestic bunny, still thinking of itself as a "prey animal", will still instinctively run away even in the most gentle situations. Well, wild rabbits (from which all domestics have come) have not always known where the next meal was coming from. This instinctive trait remains in domestic bunnies. A healthy bunny with a healty appetite will over-eat if given the chance. Over-feeding of rabbit pellets can lead to obesity, heart problems, liver disease, kidney disease, bladder stones and soft stool. Not just any ol' pellet will do, either. Rabbit pellets should contain a minimum of 16% fiber. Check the label. Rabbit Pellets - Recommended Amounts: These amounts may surprise you, but you must remember ... No one is out there feeding pellets to wild bunnies and they are getting along just fine. Note, however, that this is a recommendation in addition to, not instead of, the Hay recommendations. Rabbit Pellets - Special Circumstances: * Pellets can be fed "free choice" to bunnies less than 8 months of age - their youthful metabolism requires extra energy and extra nutrition to develop properly. * Breeding (Don't be a "Litter-Bug"!) and lactating rabbits need more calcium, as well as more energy. |
